One Million Arrows: Raising Your Children to Change the World [Paperback]

Julie Ferwerda (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 1, 2009

Special Note: All of the Author's proceeds from this book have been designated for international orphan ministry.

Will the world change your children . . . or will your children change the world?

Time is short and lives are at stake. Right now, God is inviting your family to become part of a bigger story a vision that will engage your hearts to make a radical difference. One Million Arrows is an inspirational call to raise your kids to impact their culture, community, and world for Christ. If you want your kids to discover their purpose, if you want them to live with a passion for the Kingdom, if you want your family to go down in His-Story, accept the mission . . . and leave a mark for eternity.

People are talking about One Million Arrows...

"One Million Arrows is a great wake-up call for parents of this generation. If we want our children to take part in the powerful purpose and unique mission God has designed for them, we ve got to take responsibility for raising our kids as disciples of Christ." —Josh D. McDowell

"God has called His people to leave a legacy of godliness for the next generation. One Million Arrows picks up on that high calling and casts a God-sized vision for parents who long to see their children used by God in mighty ways...it will challenge you to raise your children as ambassadors for Christ rather than casualties of the culture-war." —Dennis Rainey, FamilyLife

"I encourage you and your family to pray and become involved [in the One Million Arrows vision] as God leads you." —Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse

"... One Million Arrows is a must read for parents who aspire to disciple their kids as world changers, recreating culture around them." —Ron Luce, Teen Mania Ministries

"As seen in One Million Arrows, God is doing something special in this generation He's stirring the hearts of our children, urging them to be ready and willing to become part of a mighty movement. Read this book, and embrace the power and phenomenal beauty of parenting your children for a special purpose..." —Thelma Wells, A Woman of God Ministries

"I speak both as a father and a missionary to orphans; One Million Arrows deals with the most important issue facing the evangelical world today, and that is making disciples of our own children instead of expecting someone else to do it while we pursue other things. There is no more urgent pursuit, no more essential need than raising our children to know and love Christ." —Clayton King, Crossroads Worldwide

"Julie Ferwerda's vision for One Million Arrows needs to be heard and caught by the Christian community of the 21st century. She rightly senses that we live in a time of great opportunity for the advance of God s Kingdom, but it will take...the wisdom to start young and focus on the children of this generation. Anyone passionately committed to advancing God s kingdom should read this." —David Guzik, Calvary Chapel Bible College, Germany

"One Million Arrows is not just a book . . . it's part of a vision that's already taking place on every continent in the lives of God s young people. If you're ready for you and your family to truly make a difference in this world, this book is for you." —Dr. Alvin Reid, SE Baptist Theological Seminary

"...Julie Ferwerda provides practical and exciting ideas about how to position our children above the selfish mediocrity that brands so many kids. I love it and want to live it and share it with my friends." —Dr. Steve Stephens, Marriage and Family Psychologist

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A professional writer and speaker, Julie Ferwerda challenges families nationwide to become part of a movement by using their God-given gifts and talents to make a significant spiritual impact in their schools, workplaces, and communities. She is the mother of two teenage daughters who are both making a significant spiritual impact in their community.

Recognized for making the Bible relevant to daily life, Julie's work is featured in many Christian magazines and Web sites. She hosts regular blogs for Crosswalk.com and CBN.com, and is the author of The Perfect Fit: Piecing Together True Love.

Julie volunteers her most of her time and talents to international orphan discipling ministry. She is a Certified Lay Counselor and a faculty member of CLASSEMINARS, INC., a professional communications development organization.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Winepress Publishing (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1606150111
• ISBN-13: 978-1606150115
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #510,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wake up call for parents and especially "church parents" in America August 31, 2009

By JBAT

Format:Paperback

For years now the church in the US has continously developed ministry after ministry targeting our children and young people. Effect?? More and more are leaving the church after leaving the home. As a former student pastor I saw the effect first hand. The reason: I asked a roomful of "church kids" whose parents served in the church, how many of them had prayed with, had devotions with, or even spiritual conversation/guidance from their fathers, or parents in general within the LAST FEW MONTHS. The answer was 1 in 30! The answer is not more church programs to monopolize your families time. The answer is YOUR FAMILY! God, wife, children, are your top three priorities and One Million Arrows calls us all to stop dropping our children down our list of to dos behind work and "church." OMA calls us all as parents to take up this banner for our lives and run with it so that our children will not become casualties of a generation of unconcerned, lukewarm, Christian by name only young men and women, but truly Arrows for God!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Inspiration March 5, 2010

By Jennifer Bogart TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Inspired by the work of Dr. M.A. Thomas in India, Julie Ferwerda enthusiastically embraced his God-given vision of sending out One Million Arrows (children trained to reach the nations with the gospel) into the world. While Thomas has been faithfully laboring to raise abandoned and orphaned children for the Lord while training them for future roles in ministry and evangelism, Ferwerda has expanded this vision to include our own biological children here in North America, and any whose lives we may touch through giving.

Ferwerda both encourages families to raise their children whole-heartedly for missions and ministry, while examining the impact that families can have mission-ally and financially as they seek to reach the world for Jesus. Recent years have seen a huge re-evaluation of the approaches used to impart discipleship upon children. Increasingly parents are turning away from reliance upon formal church ministries and embracing visions of family discipleship within their homes. Author Julie Ferwerda offers a unique approach to creating a family on fire for the great commission in One Million Arrows.

One of my favorite portions of the book was the inclusion of the paths different families have taken to raise their children with a passion for Christ. Many homeschooling families have shared their stories and the fruit their children's lives have borne. Likewise, the stories of many orphans who have been raised in Christian homes with a heart for ministry are also shared along with some of their impact upon the world.

Ferwerda's passion is unmistakable, but at times her message of spreading the gospel through the lives of children who have been abandoned and consequently raised in Christian homes seems a bit cold. There is little discussion of God's heart for placing orphans in families (regardless of whether they reach the world for Christ), the tender joys of adoption, or even the delights of parenthood. Her tight focus on raising children with hearts for evangelism does at times give an all-business, no-nonsense, raise `em up, get `em out, feel to her work.

With such a strong emphasis on numbers, I'm surprised that a strong emphasis on bearing more children and adopting more children into our families wasn't included in One Million Arrows. Though Ferwerda does briefly mention the possibility of having more children oneself, it's a one-sentence statement. She then focuses mainly upon financial support to international orphan ministries (100% of the book's proceeds are designated towards such ministries.) An excellent resource section at book's end provides an abundance of ministries to investigate for charitable giving.

Though I'm already somewhat familiar with the principles of family discipleship, reading One Million Arrows gave fresh inspiration, and a renewing of my vision for our family. It is so easy to become distracted in this temporal life, but Ferwerda keeps us focused on those things that have eternal value, and encourages us to run the race with both perseverance and joy.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You really need to buy this book September 1, 2009

By Clayton King

Format:Paperback

As someone who has seen first hand the great need for parents to raise their children and the need for parents in countries whose streets are filled with orphans, this book speaks a clear word to everyone who cares about justice and mercy and the lives of children. Trust me, this book will change your perspective on pretty much EVERYTHING concerning the future of the world we live in, because the future is in our kids, and their kids, and the kids who have nobody to teach them right from wrong.