Description: Andy and Kara were anxious--anxious about their teenaged children approaching adulthood in a tumultuous world. Anxious, too, about their ministries; after all, as America's pews empty, the church depends on its leaders to save it. If only they could control the circumstances faced by those who depended on them, they could ensure their success.
But maybe the solution isn't paving the way for our kids or our congregations. Maybe it's hiking the long road alongside them. Andy and Kara took this literally. Following the way of Cuthbert, a seventh-century saint, they embarked with their kids on a sixty-three-mile walking pilgrimage in England and Scotland. Over the course of their journey, Andy and Kara learned that when we release control, we can regain connection--with our families, with fellow pilgrims along the road, with nature, and with God. Thought-provoking and relatable, A Pilgrimage into Letting Go will help parents, pastors, and ministry leaders let go of their anxiety and open themselves up to God's transformative grace.Brief description: Andrew Root (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of more than twenty-five books, including Faith Formation in a Secular Age, The Pastor in a Secular Age, The Congregation in a Secular Age, Churches and the Crisis of Decline, The Church after Innovation, and The End of Youth Ministry? Root is also the coauthor (with Kenda Creasy Dean) of The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry. He is a frequent speaker and hosts the popular and influential When Church Stops Working podcast.