Never Stop Growing

Happy Father’s Day!

Have you ever noticed how children are always growing and changing? Last week, our extended family gathered for a wedding. I was surprised to see that in 3 months, my 13-year-old nephew has grown 3 inches while dropping an octave, and my 6-month-old niece has transformed into a different person!

Adults, on the other hand, don’t change nearly as much. (On the same trip, I was struck by how little has changed at my in-laws’ home since I first showed up there 17 years ago.) Older people can even become resistant to change! However, to be healthy Christians, we must constantly and intentionally pursue spiritual growth.

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

The resolve never to stop growing is the reason Growing Fathers exists. Six years ago, a group of friends who were also dads of young children banded together to support one another’s growth as Christian fathers. We wanted to write about what we were learning in order to sharpen each other while also encouraging others who read our blog.

Six years later, we are still going at it for the very same reasons. The team makeup has shifted as we’ve added new faces and others have had to step away. However, we are still a group of growing fathers trying to help Christian dads become more like Jesus and apply the Bible to parenting for the strengthening of families and churches to the glory of God.

Sometimes we look at each other (or our wives) and ask, “Why are we still doing this?” The answer is always the same: “Because it’s helping us grow.” And as long as that’s still the case, we’ll keep on going!

However, from the beginning, alongside our personal growth goals, we’ve also had a vision for how God could grow Growing Fathers. If you are reading this article, you likely agree that the need for digital resources designed to build up Christian fathers is greater than ever. As one of our readers, we consider you to be a partner in ministry, so we wanted to share some updates as we celebrate our sixth anniversary. (Think of it like one of those Christmas letters you used to get from your grandma, except we’ll try to keep this one shorter. 😂)

• Zach Sparkman completed his first full year on our leadership team. As blog director, Zach plans the writing schedule, oversees our team authors, and manages guest contributions. He also does a lot of behind-the-scenes editing. Zach brings a steady maturity and theological perspective to our writings.
• Our podcast celebrated its one-year anniversary in April! John and Kris have gotten a lot of quality time together recording the 55 episodes. 😀 Digging into our blog articles and discussing our own parenting highs and lows as well as lessons from our dads has been a big encouragement to both of us. We have also enjoyed interviewing several special guests, including recently Andy Nasseli. (More exciting interviews are coming up, so stay tuned!)
• We redesigned our website this year! We love how the new logo, typography, and artwork convey beauty and depth. Big shout outs to our friend Caleb Greene for his design work, our technical director Chris Pennington for web development, and the generous donors who made this project possible.
• We have a tremendous group of regular contributors, including Aaron Berry, Kyle Grant, Andrew Lee, and Chris Lynch. They have contributed over 55 posts combined to the blog, and we’re so glad they will continue writing for at least another year.
• This month, we welcomed Mike Diener to our regular writing team. Mike has 15 years of experience teaching high school math and has published two children’s books. We look forward to adding his valuable perspective.
• We had to say goodbye to team author Brett Stowe and podcast director Bodie Brock, both of whom are moving on to focus on other ministry responsibilities. Brett has been writing for us since 2023, and Bodie was instrumental in launching the podcast and seeing it through its first season. We will miss them both greatly.
• Bodie’s stepping away creates the need to raise ongoing support for the first time to hire a podcast producer. We need about $150 per episode (or $600 per month) to keep the podcast going. If you or someone you know would be interested in contributing toward this amount, please let us know or donate here.
• We have lots of ideas for future growth in the coming year and beyond, but we’ll keep those close to the chest for now. Suffice it to say that as our entire team continues to grow personally, we’re also asking God to grow our organizational reach and effectiveness in years 7–10.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. We appreciate all of our readers and listeners. Many of you have encouraged us individually, and your positive feedback spurs us on. If Growing Fathers has been a blessing to you, please consider sharing it with someone you love.

Keep your eyes on Jesus in the coming year, and may we all resolve never to stop growing.

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12–14)