A Practical Theology of Family Worship: Richard Baxter’s Timeless Encouragement for Today’s Home

Baxter believed that family worship is God’s will, a conviction that profoundly shaped and motivated his pastoral ministry in Kidderminster. It is said that, at the beginning of his ministry, hardly one family to a street honored God in family worship; by the end of his ministry, there were streets on which every family upheld the practice. In A Practical Theology of Family Worship, Jonathan Williams examines Baxter’s context, the encouragements he gave for family worship, and his family-equipping ministry among the congregation. This study develops our understanding of this vital spiritual discipline among the Puritans. Yet it also draws out implications for family ministry in churches today.

Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781601788856

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Jonathan Williams, Ph.D. (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the founder and executive director of Gospel Family Ministries. This ministry focuses on strengthening family ministry in the local church and cultivating family worship in the Christian home. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. Previously, Jonathan served for 10 years as the senior pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church, a multi-ethnic church of more than 50 nations. He lives and writes in Texas with his wife and three children.

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“Regardless of how familiar you are with Richard Baxter, if you want to learn more about family worship you’ll profit from this book. Jonathan Williams has given us a readable, practical, and well-researched volume that is a significant contribution to the subject. The author presents a wealth of biblical instruction and helpful application about family worship woven throughout the life, ministry, and teaching of Baxter. A Practical Theology of Family Worship is suitable for either small group study or reading for fathers and couples. I’m confident that many churches and families will be blessed by their discovery and implementation of this book.” Donald S. Whitney, professor of biblical spirituality and associate dean at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, and author of Family Worship, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, and Praying the Bible