On June 1, 2014–ten years ago almost to the day–The Pastor’s Kid released. It was my first book and at the time it felt like a risk because, aside from some small articles, it was my first publication and I didn’t know if it was any good. But even more so it felt like a risk because it was an effort at being honest about hard things without tearing down people (my parents) and an institution (the church) that I loved. It felt a little like putting my words in a bottle and tossing them into the ocean, just hoping they would reach the right eyes and hearts. In fact, writing still feels a bit like this a decade later.
In the ten years of this books’s life I have been stunned by the accounts I’ve heard from PKs and pastors alike, even up to this past week. The bottle floated to the right people, the people I wrote for in the first place.
I’ve heard from teenagers who feel spoken for and understood.
I’ve heard from elderly former PKs with complicated feelings toward the church because no one ever spoke up for them.
I’ve heard from pastors raising teenagers who were able to have heartfelt conversations and learn what was really going on in their kids hearts for the first time.
I’ve heard from pastors raising young children grateful to see ahead of time some landmines to avoid.
I’ve heard from Pastors who desired to repent toward their kids and kids who desired to repent toward their parents and their church.
I remember praying on that release day that God would use this book to encourage people, to build up, and to lead to some healing within his church. What I have seen and heard in the last ten years is that, in some small ways, God has answered that prayer. Today I pray that, so long as copies of The Pastor’s Kid exist, it continues to encourage people, to build up, and to lead to some healing within his church by pointing to the grace of Jesus.
To celebrate 10 years in publication the publisher, The Good Book Company, is offering the ebook for just $2.99 this month.
