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Bob Hartman provides a poetic picture to delight every child
‘He spent literally hours with me’: how a youth leader led me to faith and to follow in his footsteps
Bob Hartman imagines the queue to chat with Jesus
How the prayer of a Christian mum led George Verwer to faith, and the birth of Operation Mobilisation
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Family & Parenting
Hand in Hand Conference 2025: A call to action for children’s and family ministry
As the skies drizzled on a chilly Friday afternoon in February, the excitement surrounding the 2025 National Children’s and Family Ministry Conference, Hand in Hand, was anything but damp. Over 600 attendees arrived at the Bethel Convention Centre in Birmingham, where the warm, vibrant welcome was evident from the moment they stepped onto the red carpet. This year, the event found a new home, bringing with it a fresh energy and a renewed sense of purpose in children and families ministry.
Are smartphones rewiring my kid’s brain?
Robin Barfield wonders if Christian parents are sometimes a little too negative on the impact of smart phones and social media. For an alternative perspective click here.
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt might have an alarmist title but there is plenty in the book that Christian parents can agree with
Parenting is and has always been a challenge. Teenagers find ways to push boundaries. That’s been the story forever. But in the digital age, the world of smartphones, selfies, nudes, social media and AI, today’s teenagers face challenges that most of us didn’t have when we were growing up.
Grooming - What parents need to know
If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve probably heard about “grooming gangs.”
Help! It’s February half term!
What is your family hungry for this half-term? I’ve put together a menu for you to peruse. It’s not a to-do list; there’s no pressure to tick things off, you don’t have to cram in as many things as possible to make half term a great time for your family (or at least bearable!).
Use the Gospel to transform your approach to your child’s behaviour
How do you approach your child’s behaviour? Do you find yourself giving commands or trying to persuade? Are you an authoritarian or gentle parent? As a Christian parent, you feel like you want to be able to give your child clear, simple instructions for how they are to behave and why. You also want to speak to their heart, not just their behaviour.
Childline’s tips on tackling loneliness are helpful. But Christians should go further.
This month Childline revealed that that they ran nearly 5,000 online or telephone counselling sessions with youth and children in 2023-24. There are lots of issues that worry youth and children but, in those sessions, the main concern was loneliness. This isn’t an outlying report. The Office for National Statistics said something similar about the same time period. Loneliness, it seems, is a big problem.
Discipline – Getting it right, biblically, legally and practically
When you think about discipline, what comes to mind? Perhaps it brings back memories of how you were treated as a child. Those memories could be positive or negative. As parents, we know discipline is key in helping children become well-balanced and responsible people, but the way you approach discipline can have a lasting impact on your child’s emotional and behavioural development.
A Parent’s Guide to Safe and Enjoyable Sleepovers
Sleepovers are a cherished part of childhood—an opportunity for children to bond with friends, and enjoy the freedom of staying up far too late! For parents, sleepovers are a big moment, as the fun also comes with the responsibility of ensuring everyone is safe and looked after. With stories of peer-on-peer abuse in the media, it’s natural for parents to have concerns. So let’s look at how you can make for an enjoyable and safe sleepover.
A parent’s guide to safeguarding
Most parents want to protect their children, ensuring they thrive in safe environments. For many families, this extends beyond their homes and into the various clubs and church communities where their children participate. Whilst these places may offer growth, friendship, or spiritual development, parents need to be aware that safeguarding ...
When ‘why don’t you listen?’ actually applies to parents
Joel Toombs suggests ways in which you can boost your conversation in 2024
Take care of your kids! how to develop safeguarding in your church
Do you know what safeguarding approach your church takes?
Setting yourself up for faith conversations in 2024
Do conversations with your kids come easily?
‘God with us’ in a family with additional needs
What is the toughest part of Christmas for you?
Is it OK to talk about Santa and does this undermine our words about Jesus?
What was your experience of Santa growing up?
Give glory to God this Christmas (and ditch ’the elf on the shelf’, please!)
Have you had to make adjustments to your Christmas routine?
Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store: how to be imaginative as you celebrate God's gift to us
Do you know your love language?
‘I find it easier to share Jesus with my children at Christmas: here’s how I do it’
Do you find Christmas is a good time to share faith?
How to share Christmas gifts (without going into debt!)
How many gifts do you typically buy?
‘Mum can I get a tattoo?’ What to say about tattoos and piercings in the light of the Bible
Have tattos been an issue in your home?
A how, a wow and a bow: a Christmas meditation for your family this advent
Have you lost the sense of wonder of Christmas?
11 activities for Christian families to brighten your advent season
Was ‘advent’ celebrated in your home growing up?
‘Teamwork makes the dream work’: how one Christian family is tackling selfishness
Is selfishness the root of issues in your family?
Hitting children is harmful and God does not give harmful parenting advice
What kind of discipline methods do you use?
‘I hate you’ could be the start of a fruitful conversation. How to make a Christian response
Have you had to field unwanted personal attacks?
Emma Watson, Jim Carrey and Michael Phelps have it, but what should you be praying if your child has ADHD?
When did you first become aware of ADHD?
Yikes, I need 70 hours a week to fit it all in!
What is the maximum you have ever worked in a week?
Juggling childcare and a day job - how can Christian parents flourish?
Do you prefer working from home?
7 ways to prepare for relational change in your family
Was ‘leaving for uni’ your biggest transition?
The mistakes I have made as a Christian parent, have made me a better parent
Your worst mistake as a parent?
What Christians can learn from the Princess of Wales’ parenting rules
Where do you get your parental wisdom from?
When your parenting journey isn’t what you expect
How close has your parenting been to what you expected?
Conversation is key to parenting, but how do you create the time and place?
Joel Toombs shares some mentoring approaches that will take time with your children to a new level
How little known feasts in the book of Leviticus can bless your family this autumn
Do you recall ever reading Leviticus all the way through?
What I would say to my younger parenting self about starting a new term
Which transitions do you recall most clearly?
5 parenting tips from the Bible’s most dysfunctional families
Which Bible passage do you find most relevant to your family?
10 Bible verses every Christian parent should know
What verses would you select?
6 vital questions to ask as you approach the new school term
Were you anxious as you began a new school year?
Do you mentor your children? Here's why you should consider it
Was your childhood good, bad or ‘so-so’?
How to prepare Christian young people for part-time work
Do you recall your first Saturday job?
Why allowing children to eavesdrop is a good thing
Do you recall picking up ideas from adults by over hearing them chat?
‘If you think you have ruined God’s plans, don’t worry, you are not that powerful!’ How to support your teen's decision making
How clear were you about where you wanted to head when you were in your late teens?
How do I become a Christian? Answering the question every Christian parent wants to be asked
Where and when did you come to faith?
How to holiday with children so you get a break yourself!
Have you had an enjoable holiday camping with kids?
The cheats way to grow faith at home this summer: 'read-alouds'
Were you a reader when you were yonger?
On holiday as a solo parent with three small children and God showed up!
Do you recall holidays from your childhood?
‘The number of teens not enjoying life has doubled’: How can Christians respond?
Are the teens in your orbit enjoying life?
Elijah’s challenge: Storyteller Bob Hartman with a poem you can recite to your kids
Are you good at learning poems?
Year out, uni or work? How christian parents can navigate the crisis
How clear was your pathway?
How drug gangs involve teens in their work and how Christian parents can be alert
How prevalent are ‘county lines’ where you live?
7 ways to bring ‘God-like’ order to your home
How tidy is your home?
8 ways to teach your children to pray (and leave them skills that will last a lifetime)
Do you recall when you learned to pray?
How to actually compare your child with other Christian children
Did you get compared with anyone when you were growinng up
‘Age verification on porn sites will help your children stay safe, but loop holes need closing’
Do your children access porn and how would you know?
Parenting by robots? Can Christians embrace AI?
Would you have a robot as a baby sitter?
30 ways Christian parents can love themselves better
How well do you love yourself?
