The Virtue Library
Resources for raising and mentoring young people of character.
Our Mission
The Virtue Library exists to help parents, educators and church leaders form young people who know God, know themselves and walk with wisdom, character and courage.
Our Purpose
Raising and mentoring a young person is some of the most important work any of us will ever do, and some days it's also the hardest. None of us has all the answers, and none of us should have to figure it out alone.
“Train up a child in the way he should go.”
Proverbs 22:6
That training happens best when the adults in a child's life are equipped, encouraged and working together. This library is here to help.
About the Library
Every resource here reflects the mission and values of Virtue Advising + Mentorship. Each one is chosen in keeping with a Biblical, Christian worldview and with one question in mind: will this help a young person grow in virtue? You'll find practical guides for everyday parenting, reflections on why formation matters now more than ever, and tools you can use at the dinner table, in the classroom or in your student ministry. Read anything here freely. Printable versions are available whenever you'd like to keep or share them.
The Resources
The Virtue Habit
A field guide for students on the road to college and calling
Seventy-two simple rhythms across twelve chapters, written to help young people build the habits that shape who they become. It covers time, friendship, leadership, family, fear and faith under pressure. It works well read alone, with a parent or in a small group.
Tough Enough
Hone your habits, cultivate purpose and forge genuine strength, by Trey Tucker
Young men today are up against constant distraction, shaky confidence and mixed messages about what it means to be a man. Trey Tucker is a counselor, an experienced mental health expert and the founder of Rugged Counseling, known for therapy without the fluff. He writes the way he counsels: straight talk that gets to the root. Tough Enough gives young men practical habits, a clearer sense of purpose and a truer picture of what strength really is.
Trey is a friend and former colleague, and I've watched him break through to young men for years. This is a book I'm glad to put in their hands.
If Philip Can, You Can Too!
How I survived abortion, 24 surgeries and high school, by Philip Mathews and Susan Mathews
Philip Mathews was born with a cleft lip, holes in his heart, and a missing eye and ear, and his parents were advised not to continue the pregnancy. He went on to survive 24 surgeries, make it through high school, and become a musician, humanitarian and speaker whose message reached 48 states and 13 countries. Written with his mother, Susan, this is his story of gratitude, giving and never giving up, and of a God for whom nothing is impossible.
Philip was my student, and in so many ways he was my teacher. He faced more in nineteen years than most of us will face in a lifetime, and he met it with joy, gratitude and a faith that would not quit. He began serving others when he was just ten years old, and his life touched people all over the world. I miss him, and I still carry what he taught me: that nothing is impossible with God. If Philip could, you can too. Read his story, and let it change the way you see your own.
The Phone Habit
A healthy phone use guide for students
The phone isn't the enemy, but it's a terrible master. This short guide gives students practical, doable habits for putting the phone in its place, from where it sleeps at night to what it gets first in the morning.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Romans 12:2
The Phone Habit: A Parent's Field Guide
Less lecture. More conversation.
If you're tired of monitoring, tired of worrying and tired of giving the same speech your kids can already recite, this guide is for you. It walks you through four shifts: from monitor to mentor, from lecture to question, from fear to faith, and from control to release. It also gives you real phrases to try tonight, ten questions worth asking, and calm steps for the moment you find something you hoped you wouldn't.
When the List Goes Up
On disappointment, identity and finding your place
For the student whose name was not on the roster, whose callback never came, or whose solo went to someone else. This guide will not rush past the hurt. It walks students through naming what happened, remembering who they are when a role is taken away, getting through the first few days well, and rebuilding confidence one faithful habit at a time.
If your name was not on the list today, I am sorry, and I am proud of you for trying. Putting yourself out there takes courage. This hurts because it mattered, and caring that much is a gift. I have sat with a lot of students on days like this one, and here is what I have seen: the disappointment is real, but it is never the end of the story. Your worth was never on that roster. You are loved by God, who is closer to you right now than it feels. Give yourself grace this week and talk to someone you trust. Then, when you are ready, read on. Your next chapter may be better than the one you hoped for.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18
Parents: read it alongside your student. Section 04, The First Few Days, is a good place to start together.
The Formation Gap
Why faith holds for some students and not others
Research consistently points to the same place: what happens at home during the middle and high school years is the strongest predictor of whether a young person's faith lasts. This brief walks through what the data shows and what families can do about it, and it closes with five questions for your dinner table.
Why This. Why Now.
The heart behind Virtue
Inherited faith is not the same as owned faith. Students who leave home unformed will be formed by whatever is nearest and loudest. This letter explains why formation has to come before decision, and why that conviction is at the center of everything Virtue does.
Connect With Brian
Have a question about something you read here? Want to bring these resources to your school, church or homeschool group? I'd love to hear from you.
When the questions turn to college and calling, Virtue walks alongside your family.
Learn More About Virtue Advising + Mentorship