Jonathan Lindvall and his wife, Connie, have been married since 1976 and homeschool their six children in Springville, California. Jonathan is president of Bold Christian Living and administrator of Christian Pilgrims Schools, International, a homeschool ministry. He speaks at various conferences and presents Bold Christian Youth Seminars and Bold Parenting Seminars, as well as the New Testament House Church Seminar in the U.S. and internationally. His focus is on the relationship between godly families and New Testament churches.

Jeramy and Jerusha Clark have served in youth ministry for a combined twenty years. After meeting at The First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, where the Clarks both served in youth ministry, they moved to Monument, Colorado, where they ministered at Tri-Lakes Chapel. Currently, Jeramy, Jerusha, and their two children live in Escondido, California, where Jeramy pastors several hundred high school students at Emmanuel Faith Community Church. They have coauthored three books on relationships: I Gave Dating a Chance ; He's HOT, She's HOT; and DTR: Define the Relationship. Their fourth book, After You Drop Them Off: A Parents' Guide to Student Ministries, will be available in August 2005.

Alex Chediak is an apprentice at The Bethlehem Institute under Pastor John Piper and Tom Steller at Bethlehem Baptist Church. He hopes to pursue a ministry aimed at church-based adult Christian education and training, building bridges between seminaries and churches, and writing on culturally relevant topics from a God-centered perspective. Having married in 2004, he resides in Roseville, Minnesota with his wife Marni. Marni recently gave birth to their first child, Karis Joy. In September of 2006, Alex will become an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota (having previously served part-time). He teaches courses in physics and engineering while also advising students. Alex previously earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from U.C. Berkeley in May 2004.

-Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Louisville, KY

The Bible gives us loads of instruction for marriage - what it is, who it is for, what it is for, and how to conduct ourselves as married men and women. But how do we move from singleness to marriage? Is the answer to ditch the “dating model” and go for courtship? Do we roll back the clock and re-institute arranged marriages? Publishers have been cranking out books with all sorts of directions to help Christians navigate the treacherous waters between the buoys of singleness and marriage, and I know of none that is more clear, concise and helpful than With One Voice. Here is a practical book that neither sacrifices a proper emphasis on the glory of God in our relationships, nor underplays the importance of the Bible’s teaching on manhood and womanhood.

-J. Ligon Duncan III, PhD
Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

Past Moderator, General Assembly, Presbyterian Church in America
Convener, Twin Lakes Fellowship
Adjunct Professor, Reformed Theological Seminary
Chairman, Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

If only courtship and marriage were so simple that all we needed was a manual to figure them out! The Chediak’s give us something better: a compass and a travel guide for the serious pilgrim. True north is the glory of God – get that straight and everything else will fall in place, miss it and nothing works. The rest is details, matters of topography and climate/local customs. That too the Chediak’s provide with warmth, wisdom and the good humor of those who know the road and some of its potholes!

-Rev. Ben Patterson
College Pastor
Westmont College

Dating books have been avalanching off the press in recent years. Few, however, approach the subject theologically, and even fewer accent how the critical biblical foundations of manhood and womanhood are related. That is what makes With One Voice unique. This book boldly and clearly connects the Bible’s undeniable teaching about manhood and womanhood to how Christians should think about singleness, dating, and marriage. Parents, married couples, and singles need this book more than they know!

-Richard L. Holland, D.Min.
Pastor, College & Student Ministries - Grace Community Church
Director of D.Min. Studies - The Master's Seminary

While serving as a student pastor for over 20 years, I have watched many young people powerfully live out their lives with clear, biblical worldviews as they head into the world of singleness. I have also seen the tragedies and costly failures in the lives of young people not prepared for these years. Unfortunately, research tells us that the majority of our young people fall into the latter dangerous category. With One Voice cuts to the heart of the matter by reminding us what is ultimately at stake--the glory of God. Alex defines biblical masculinity and femininity for a generation that is searching desperately for a biblical vision. In the closing chapters, Alex gives his readers the golden ticket – step by step practical advice. I believe this to be such a valuable resource that we just ordered 100 copies for our graduating seniors.