Porn is wrecking the sexual appetites of children and young people. As Christian parents we must teach a better way
Do you recall your first exposure to pornography?
Being a dad is an incredible privilege - here’s how to make the most of it
What’s the best part of being a parent?
Bluey may be popular but my child’s behaviour has gone downhill. As a Christian parent what should I do?
What TV programmes seem to affect your kids?
As an ‘ex new-ager’ I am surprised that books like the Harry Potter series are considered OK by Christians
Did magical themes interest you in your youth?
Embarrassing your kids with your faith? Don’t lose heart, they will get over it!
What did you cringe at growing up?
Seeing the church service through a child’s eyes. How child-friendly are your songs?
Have you ever completely misheard a lyric?
8 ways to get your family to be more generous
Forming faith rituals
Do only dads exasperate their kids?
Ephesians 6:1-4 is Paul’s household code, or top tips for raising a good Christian family. But how relevant is it to your family in 2023?
Fans, feathers and balloons: it can only be illustrations for Pentecost Sunday!
How easy was it for you to grasp the Holy Spirit’s coming?
When your children slip away from faith
What would you do if your child decided not to follow Jesus?
My marriage has broken down, how can I help my kids stay in the faith?
How would advise a family where divorce has become necessary?
How laughter is God’s gift for disciplining your children
Was laughter a key part of your upbrining?
Should Christian parents ban their children from accessing YouTube?
At what age would you allow your child to access YouTube?
Should Christian parents be concerned about their children being on Instagram?
Which social media platforms are you on?
‘I am a local church pastor, who is conservative on LGBTQ+ issues. Here’s how I advise families.’
What kind of conversations do you find tricky?
Top worship songs to teach your kids
Which is your favourite?
When family is not straightforward. How to keep God central in a blended family
How many blended families did you know?
Eco-anxiety is a thing for children, but here’s how Christian parents can respond
When were you first aware of eco issues?
Keeping your kids in the faith when your marriage has fallen part
What events have challenged your kids?
‘We’re not that strong and we can be deceived’: a Christian commentator cautions you to be careful what you allow your kids to watch
Have you ever stopped a film because of what it was portraying?
5 movies to watch at Easter - alternative films to explore the Easter story with your children
Your favourite Easter movie?
You wouldn’t let your children watch a violent film so how do you talk about Easter
Are you tempted to sanitise the death of Jesus for younger ears?
5 things every Christian parent needs to know about dyslexia
Who do you know with dyslexia?
Badly behaved, or sensory processing issues? How the church can support the one in 100 UK children who have autism
When did you first become aware of autism?
If you think your parenting is less than perfect, it’s OK. God is there to help
Who’s the best parent you know?
Teaching your children about God when your partner doesn’t believe
Do you know couples who have different views on faith?
'Nature is the first cathedral': 9 tips to help your children enjoy God’s creation
When did you last play outside with your children?
With one in three teens experiencing an anxiety disorder, how can a Christian parent spot the signs and find a solution?
Have you ever spotted signs of anxiety in your child?
Why I believe your child can lead today
Do you believe your child can lead?
The Kids Getting Older Younger (KGOY) phenomenon and what Christian parents need to do about it
Jo Rowe looks at a phenomenon recognised by advertisers and begins a new approach with her eight-year-old son.
A parent educator re-thinks her approach after coming to faith
Have you assumed the Bible had just one approach to punishment?
How should you punish your children as a Christian? NT Wright answers
What approaches worked best in your home?
If you saw children fighting in the street - would you walk by on the other side?
Have you ever broken up a fight?
Talking about Jesus’ Return, without scaring the life out of your kids
What do you believe about the Second Coming?
How do you build your child’s emotional resilience?
What’s your top tip for building resilience?
How do you start to pray with your children?
How did you learn to pray?
‘What are you watching?!’ When your child likes material you don’t think is appropriate
Do you recall a particular TV programme being banned?
Pointers for Christian mums following Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as PM of New Zealand
What would you sacrifice for your family?
