Chapter 1 The Powerful Role of Faith in Family Ministry; William H. Jeynes -- Chapter 2 Why Families Do or Don’t Breakdown; William H. Jeynes & Ralph Winter -- Chapter 3 Spiritual Mentoring for Healthy Family Development; Lou Selzer -- Chapter 4 The Power of a Husband’s Delight in His Wife; Gary Rieben -- Chapter 5 Preparing for Your Future Spouse; William H. Jeynes -- Chapter 6 Marriage Preparation:  A Ministry with Lasting Benefits; Joe Wilmoth & Samantha Smyser -- Chapter 7; Worldview, Christian Maturity, and Young Adulthood: The What, When, Where, and How of Education after High School; Dick Carpenter III -- Chapter 8 Scriptural Views Of Parenting; William H. Jeynes -- Chapter 9 The Impact Of Family Religiosity For Latina/O Youth: Building a Case for Personal and Academic Enhancement through Faith; René Antrop-González, Tomás Garrett & William Vélez -- Chapter 10 Christian Principles for Ministering to Families with Children with Disabilities; Mary Poplin And Sharon Rogers -- Chapter 11 Laying a Strong Foundation in The Family: The Power of Storytelling; Roger Friend.

This book combines the research on spiritual ministering with the practice of counseling families. It examines such topics as how to prepare for marriage, how to keep a marriage divorce proof, and how parents influence children, and vice versa. In its quest to discover what makes families thrive, the book addresses and compares best parenting practices and describes interventions that help the development of family ties over a large span of the life-course. It offers guidance to families through several stages of family life: Pre-marital, marital, and raising children and adolescents. It makes clear that what constitutes an effective parent changes over the life course.