-Mr. Steve Wright, Pastor to Students
Providence Baptist Church
Raleigh, NC

We are very thankful for With One Voice by Alex Chediak. It is clearly written, God-centered, and its message is so true and right. Our eighteen year-old daughter just read it and restrained herself from underlining nearly the whole thing! We will heartily recommend it to others at church and in classes we teach.

-Dr. Bruce A. Ware
Professor of Christian Theology
Senior Associate Dean, School of Theology
Advanced MDiv Program Director
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

If you're a parent thinking about how to guide your kids through the dating years or a single person navigating those waters, the one voice of this book speaks with sanity, clarity, and godliness.

-Dr. Jim Hamilton,
Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Houston Park Place Campus

This relatively short book packs a powerful bang for the buck, providing much biblical and practical advice for young men and women seeking to glorify God in relationships. And we must say, the first chapter on the redefinition of youth was excellent.

-Alex and Brett Harris
Award-Winning Public Speakers and Debaters, authors of Do Hard Things

— JOHN MACARTHUR
Pastor, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California;
President, The Master’s College and Seminary

"Dating is an issue of Christian controversy — and for good reason. This fascinating new book brings together some of the most important thinkers and writers on this issue, producing a dialogue that will stretch the mind and encourage Christian thinking. Read this book — it’s sure to become a focus of much conversation.”

— R. ALBERT MOHLER JR.
President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

"Alex Chediak has given singles, pastors and parents a valuable resource to sort through the thorny questions of dating and courtship. Christians interested in honoring Christ in how they relate to the opposite sex often find themselves between the chaos of cultural behavior and the confusion of often contradictory ‘Christian’ alternatives. By bringing together five thoughtful but different perspectives from Christians on dating and courtship, Alex sets the table for digging into the issues that matter. No one after reading this book will be content to just ‘do what feels right’. Thanks, Alex, for helping to sharpen the debate and strengthen the dialogue through this timely resource. Singles and the marriages they make will be helped by your work."

— ANDY FARMER, author of The Rich Single Life; pastor of discipleship and counseling, Covenant Fellowship Church, Pennsylvania

“5 Paths to the Love of Your Life shows there is no ‘one size fits all’ in this adventure, and we are shown illuminating points of comparison and contrast among the options. This book details in clear language the ways serious believers may think about the paths to marriage.”

— BEN PATTERSON
Campus pastor, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California

“Biblical, practical, contemporary. Those three words came to mind as I read 5 Paths to the Love of Your Life. Pastors, youth workers, parents, and single adults will find it an invaluable resource on the difficult questions surrounding dating, courtship, and marriage in the twenty-first century. Get ready to have your thinking stretched and challenged.”

— DR. RAY PRITCHARD
Senior pastor; author of An Anchor for Your Soul,
Discovering God’s Will for Your Life, and He’s God and We’re Not

"I wanted to let you know that I have been using your book with some families. It has been tremendously helpful. Job well done! It is interesting to see where the view points overlap and where they take a turn to the left or right. The book is helping families see the need to set a trajectory for what they will expect from their children at a younger age."

— PASTOR TONY SANELLI
Grace Bible Church, Founding Pastor-Teacher
Pleasant Hill, CA

"This is a provocative book sure to generate lots of discussion among those who read it. It contains one essay that is among the best things I've ever read on the subject, an essay that is thoughtful, clear, pastoral, biblically-informed, Christ-centered, and genuinely wise. Then it contains several essays that are among the worst pieces of Biblical interpretation I've ever seen, essays that take verses out of context, dismiss New Testament teaching as mis-informed, embrace cultural norms about marriage without a murmur, and ignore the clear words and model of Jesus himself. Now if only we could all agree on which is which! Read the book and see if you can figure it out."

— DR. LAURA A. SMIT, dean of the chapel, Calvin College; author of Loves Me, Loves Me Not: The Ethics of Unrequited Love

“The variety of perspectives gathered here will help you sharpen your thinking, clarify your convictions, and pursue integrity and godliness as you seek healthy, mature Christian relationships.”

