We are for the family {Launch Week Giveaway #1}

ByPatrick and Ruth Schwenk

A Website for the family. We are for the family ~ www.forthefamily.org

We met on a prank phone call.  Yes, you read that right!   While attending the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, I (Pat) called Ruth pretending to be a local radio station announcing an opportunity to win cash.

The goal was pretty simple:  Call an unsuspecting student and pretend to be a DJ giving money away for the individual who could “dash for the cash” at a particular intersection in downtown Chicago.  What poor college student wouldn’t jump at such a generous offer? From our 10th floor dorm window, the view was perfectly entertaining.  This, along with other radio scenarios, provided a much needed stress relief from our studies.

Looking back, it seems kind of sinful, but that’s how we found one another. While Ruth didn’t fall for the prank, eventually, she would fall for me.  I’ll be forever grateful for my roommate who suggested we call this unsuspecting classmate of his!

Currently, we have been married for just over fifteen years.  I (Pat) am a husband, father, and pastor.   Ruth is a wife, stay-at-home mom, pastor’s wife, and blogger.  God has graciously blessed us with four children so far (ages four to eleven). We love the family, and believe that God cares deeply for the family.

Though a blessing, it is also a battle that must be fought for in truth and love.  In the beginning, God placed a man and woman in the garden of delight (Genesis 1-3).  He instructed them to build a family and live for His glory.  The place of God’s blessing quickly became the place of the enemy’s first attack. Many marriages and families know too well the sting and consequence of this ongoing battle.  And yet in the midst of the mess, Jesus by His grace, offers hope, healing, forgiveness, and new way forward.  

Having served in local church ministry for the past thirteen years, we’ve been firsthand witnesses to both the highs and lows of countless marriages and families.  We’ve seen families experience the joy of what God intended, families bleeding from the pain of sin and brokenness, marriages restored, loved ones lost, children born and parents still waiting for children to be spiritually reborn.  We’ve witnessed unspeakable hurt, but also the powerful hope that the gospel of Jesus brings.

For all of these reasons, and many more, our prayer is to encourage and equip families to build God-honoring homes for the glory of God and the good of the world.   We believe that God has uniquely chosen the family to help pass along faith to the next generation and image the mysterious and beautiful love of Jesus toward His church (Ephesians 5:32).  Our hope is to provide everyday biblical wisdom for everyday families so that they may be strengthened, encouraged, challenged, and inspired.

A Website for the family. We are for the family.

Thank you for joining us on this journey!  We trust it will be a blessing to you and your family.  On behalf of all of our contributors, we are humbled you would join us, and hopeful for all that God will do for His glory.

Blessings,

Pat and Ruth Schwenk

To celebrate the launch of For the Family we will have a full week of giveaways!!!

Launch Week Giveaway Day #1

Enter to win our launch week giveaways with rafflecopter below!!

Dayspring “As For Me and My House” Chair Framed Canvas

Dayspring Canvas Giveaway

The Dig for Kids: Luke Vol. 1 and Luke Vol. 2 Paperback by Patrick Schwenk 

The Dig for Kids

The Warrior Weekend by Patrick Schwenk

The Warrior Weekend

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hello! We are Patrick and Ruth Schwenk, the creators of The Better Mom (www.thebettermom.com) and The Dig for Kids (www.thedigforkids.com). We met while attending the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. We have been married for sixteen years and currently have four children ages six to thirteen. We love serving in ministry, spending time together as a family, reading, drinking lots of coffee, and resting in God’s grace.

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160 Comments

  1. Love this launch post and I’m so looking forward to following future articles! We have to fight for the family.

  4. This looks wonderful! Please share how a family might be “missional”. Ideas and experiences with helping the widows and orphans, or assisting the homeless, etc.

  10. Sacrificial living, Intentional parenting, maybe even posts for those who are also in ministry? 🙂

  12. How to continually parent with grace. Really looking forward to all that is to come here! Best of luck.

  13. Looking forward to the future posts. I so want to intentionally raise my son to become a man of God.

  15. Loved seeing you speak at the Women Living Well Conference, Ruth! So excited about this new ministry ! 🙂 My husband and I pray to be intentional in our parenting and this resource will be amazing!

  17. So excited for your new blog! My heart is for women and families as well. As a pastor’s wife, I too have cried with a family whose hearts are breaking and lifted thanksgiving and praise with a family whose hearts are rejoicing. We have a mighty God and our enemy is already defeated, he just doesn’t know it yet, lol!

  21. I come a family that doesn’t have a lot of godly men in it and the family I was raised in didn’t go to church, so sometimes I feel like I am on the journey with Jesus alone other then when I am with my church family.

