My Sister is an Only Child

About the Book

"As the events shaping our lives give rise to character, so too do they shape and influence what become our passions and interests. In "My Sister is an Only Child" the author chronicles snapshots of his life and heritage that have informed his passion for engaging in and developing small group ministry within the broader context of the evangelical Christian experience. Always revealing, often humorous, the twelve chapters, a number that is not random but symbolic, each illustrate from true life narratives a dozen guiding principles for the small group leader. Mr. Patterson draws from a wide variety of personal sources and familial background to develop a delightful series of autobiographical reveals, each set in its historical context. Each chapter stands alone and is supplemented by a complimentary appendix providing a biblical perspective, complete with scripture references, of the guiding principle illustrated in the sketch. It is the authors intent and hope that small group leaders, coordinators and participants alike will benefit from this modest, happy tome. While not a DYI end all treatise on the subject, anyone desiring to enhance the small group experience will find fresh perspectives from this fairly easy read. Alliteration abounds and the reader may be well advised to keep a dictionary close by as the vocabulary should provide some aid to the avid scrabble enthusiast." Because kids of all ages matter to God,

About the Author

Mr. Patterson is a product of the World War II era and was the male half of a set of fraternal twins, the other being his sister who is not an only child. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute with a major in Christian Education and holder of a lifetime certification from the Evangelical Teacher Training Association, Mr. Patterson also attended Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN and Trinity College, now Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL. He enjoyed a brief and enjoyable career in local church ministries in the areas of children, youth and music during the late 1960s and early 1970s, returning to the commercial sector in 1973 where he spent 38 years in various capacities in the world of insurance, retiring in 2010 after a 6½ year stint as Regional Underwriting Vice President for a California domestic property/casualty company, to devote time and energy to Christian ministry endeavors and writing. He and his wife of 43 years are the proud parents of 3 sons and 2 daughters and grandparents of seven, 3 girls and 4 boys. The senior Pattersons reside in Santa Barbara, California within 3 hours in various directions of their children. He has served as a lay minister to small groups for twenty years and has directed weekday clubs for children and youth for more than 25 years, most recently in Awana Clubs in their local church where his wife is Children’s Ministry Director.