— ALBERT Y. HSU
Author of Singles at the Crossroads

5 Paths to the Love of Your Life provides an excellent resource for single Christians, offering clear and balanced perspectives along with plenty of valuable tips. Well worth reading!

— SAM MOORCROFT, President of ChristianCafe.com

Inspiring, informative, challenging. 5 Paths is a must-read for singles, parents, and pastors who desire a biblical approach to contemporary relationships.

— BEN YOUNG, pastor; author of The Ten Commandments of Dating

In light of the world’s frightening trend toward a disconnection of commitment and intimacy, many western Christians have assumed that if the “good old days” could be resurrected, modern troubles such as promiscuity and detachment might go away. Though well-intentioned and sometimes producing good results, this approach can discourage Christians who lack a biblical family model in their own upbringing, and may therefore feel sentenced to a second-class marriage. Alternatively, it can (ironically) promote the delay of marriage by causing young people or their parents to set unattainable ideals for a spouse. Rather, we need to freshly communicate and impart timeless biblical principles in our rapidly changing world—transforming our culture, rather than being conformed to it. Such principles include a respect for mature biblical masculinity and femininity. Young men need to cultivate a sense of leadership, the assumption of responsibility, personal maturity sufficient to lead a wife and family, and a willingness to expend their God-given strength for the good of others. Young women should develop emotional security in Christ, relational wisdom, a discerning yet nurturing disposition, and modesty. These characteristics are in short supply in our day, given contemporary culture’s promotion of passivity, the prolonging of adolescence, and an emphasis on finding worth through good looks and popularity.

In a romantic context, young adults should embrace the Scriptural norm of marriage and its associated God-assigned responsibilities. Such interactions will display godly restraint, clear communication, wisdom, joy, and, in the proper time, decisiveness. In seeking to practice such premarital relationships, young people ought to emphasize their own spiritual, emotional, educational, and financial development toward adulthood, as well as cultivate an ability to recognize and affirm mature masculinity and femininity in potential partners. In the process of choosing a spouse, young adults should avoid the extremes of exclusively considering either objective criteria (how long she’s been a Christian, the quality of his family) or subjective criteria (physical attraction, enjoyment of his companionship). Friendships should blossom in community and family settings to the degree possible and progress with caution as interactions and conversations become more substantive. When proper, a man ought to declare his intentions without excessive delay and tenderly lead a particular woman into a committed relationship that is marriage-directed. She ought to honor his masculinity and her own femininity in the process by responding to and affirming his leadership, without either undue caution or prematurely surrendering her heart. Ultimately, With One Voice challenges both men and women to both become and to recognize a godly life partner, glorifying God and honoring others in the process. It is also a resource for parents and pastors seeking to raise a generation who will value the favor of God more than life itself, and who will love their husbands and wives out of the overflow of their love for God.

Published Articles Related to themes in With One Voice:

Get Married, Young Man -- Boundless (August, 2006)
The Fruit of Immaturity -- Boundless (May, 2007)

Many books on the area of Christian dating or courtship disagree with each other. The extent of this disagreement, however, can be difficult to discern. Caricatures, though widespread, are often not fair. "All who date are less godly than those who court." Or "courtship people are all rigid and inflexible.” Given such generalizations, it is not surprising that singles (who now marry at a later age) have to go through numerous "discussions" in order to figure out how their would-be "potential mate" wishes to go about the relationship process. Real differences do exist between what various proponents are saying, and it is important to understand them. That’s why I organized Five Paths to the Love of Your Life—an anthology that provides dialogue and context to the "dating debate", allowing five of the most articulate voices on Christian relationships to be readily compared and contrasted by Christian singles, pastors, and parents.

