A Pilgrimage Into Letting Go: Helping Parents and Pastors Embrace the Uncontrollable - Paperback

by Andrew Root (Author), Kara K. Root (Author)

How parents and pastors can trade anxiety for authentic relationships

What do pastors and parents have in common? They often feel pressure to be in control.

If you're an anxious parent watching your teens navigate an unpredictable world or a ministry leader overwhelmed by the pressure to "save" the church in today's challenging landscape, Andy and Kara Root understand your struggle--and they've discovered a transformative path forward. They learned that releasing control actually helps us regain genuine connection.

When control-focused approaches to Christian parenting and church leadership left them exhausted, this ministry couple followed the ancient way of Saint Cuthbert and embarked on an extraordinary sixty-three-mile walking pilgrimage across England and Scotland with their two kids. In this book, they offer

● strategies for parents to move from anxiety-driven control to faith-based guidance that strengthens family relationships,
● insights for pastors and ministry leaders on embracing uncertainty as a pathway to authentic spiritual leadership amid declining church attendance,
● biblical wisdom for modern parenting challenges to help you navigate raising teenagers in today's tumultuous world, and
● wisdom for church leaders struggling with the pressure to single-handedly revitalize their ministries.

Through honest storytelling, spiritual reflection, and practical wisdom gained from their pilgrimage journey, Andy and Kara offer parents and pastors a refreshing alternative to the exhausting cycle of trying to control outcomes. Instead of paving the way for your children or congregation, learn how to walk alongside them with confidence and trust in God's transformative grace.

Stop trying to control everything. Start experiencing the freedom and connection that comes from truly letting go.

Back Jacket

Releasing Control, Reclaiming Connection

Andy and Kara Root were anxious--anxious about their teenaged children approaching adulthood in a tumultuous world and anxious about their ministries. 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 St. Cuthbert, 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--and open ourselves up to God's transformative grace.

"Andy and Kara show us how to live as pastors, parents, and Christians with grace, conviction, and assurance that God is yet with us. A wonderfully inspiring, immediately helpful book."
--Will Willimon, author of Accidental Preacher: A Memoir; Duke Divinity School; United Methodist bishop, retired

"A gentle, unflinching companion for anxious parents and worn-out church leaders. This isn't another book of parenting hacks or pastoral tricks--it's a soulful invitation to walk with trust, to make peace with uncertainty, and to recognize and name the presence of God in the midst of it all."
--Amanda Hontz Drury, Indiana Wesleyan University

"This book is a gift to all who seek to walk with God in the uncontrollable terrain of real life."
--John Swinton, University of Aberdeen; author of Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges

"A delicately woven, wonderfully written, and truly eye-opening book."
--Hartmut Rosa, Friedrich Schiller University

Author Biography

Andrew Root (PhD, Princeton Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He has written more than twenty-five books, including the Ministry in a Secular Age series.

Kara K. Root the pastor of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis and is a spiritual director and certified educator in the PCUSA. Her books include The Deepest Belonging and Receiving This Life.

Andrew and Kara live in St. Paul, Minnesota, with their two kids.