What to say if a young person ‘comes out’ in conversation with you
What is your first reaction when someone tells you something they didn’t expect?
Half term - a nightmare or an opportunity?
Forming faith rituals
Food fads and teenagers. How a Christian parent can gain a sense of balance
Are you the kind of person to go on a diet?
3 ways to respond as a Christian parent when your child winds you up
Have your irritations increased or decreased over time?
‘I don’t want history to repeat itself’: the lessons for Christian parents from Harry’s pain
Can you see history repeating itself in your family?
How do you encourage your kids to worship God?
How easy is your church worship experience?
Would you bribe your children to attend church?
Did you ever win a prize at church?
5 ways to help your teen when they are obsessed with a celebrity
Who was your ‘hero’ growing up?
The verse in Proverbs that has scared a generation of parents. How to understand it and learn from it
How good do you rate your start in the Christian faith?
Tips for ’taking Jesus' into your parenting in 2023
What are your top tips?
3 tips for a Jesus-focussed, guilt-free Christmas
As people who know grace why do we screw ourselves up so much?
What I have learnt about Christian parenting from looking after other people’s children
There are believed to be 90,000 au pairs in the UK
How do I fill the Christmas week as a Christian parent?
Do you find keeping children busy a challenge?
How coaching can transform your parenting
Have you ever received coaching?
‘Look forward to the teenage years as a Christian parent! These years can be some of your best as a parent if you navigate wisely’
Would you say you were an easy teenage to parent?
How to have a Jesus centred advent season
What’s your favourite part of the festivities?
Help, my teenager doesn’t want to come to church
Andy Peck looks at the heartbreak of children drifting away from church and faith and suggests some things to remember
If a child you knew was being sexually abused, could you spot the signs?
Would you be able to spot the signs?
John Lewis is right to highlight the value of foster carers. But let no one be unaware of the challenge
Ali Hull talks to two Christian foster carers about their very different experiences of fostering
Should you watch ‘I’m a Celebrity’ with your teenagers?
Would you want to appear on the show?
5 practical ways to encourage your children to be more grateful
Do you recall any regular chores you had to do?
An estimated one in six girls and one in 20 boys experience sexual abuse before the age of 16. Being alert to the dangers could save your child
Are you surprised by these statistics?
‘Parenthood caused me to lose sight of who God made me to be’
Lindsay Wright was lost in motherhood before rediscovering who she was
Could your child be part of a new generation of Billy Grahams?
Do you have any ‘evangelists’ in your family?
The day we decided our family culture had to change
Who sets the tone for the culture in your family?
Should you let your child play sport on Sunday?
Did you ever play sport on Sunday?
The next Messi or Ronaldo? How to support your child’s elite sports ambitions as a Christian parent
How would you support your child’s faith alongside their sport?
Put Jesus at the centre of your family this Halloween. Try this recipe for ‘salt and light’ chocolate slabs
Do you do anything special at Halloween?
Light parties or Halloween? I know what I am choosing
Andy Peck found a local church which solved a tricky dilemma
Do you pray with your children? Here’s some ways that could work well
How often do you pray with your children?
Are you raising a Christian leader? You need to be
Do you see yourself as a leader?
We tried reading the Bible together as a family every day for a month. Here’s what happened
Could your family find a time to read the Bible together?
Lying is a huge deal in our family. Here’s how we have taught our children to tell the truth
How do you know when your children are lying?
TV presenter Dan Walker has a mobile phone contract with his children. Should you do the same?
When did you first own a mobile phone?
If faith conversations with your children feel awkward, here’s what to do
Andy Peck believes there are some conversation approaches that can improve your chats with young people
Need to keep your children safe online? Here’s how
How much do you know about what your children watch?
How can I check my children’s social media habits and not become a pain?
How many apps on your phone?
My children started copying my angry responses. So we now play a game that helps us all
What pushes your buttons?
How much do you pay the tooth fairy? Teaching your children about money
How much do you remember about pocket money in your youth?
Church and Monarchy Made Simple
How good is your understanding of monarchy?
