Interview with Rob Rienow at D6

While at the D6 Conference, I had the privilege to interview Rob & Amy Rienow backstage. My questions and their answers are listed below.

I mentioned to Rob that our small group had completed Visionary Parenting and enjoyed it. Recently, I purchased Visionary Parenting: Encouragement for Single Parents. I asked Rob about that new resource.

Rienow shared the heart behind this new resource.  His parents got divorced when he was in high school.  He also experienced a lot of pastoral ministry to single parents.

He continued sharing that single parents face particular challenges. In this resource, he talks plainly about how single parenting is an “impossible” job. There is just too much to do, and not enough hours in the day. So how do we need to respond? We choose what will get our best, and what will get less than our best. Rob then goes on to encourage and equip single parents to make the spiritual training of their children their top priority.

The resource also has a section on anger & forgiveness.  This part walks through a biblical plan of how to disciple their children in these areas. Satan wants use anger to harden the hearts of children toward God.

He also shares from Ephesians 6 which includes prayers for blessing, protection, & wisdom.  He shared again about his mom having the conversation about divorce with him and walks single parents through how to explain the truth in their family.  A challenge is how do you do it with different ages of children?

The subtitle is Encouragement for Single Parents.  Rienow wants single parents to walk away feeling pumped up and encouragement is central in this area.

Amy shared that biblically our priorities are God, spouse, children.  For the single parent, they have an opportunity to disciple their children instead of focusing on their spouse maybe just for a season.

I then asked Rob & Amy about the transition from ministry in the local church to full time with Visionary Parenting.

Rob shared about his joy in serving for 18 years as a pastor. During this time God was creating “Visionary Parenting” on the side. As this ministry grew to include Never Too Late & Visionary Marriage, it became like two full time jobs.

He shared about Experiencing God by Blackaby which talks about spiritual markers in our lives. As he looked at these, he came to the conclusion that it was time to focus on Visionary Parenting. They began full time in Feb 2011.  They now raise missionary support and speak twice a month at churches.  They are having more and more churches contact them.  Their conference schedule is full through 2012. They also have had the opportunity to build the church through a global reformation of family discipleship.  Rienow plans one international trip each year. He was in Singapore this past summer.  This outpouring of support and booked schedules is confirmation that God is doing it as calls continue to come in nationally & internationally.

I shared that often we use Scriptures like Deuteronomy 6, Psalm 78, & Ephesians 6:4 when talking about family discipleship. I asked Rienow what other Scriptures support family discipleship?

Go to his website http://visionaryfam.com for free mp3 titled, "Your family & God’s plan for the world" for a walk through the Bible on how God connects the Great Commission with family.

Here are a few Scriptures, he quickly shared:

Genesis 1 -Be fruitful & multiply.

Genesis 3- The Messiah will come into world through family.

Genesis 6-9 - God used Noah's family to continue his legacy in the world.

In Genesis 9 – God repeats his call to Noah to be fruitful and multiply.

God weaves His creation of the family throughout the Bible. Rienow continues, there is a connection between the temporary institution of family to advance his everlasting CHURCH. In the New Testament, God institutes the temporary institution of the local church. Why? For the same reason, to build His everlasting CHURCH. The local church now equips and supports the family.

I then shared about a ministry at our church called D6 Dads. I asked what encouragement he could give to fathers about how to start leading their families spiritually.

Deuteronomy 6 begins with a call for parents to love God themselves.  The dad must be growing in his faith. He cannot pass on faith to his kids if he does not have it himself. Dads need to impress these commands to their children. Deuteronomy 6 gives us what do you do. Talk about them when you sit at home (family worship).  This is the supernatural engine that powers the family. He shared many times we lead our families through good intentions & willpower. When we fail, we try harder the next time.  He opposes this with the supernatural strength we receive from God through the Bible and prayer. Even a few minutes each day of prayer and Scripture can have a supernatural effect on a family.

My last question for the Rienow's was about leading our wives spiritually. I shared that often the husband feels inadequate or intimidated by leading his wife spiritually. I asked what advice he could give to husbands.

He pointed the husband to Ephesians 5:25-26 which tells husbands to love their wife, serve her, &  lead. The text says, "Make her holy by washing of water with the Word.” Husbands, just read it with her.  He shared his own intimidation at times.  He challenged us as husbands to simply ask, "can we pray?"  He reminded couples that at this point a great spiritual battle begins because Satan does not want us reading the Word and praying with our wives.

Amy shared that the wife can help by encouraging her husband. She said the spiritual battle for the wife is to respect her husband when he approaches her to lead her spiritually. At this point, she shared a favorite quote of hers by G.K. Chesterton which is, "Whatever is worth doing, it's worth doing poorly."  The point: just do it.  Don't wait around until you have it all figured out.  Get started now.