Each of these books speaks to a different layer of what I care most about: building trust, being present, loving well, and creating space for others to grow. Whether it’s in the church, in my home, or in my own head—they’ve helped me become more intentional, less anxious, and more rooted in grace.

Growing Young – Kara Powell
Growing Young names what so many churches get wrong about reaching the next generation, and then shows a path forward that’s both hopeful and doable. It’s not about being cool. It’s not about hype. It’s about warmth, authenticity, and proximity.

What stuck with me most is how deeply young people crave belonging before believing. That changes how we disciple. That changes how we lead. That changes how we design ministry. This book gave me confidence to lean into relationship over performance—and to help other adults in the church do the same.

Growing With – Kara Powell
This follow-up book doesn’t just shift the lens—it deepens it. Where Growing Young looks at the church’s relationship to young people, Growing With brings it home. It’s about parenting in a way that evolves as your kids grow. The phrase that stuck with me is “withing.” Not parenting at your kid, and not just giving them space to figure it out, but walking with them. Through mess. Through doubt. Through transition.

It helped me realize that my job as a dad isn’t to manufacture outcomes—it’s to stay connected through whatever phase they’re in. And that the way I parent my 8-year-old son now is already laying the groundwork for the kind of conversations we’ll have when he’s 18. This book helped shift my posture from control to curiosity. And honestly, it’s made me a more emotionally present parent—even when I don’t get it right.

The Men We Need – Brant Hansen
This book caught me off guard in the best way. It’s a breath of fresh air in the conversation around masculinity—funny, honest, and actually grounded in the kind of humility and strength that I want to see more of in myself and the young men I work with.

Brant doesn’t write like someone trying to prove a point. He writes like someone who’s been humbled by grace and wants to help others live freer lives. His concept of being “keepers of the garden” gave me a new vision for what it means to be a protector—not in some aggressive way, but in the everyday faithfulness of showing up, being kind, noticing needs, and being emotionally safe for others.

Intentional Parenting – Doug & Cathy Fields
This one is gold for parents who feel like they’re constantly behind, but still want to do it well. It’s practical without being cheesy, and it focuses on what really shapes a kid’s heart—grace, consistency, boundaries, presence.

The twelve traits they outline are not a checklist to perfect parenting, but a framework for being more intentional, even in the middle of chaos. What I love most is that the book doesn’t pretend parenting is easy. It just insists that it’s worth showing up for. And for someone like me—who loves his kids deeply, but also knows that I get tired, distracted, or overwhelmed—this book gave me some clarity about where to focus my energy. It reminded me that small shifts, made consistently over time, make a big difference.

Whatever it Takes, 
Kyle Yocum, Student Pastor