  22. New christian looking to turn my home into a christian home , this is a difficult task since its really only me trying to obey Gos laws. Lots of prayers please. Im a stay at home mom of 8 year old twin girls and a 2 yr old little boy. I’ve been married for 12 years and only the last 2 have I found God. Looking for the Lord to show me the way.

  24. Motivating husbands to lead the family Biblically. My husband is an amazing Christian & father but is very much an introvert & doesn’t have the confidence to lead our family.

  25. I’m really excited for this new blog! Hoping to see posts on family activities and ways to get everyone involved in quality time together.

  26. Beautiful new site with an even more beautiful mission! May God’s favor rest upon you and your family!

  27. Simple ways to include God into your home in a stressed out, two income, barely making ends meet…homeschooling family (it is Christian based). Needs ways to make everyone feel appreciated and reduce the chaos and stress in our time crunched days.

  30. More encouragement for Fathers! There are thousands of blogs for mothers and wives but so few to truly encourage fathers in their role as the leader of the home.

  31. Ways to do a family bible study that will be beneficial to a 16 yr old and a 10 yr old. With 6 yrs age difference, it is really hard to find a common ground that fulfills them both and keeps them interested.

  36. Excited for this new site! I would love to see posts on how to play with and parent Littles. Being an intentional parent and how to go about parenting for life with your spouse.

  38. Oh, I am so happy this site is starting!!! 😀 I know God will use it to encourage me, and spur me on. Praying for y’all behind the scenes, that He fills the cup you’re pouring out here.

  43. Would love to see how to work family devotions into our daily routines and how to bring the family together serving God and one another

  45. I am new to the site and loving it! So I can’t really say what needs to be added or improved on.

  47. So excited about this new ministry the Lord has placed within your hands – to reach out to families and help them to be more equipped and encouraged to follow hard after the Lord is so needed more than ever! I’m thrilled and honored to be part of your team! And on a personal note, my husband and I are looking forward to receiving wise counsel from you two and your amazing contributor team on ways we can grow closer to one another and to the Lord! May God bless you richly for your faithful service to Him! With lots of blessings and appreciation, Kelly

  49. What a wonderful idea for an online ministry. I know my husband and I would love more information on how to deal with chores and allowances and teaching our kids how to be good stewards of our money.

  50. Not sure if my first comment took so here it is again…. would love to see articles on marriage and ones for dads.

  51. I love all the topics that you listed as being at the heart of this new site. I would also love to hear about sharing witnessing to unbelieving family members. Why is it easier to share the Gospel with a stranger than with my own family??

  52. I am looking forward to reading all you blogs!! I am interested in kids, marriage, family, organization, time management, homeschooling.

  53. This looks like a great site! I’d like to hear ideas about how to stay close to our husbands while still busy with kids, ministry (my dh is a pastor also), and homeschooling. 🙂

  54. This looks like such an encouraging space! I’m excited to read the various posts and would love to see examples of families doing things together, including serving their communities.

  55. I would love creative ways to bring the Gospel to my children they are almost 2 and 4. We are starting homeschooling tomorrow and I am very new at it all and want so much to build a firm foundation for my kids!

  57. :: how to strengthen family bonds
    :: hospitality towards the family (both in the house and out of the house)

  58. Loving this new site and cannot wait to read the encouragement and advice! Would love to see discussions on how to balance your home life with work, school, church and everything else that life throws at you.

  59. Parenting as a family, family prayer, healthy marriage, prayer for /with young kids

  61. looking forward to reading the encouragement here and applying it. Looking to Jesus and praying your family is blessed by this as you bless others!

  66. I am always looking for a place that encourages and supports a Godly family! Can’t wait to see what this site has in store!

  68. Very interested to see shat you all have in store for us! Thank you and God bless 🙂

  71. I would love to see some ideas on how to handle spirited children and how to deal with willfulness . How to tame the tounge

  75. I’m really looking forward to this site. I’d love to see some parenting articles dealing with teens keeping the faith despite peer pressure.

  78. This site is awesome. So many lost families could benefit greatly. We need to get this sight out to all.

  79. Advice on teenage boys and for my husband, who travels most of the time, on maintaining family ties with them.

  80. How to teach older and younger kids Bible lessons together – I’m the only one home at night and can’t do 2 separate lessons!

  83. I would love to see topics that relate to us working moms specifically those of us who work outside the home. I feel this is a HUGE need as God has called me to my specific career and to raise a family.

