Recommended Resources for Christian Stepfamilies & Stepfamily Ministries

** Deal, Ron L. & David H. Olson.  The Remarriage Checkup: Tools to Help Your Marriage Last. Bethany House Publishers (2010).  Includes an online relationship profile, the Couple Checkup.

**  Deal, Ron L. & Laura Petherbridge.  The Smart Stepmom: Practical Steps to Help You Thrive!  Bethany House Publishers (2009).  Contains a discussion questions for stepmother groups.  

Douglas, Edward & Sharon.  The Blended Family: Achieving Peace & Harmony in the Christian Home.  Franklin, TN: Providence House Publishers, 2000.

**  Gillespie, Natalie Nichols, (2004). Stepfamily Success (formerly titled The Stepfamily Survival Guide). Grand Rapids, MI: Revell.

**  Goodman, Karon Phillips  (2002). The Stepmom’s Guide to Simplifying Your Life. Culver City, CA: EquiLibrium Press.

**  Goodman, Karon Phillips.  (2004). A Stepmom’s Book of Prayer. http://KaronGoodman.com.

Kniskern, Joseph W. (2003).  Making a New Vow: A Christians Guide to Remarriage. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Lauer, R.H. & Lauer, J.C. (1999).  Becoming Family: How to Build a Family That Really Works.  Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress.

Parrott, Les & Leslie. (2001). Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts.  Zondervan. 

**  Partridge, Donald R. (2001). Single Parents Savvy Partnering: Stage 1—Dating. Pleasanton. CA: Ginger Court Press.  Designed to help pre-remarital couples date intentionally and anticipate stepfamily issues.

**  Partridge, Donald R. (2001). Single Parents Savvy Partnering: Stage 2—Engagement. Pleasanton. CA: Ginger Court Press.

**  Partridge, Donald R. (2001). Single Parents Savvy Partnering: Stage 3—Merging. Pleasanton. CA: Ginger Court Press.

Smoke, Jim (2004).  7 Keys to a Blended Family. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Pub.

Educational Curriculum, Videos, & Ministry Resources for Churches, Christian Stepfamilies & Couples Considering Remarriage:

NOTE: An ** indicates highly recommended resources.

**Adler-Baeder, Francesca. (2002).  Smart Steps for Parents and Children.  6-week curriculum for stepfamily adults and their children.  Includes two videos and a CD with Power Point and handout masters.  A Christian supplement entitled “Growing in Wisdom” by Ron Deal is included.  Order from www.SuccessfulStepfamilies.com.

**  Deal, Ron L. (2004). Blended Families: Helping Yours, Mine, and Ours Become a Family. DVD produced by AACC; designed for stepfamily educators and counselors.  Available at www.SuccessfulStepfamilies.com.

** Deal, Ron L. The Smart Stepfamily DVD (8-session small group curriculum). Based on the bestselling book The Smart Stepfamily. For groups or home study use. Available at www.SuccessfulStepfamilies.com.

** Deal, Ron L. Understanding & Ministering to Stepfamilies audio seminar (3 CDs). Available at www.SuccessfulStepfamilies.com.

Focus on the Family (2004).  The Blended Marriage. Colorado Springs: Focus on the Family.  A 4-session study based on their small group marriage series.  The study provides good discussion questions but unfortunately does not provide the leader with any background study material to help answer the many questions that arise in stepfamily classes.  Recommended for advanced stepfamily educators only.

**  Parziale, Jeff (2004).  How to Start and Lead a Stepfamily Support Group.  Tucson, AZ: InStep Ministries.  A self-published guide for ministry leaders.

**  Parziale, Jeff & Judi (2002).  Looking Before You Leap…Again! Preparing Yourself for the Adventures and Challenges of Remarriage.  Tucson, AZ: InStep Ministries.

·         Also, Jeff and Judi have a 10-session group study available based on Looking Before You Leap.  It is called Second Chances: Preparing for Remarriage in the 21^st Century.  A Leader’s Guide and Couple’s Workbook is available. Tucson, AZ: InStep Ministries.

**  Parziale, Jeff & Judi (2002).  The Journey: A Traveling Guide for Christian Stepfamilies.  Tucson, AZ: Fenestra Books.

·         Also, Jeff and Judi have a 10-session group study available based on The Journey.  It is called How to Succeed as a Stepfamily.  A Leader’s Guide and Couple’s Workbook is available. Tucson, AZ: InStep Ministries.

Pratt, Lonni Collins.  Making Two Halves a Whole: Studies for Parents in Blended Families.  Elgin, Ill: David C. Cook Publishing Co., 1995.  A 13-week Bible study curriculum for adult groups.

**  Taylor, Carri & Gordon (2003).  Designing Dynamic Stepfamilies: Bringing the Pieces to Peace (video series).  Eight-part VHS or DVD series includes a study guide.  "Ready-to-use" for workshops, conferences, and small groups.  Order from www.SuccessfulStepfamilies.com.

Townsend, Loren (2002) Pastoral Care with Stepfamilies. St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press.

Resources for Therapists and Family Life Educators:

Bray, James.  Stepfamilies: Love, Marriage, and Parenting in the First Decade.  New York: Broadway Books, 1998.

Deal, Ron. Video: Blended Families: Helping Yours, Mine, and Ours Become a Family.  Part of the AACC Caring for People God’s Way series, Vol. 2, 2004.

Emery, Robert E.  Renegotiating Family Relationships: Divorce, Child Custody, and Mediation.  New York: Guilford Press, 1994.

Hetherington, E. M. & Kelly, J. (2002).  For Better or For Worse: Divorce Reconsidered.  W.W. Norton & Co., New York.

Gamache, Susan.  “Parental status: A new construct describing adolescent perceptions of stepfathers.”  Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia, 2000.

Ganong, Lawrence H. & Coleman, Marilyn (2004).  Stepfamily Relationships: Development, Dynamics, and Interventions. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Journal of Divorce & Remarriage.  The Haworth Press, Inc. 1-800-342-9678.

Kelley, P. (1995). Developing Healthy Stepfamilies: Twenty Families Tell Their Stories.  New York: Haworth Press Inc.

Martin, Don & Martin, Maggie.  Stepfamilies in Therapy: Understanding Systems, Assessment & Intervention.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992.

Papernow, Patricia.  Becoming a Stepfamily: Patterns of Development in Remarried Families.  Analytic Press, 1998.

Stewart, Susan D. Brave New Stepfamilies: Diverse Paths Toward Stepfamily Living, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2007.

Visher, Emily & Visher, John.  Old Loyalties, New Ties: Therapeutic Strategies with Stepfamilies.  New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1988.

Visher, Emily B. & Visher, John S.  Therapy With Stepfamilies.  New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1996.