Denounced by some as a dangerous cult and lauded by others as a miraculous faith community, the International Churches of Christ was a conservative evangelical Christian movement that grew rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s. Among its followers, promises to heal family relationships were central to the group's appeal. Members credit the church for helping them develop so-called "awesome families"-successful marriages and satisfying relationships with children, family of origin, and new church "brothers and sisters." The church engaged an elaborate array of services, including round-the-clock counseling, childcare, and Christian dating networks-all of which were said to lead to fulfilling relationships and exciting sex lives. Before the unified movement's demise in 2003-2004, the lure of blissful family-life led more than 100,000 individuals worldwide to be baptized into the church. In Awesome Families, Kathleen Jenkins draws on four years of ethnographic research to explain how and why so many individuals-primarily from middle- to upper-middle-class backgrounds-were attracted to this religious group that was founded on principles of enforced community, explicit authoritative relationships, and therapeutic ideals. Weaving classical and contemporary social theory, she argues that members were commonly attracted to the structure and practice of family relationships advocated by the church, especially in the context of contemporary society where gender roles and family responsibilities are often ambiguous. Tracing the rise and fall of this fast-growing religious movement, this timely study adds to our understanding of modern society and offers insight to the difficulties that revivalist movements have in sustaining growth.

There's No Business Like Show Business! And for the Awesome Possum Family Band, they're about to get their big break! The youngest possum wants to join in the music making but doesn't know his talent… To be a part of the family showbiz, Possum Number Nine tries to discover his special gift. Is it painting, presenting, or playing the drums? Find out in Jimmy Osmond's inspiring "tail" about the importance of family and following your dreams.

“An outstanding book. . . . Meets the needs of those in-between or curious kids who are not ready, developmentally or emotionally, for It’s Perfectly Normal.” —Booklist (starred review) How does a baby begin? What makes a baby male or female? How is a baby born? Children have plenty of questions about reproduction and babies—and about sex and sexuality, too. It’s So Amazing! provides the answers—with fun, accurate, comic-book-style artwork and a clear, lively text that reflects the interests of children age seven and up in how things work, while giving them a healthy understanding of their bodies. Created by the author and illustrator of It’s Perfectly Normal, this forthright and funny book has been newly updated for its fifteenth anniversary.

Great ideas and top tips for building a strong, functioning family from parenting gurus Ian and Mary Grant. Parenting skills that any family can use effectively, with excellent practical advice including smart strategies, action labs and chapter summaries. Children need to know the security of a family operating as a team and to experience being contributors not just takers. In this way children will know real intimacy and emotional safety. Whatever we parents honour or treat as sacred or special, our children will also honour, whether that is the TV, regular family times or sport. This book is a call to refocus on what it is to create a family, to look again at what we are honouring in the community we call our family, and to think about our ultimate goals for the individuals and their relationships. Growing Great Families covers the following topics: being a parent in the world we now inhabit; building the foundations; what makes a family into a community; moulding big personalities into a family; life-defining values; two pillars of great families - fun and communication; and moving from dependence to interdependence.

Ronald Reagan's personal attorney Roy Miller was a California success story. The Miller family's friends could never have imagined the horror and darkness that were to follow as Michael, the Miller's youngest son killed and raped his own mother.

The science behind, "But, why?" Don't get caught off guard by your kids' science questions! You and your family can learn all about the ins and outs of chemistry, biology, physics, the human body, and our planet with Dad's Book of Awesome Science Experiments. From Rock Candy Crystals to Magnetic Fields, each of these fun science projects features easy-to-understand instructions that can be carried out by even the youngest of lab partners, as well as awesome, full-color photographs that guide you through each step. Complete with 30 interactive experiments and explanations for how and why they work, this book will inspire your family to explore the science behind: Chemistry, with Soap Clouds Biology, with Hole-y Walls Physics, with Straw Balloon Rocket Blasters Planet Earth, with Acid Rain The Human Body, with Marshmallow Pulse Keepers Best of all, every single one of these projects can be tossed together with items around the house or with inexpensive supplies from the grocery store. Whether your kid wants to create his or her own Mount Vesuvius or discover why leaves change colors in the fall, Dad's Book of Awesome Science Experiments will bring out the mad scientists in your family--in no time!