  84. Extended family issues! In-laws, your own parents, siblings, etc… They play a big part in the family dynamics, too.

  86. Awesome site! I am looking forward to reading your posts. I would like to see more on the topic of discipline.

  95. I would love ideas for family devotion time when one parent is an unbeliever.

  97. Thanks so much for starting this blog! I’m very much looking forward to reading your posts. I am definitely interested in reading more about keeping God as the center of the family, in all aspects of family life.

  99. I am looking forward to the daily messages and posts from this new site. In this crazy place we live, having a good faith base, being encouraged, empowered, uplifted, and inspired isn’t always easy. Having a website like this to keep you grounded and Christ centered makes it easier. Way to go on this step of your life journey by creating this site…May God be with you each step of the way!

  100. How to help kids deal with peer pressure and also how to help them be discerning in choosing friends that won’t be a negative influence. Can’t wait to start reading your articles! Looks like a diverse group of contributors lined up! 🙂

  107. I am so excited for this new blog! I can’t wait to see the wisdom and encouragement that this brings to families, including my own!

  108. I would love to see something about changing generational sin, and some of the difficulties of being the change generation

  113. How do you have a relationship with your husband who goes to work at 6 pm and returns between 9 and 10 am usually 6 days a week. How do you build a relationship between your 8 children and this father that they generally only see sleeping and leaving.

  115. So excited for this new site and seeing how God will work! Love to see articles dealing with spiritual conflict, unbelievers.

  123. Would like to see articles that discuss dealing with raising our children in such an ungodly world and how to give our kids hope when they are “different” than their peers

  124. I’m excited about this new website! I just hope to be encouraged in my daily life as a wife, mother, and grandmother.

  125. Thank you for sharing what God has taught you. The family is so very important, and we all need help in being successful in all that we say and do for the Lord! Would love to see how to help your rebellious child covered.

  126. What a blessing may your new chapter be such a blessing. Thank you for your ministry!! How about family devotion ideas with having teens and younger siblings. Purity and modesty.

    Blessings,
    Adrienne

  128. I would love to see more posts on keeping children focused on God and enhancing sibling relationships.

  129. It sounds like this will be a good sight for families to engage in. I would love to see content about parenting with grace & winning my children’s hearts.

  130. Would love to see more about how to keep Christ the main focus of our family in this ever-changing, self-centered world.

  131. This site will surely bless my family and me just like The Better Mom site has! I look forward to sharing the posts and truths here with the WORLD! I am so excited about this website and this giveaway!

  134. I’d like some info on homeschooling vs. private Christian school vs. public schooling. I’ve been on the fence because I really want my children to have access to all sports/activities/special classes that public school offers but if they decide to pray with a classmate I don’t want them to be persecuted for it!! Also I’d love some recommendations for Christian toddler/children’s books. Thanks, I’m looking forward to the blog! Cute story of how you met too 🙂

  135. Thank you for your vision for helping families! I’d love to see you address things like family scripture memorization and staying grounded in God’s word in a culture that continually tries to destroy families.

  137. How to make devotions when you have kids wth differnt age levels and abilitis enjoyable for the whole family

  139. Looking forward to the encouraging words that will be shared here. I’d love to see posts on raising young men and women of modesty and character. What are pracitacal things I can do now while they are toddlers to instill those charater traits in them

  141. How to parent as a team when you don’t always agree on methods, ways dad can be included more in the family even though a lot of his time is spent apart from us at work, parenting with grace

  142. Aside from family devotions with little kids (which has been mentioned numerous times already), I’d love to see something about forgiving your spouse when it seems like they’ve done something unforgiveable and then how to rebuild the trust. Also I’d like to hear about keeping the spark alive in your marriage when you life seems so busy and your kids are demanding so much of your time (because they’re young).

  144. Looking forward to learning more ways to daily encourage all of the family to shine for Jesus!

  149. I really struggle with being a parent God would want me to be. My parents were not bad parents but they were not godly and I’d love to hear wisdom from godly friends.

  151. Being encouraged as a God centered family and fighting against the pull of the world. Balance of mom and dad as Godly role models. How and when they should take the lead.

  153. Thank you for creating this much needed “For the Family blog”!! In today’s world especially, we need inspiration and help to stay focused on how to create and keep a strong faith filled family!!

  155. I look forward to reading about a variety of things. I am a wife, stay-at-home homeschooling mom, of three (6, 5, 2). I’m love to read a little about how much freedom my children should have, our children playing with neighborhood children (issues with negative influence), sibling bickering, respect, settling into a family routine after summer, organizing our family time, building our marriage,

  158. Keeping a Godly focus without the worldly influences trying to overtake the family unit and take the focus away for God.

  159. I’d love to see information on how to raise my kids to be examples to others of how to follow Christ and to think for themselves.

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