I wrote the Introduction, Conclusion, and Appendix. Five contributors each provide a chapter discussing their perspective on premarital romance and its Scriptural defense, as well as addressing a few practical situations that I posed to each of the contributors. One situation involves two high schoolers. Another considers two college students. And a third deals with a single woman in her thirties. These practical situations really tease out what the contributors have in common and where they differ. Each chapter has a concise, two-page summary at its end. The Introduction sets the stage for the discussion, and the Conclusion tries to assess areas of agreement, disagreement, and some thoughts for what to do with it all. The Appendix shows the structural framework behind the book.

The contributors span the range of evangelicalism from those who use the term "dating" (but who carefully frame the term to discourage emotional or physical promiscuity) to others who prefer "courtship" (e.g., Doug Wilson) or even "betrothal" (Jonathan Lindvall). My goal was to provide one resource that Christian young people (and their parents) could read and gain an understanding of what some of the major voices on this issue are saying, and why. Contributors include Jeramy and Jerusha Clark (I Gave Dating a Chance, He's Hot, She's Hot, & Define the Relationship from Waterbrook Press). Lauren Frances Winner (Real Sex from Brazos Press), Rick Holland (college pastor serving with John MacArthur), Douglas Wilson (Reforming Marriage & Her Hand in Marriage from Canon Press) and Jonathan Lindvall (president of Bold Christian Living). Each contributor writes from a commitment to the principle of chastity and to the formation of God-honoring marriages for those so called.

The ritual of courtship in America has depreciated to the degree that the path to marriage, once enriched by established cultural patterns, gender role expectations, and a sense of the normalcy of marriage, has become a bewildering maze. A century ago, young people looked forward to marriage and child rearing as both marks of adulthood and economic necessities. Today, the fruits of the sexual revolution, feminism, careerism, a growing youth culture, and a modern economy that values individuals over families have all contributed to the divorce of sexual expression from long-term commitment. Though not all of the social forces of the last century are intrinsically sinful, we must soberly admit that, to many, marriage is no longer an economic, social, or sexual necessity. Instead, it is at best just one more option for individual self-fulfillment and at worst a distraction from education, career, and sexual exploration. Such views have resulted in the increasing acceptance of a rise in the age of marriage, the debasement of women, the normalcy of divorce, and the general immaturity of young adults, particularly men. Against this backdrop, our youth and singles must recover a sense that marriage and childrearing (with their many associated joys and responsibilities) are not only precious milestones that provide direction and stability in life, but are biblical norms that mark the successful transition to adulthood.

About With One Voice | Endorsements | Reviews | Read a Chapter! | Buy It!

5 Paths to the Love of Your Life

Many books on the area of Christian dating or courtship disagree with each other. The extent of this disagreement, however, can be difficult to discern. Caricatures, though widespread, are often not fair. "All who date are less godly than those who court." Or "courtship people are all rigid and inflexible.” Given such generalizations, it is not surprising that singles (who now marry at a later age) have to go through numerous "discussions" in order to figure out how their would-be "potential mate" wishes to go about the relationship process. Real differences do exist between what various proponents are saying, and it is important to understand them. That’s why I organized Five Paths to the Love of Your Life—an anthology that provides dialogue and context to the "dating debate", allowing five of the most articulate voices on Christian relationships to be readily compared and contrasted by Christian singles, pastors, and parents.

About 5 Paths To The Love Of Your Life | Endorsements | Reviews | Interviews | Buy It!

Examples of my live-blogging work:

Children Desiring God (April 2007)
Global Church Advancement (January 2008) [scroll down]
Ligonier National Conference (March 2008)
ReThink Conference (May 2008)
Tough Questions Christians Face (Ligonier Ministries West Coast Conference) (forthcoming, Sept 2008)

My published articles:

Alex Chediak, Big Talker, Boundless Webzine, July 2008
Alex Chediak, Play Time, Boundless Webzine, January 2008.
Alex Chediak, Christians and Competition, Boundless Webzine, September 2007.
Alex Chediak, The Fruit of Immaturity, Boundless Webzine, May 2007.
Alex Chediak, Get Married, Young Man, Boundless Webzine, August 2006.

Examples of my interviews and teaching are available. I can be reached via e-mail at: with1voice @ gmail .com. (remove spaces)

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