Does your theology of children extend beyond whether or not they belong to the covenant and should be baptized as infants? That's Andrew Nichols' leading question in part 2 of his paradigm-shifting (for me personally) 3-part theological vision for families. We think that the topics of parenting and families are important enough to the shape and scope of discipleship in the local church that we've decided to devote an issue of the 9Marks Journal to them.

The Cline Family's opening challenge on whether our families are kingdom-minded should be read by every Christian parent on the planet. Period.

Matt Schmucker gives bite-sized practical advice on parenting. Personally knowing his five children, let me commend him to you as a genuine authority on the topic, even if he is named after jelly. Tim Cantrell looks at you, then he looks at the Bible, then he looks at you, and then he says, "Have you considered having more babies?"

Justin Taylor points to resources neither pastors nor parents want to miss. And Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence each examine another commendable resource.

Bottom line: How do the older men in your church define "success" for the younger men? What do the younger women learn from the older women about femininity? In response, Nichols' articles ask us to stop and consider the fact that God has revealed himself as "Father" and "Son." That he has "adopted" his people as "children." That he has made us in the church "brothers" and "sisters." Presumably all this means something for what it means to be a church. Even more practically, it means something for our discipleship and the vision of godliness that the older saints should impart to the younger.