Don Everts is the content development manager in the Global Ministries division for Lutheran Hour Ministries. A poet and preacher at heart, Don speaks at conferences and churches across the country inviting skeptics and believers alike to gaze at Jesus and be thrilled. Don spent the last 10 years working in the local church and the 14 years before that working on college campuses with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Whether in the church or on campus, Don has walked with non-Christians as they discover the person of Jesus and has worked with Christians in being able to fruitfully do the same in their own relationships.
This week we’re talking with Don Everts about his book, The Spiritually Vibrant Home: The Power of Messy Prayers, Loud Tables, and Open Doors.
You can find Don and his work on:
Or check out his work at lhm.org.
Resources
The Spiritually Vibrant Home by Don Everts
Vibrant Homes Conversation Deck
Episode Audio:
Chapter 1 - What Makes a Spiritually Vibrant Home?
We want our kids and our homes to be places of safety and well-being. In addition, most of us want our homes to be a place of growth and vibrancy. But when we wake up in the morning and life is there to greet us with all of its chaos, spiritual growth and vibrancy in our homes seems like something we'll never reach. So how is it that we can bring spiritual growth and vibrancy to our homes when it feels like all we can do to keep our family alive from one day to the next? What is it that makes some homes spiritually vibrant while others seem to never quite move past the chaos? This question is one that we wanted to find an answer to and, as it turns out, so did Don Everts. In this chapter Don gives us an overview of his latest research in partnership with Barna on what makes a home spiritually vibrant. And what they found is good news!
Chapter 2 - The Spiritual Significance of the Mundane Home Life
Have you ever stopped to think about what the decisions you make in your house say about the person you are? Why do you want the lawn to be perfectly manicured? Do you like the aesthetic because it makes you feel good and creates a comfortable place for you and your family? Or do you spend hours each week working on your yard because you don’t want your neighbors to judge you? A mundane decision like mowing a lawn can say something profound about who we are, but we have to be willing to look deeper at the motives that drive us. Because as Don Everts points out in this chapter, once we learn to evaluate the motives behind our home lives, our home lives become an integral part of our discipleship.
Chapter 3 - The Value of Messy Prayers, Loud Tables, & Open Doors
There are three habits Don found that correlate to having a spiritually vibrant home. In other words, spiritually vibrant homes often practiced three things. The good news is that creating a spiritually vibrant home doesn't mean being perfect. Instead, it often comes from messy prayers together, loud tables during meal times, and open doors of hospitality. In this chapter, Don unpacks a few tips on how you can begin to create a spiritually vibrant home with these three practices.
Chapter 4 - Dad, You Play a Vital Role in Spiritual Vibrancy!
The research shows that men are failing to be the spiritual leaders of the household. Women are far more likely to be the primary spiritual influence in the family. So we wanted to know why and explore what men could do to help reverse this trend. But what we found is that this is an issue that the entire household can get involved with. So whether you’re a man struggling to be a spiritual leader or a family member who wants to see their husband or father take a stand, Don Evert’s insights in this chapter will encourage you to find new ways to be support your family and help create a spiritually vibrant home.
Chapter 5 - Evaluating Values is Valuable!
The research shows that men are failing to be the spiritual leaders of the household. Women are far more likely to be the primary spiritual influence in the family. So we wanted to know why and explore what men could do to help reverse this trend. But what we found is that this is an issue that the entire household can get involved with. So whether you’re a man struggling to be a spiritual leader or a family member who wants to see their husband or father take a stand, Don Evert’s insights in this chapter will encourage you to find new ways to be support your family and help create a spiritually vibrant home.