Why does my child ‘lose it’ at home when they have been fine at school or church?
Are there things that typically press your buttons?
Keeping relations smooth between parents and youth workers
Are you a bit jealous of your youthworker’s connection with your child?
Do you need to speak your children’s language to relate?
How well do you speak ‘teenager’…?
‘No one will ever know who they are, but they changed my life’: Rob Parsons on his influences growing up
What might be possible if you began to dream?
Jordan Peterson urges churches to welcome young men
Are you happy to receive good advice, whatever the source?
The girls ‘brought football home’. What lessons are there for the church?
Jenni Whymark is thrilled to see England Women’s football thriving and asks whether we can learn a thing or two in the church
The summer holidays can be great times to bond with your children and develop their faith. Here’s how…
Do you secretly dread it when your children break up for summer?
Could you be God’s answer to the ‘cost on childhood crisis’?
Could your church supoort this nationwide work?
Blessing and cursing on the playground? How to keep your child’s language on track
Where do you draw the line?
Ten tips for taking a trip
Longer, sunnier, days are here! The opportunity to take our children’s or youth group out for the day or just for a couple of hours on a club night has arrived! Perhaps to the beach or the countryside, maybe to a park or to a children’s farm, there are lots of places that we can take our children and young people to, including those with additional needs.
How I survived as a Christian at university
What would you say to someone about to head for uni?
Laughter is one of God’s gifts to us, so let’s share it with our kids
What do your children find funny?
When your children don’t get on with someone in your church
Wouldn’t it be great if anyone at church just ‘got on’! But we all know it’s not that simple
What to do when church clashes with something your child wants to do
Your child is excited about an option, but darn it, it’s on at the same time as church!
My children seem to be mixing heavily with their peers who are not Christians – how do I make sure they maintain Christian values when I do?
Have you ever had a sinking feeling when you see who your children are hanging out with?
How do we help our teens acknowledge their faith when Christianity is seen as uncool?
Are we realistically expecting our teens to stand out as Christians in the classroom?
Help! My baby won’t sleep! What should I do?
Sleep deprived and feeling just slightly desparate?!
Benefits of adventure as a family
Your children may be addicted to digital screens, but Dawn Savidge believes it’s time they started to live a little!
How can I grandparent as my children want?
It’s a joy having grandparents on hand to help out. But what happens when parenting styles clash with yours?
Talking about sex to your children
Can you remember how you learnt about sex? Was it a VHS describing what happens using euphemistic fruit images? Was it whispers in the playground? Was it graphic content seen online?
A level results: what's next?
This year, results day has been a little more difficult than normal - with young people away from school for the lockdown and many unexpected exam grades (both good and bad) ending up on certificates. Here, career advisor Frank Hutton settles our youth’s anxieties, offering advice on what to do in both positive and negative situations.
Talking about the tough stuff
There’s been a lot of difficult subjects to tackle with our children and young people in recent months. Annie Wilmot, a funeral pastor, author and mum-of-two, revealed how we can talk to our children about the tough stuff.
Parenting as a Church Leader
Parenting for Faith’s Rachel Turner, author of a new book from BRF entitled Parenting as a Church Leader, shares some encouragement.
How to do family worship in the home
Up and down the country and across the world, life has suddenly shifted gear for all of us. Families are thrown into the unknown situation of being together every day, with no clubs, activities or outings to break up the days and weeks. And not only do parents and carers now need to be the warm, loving and emotionally available adults that their children need, but we also need to act as pastors at a time when youth and children’s work is halted in most churches.
Coronavirus: How to minimise family tensions
Coronavirus has resulted in schools closing and many people going into self-isolation. Ruth Jackson spoke to Tim Alford, national director of Limitless (the youth ministry of Elim Pentecostal Church) whose family is currently in self-isolation due to his wife, Jen, displaying symptoms of the Coronavirus. To hear more from Tim on how to support young people and reach out into our communities at this difficult time, check out our social media sites @ycwmag
Why John Mark Comer banned his children from having smart phones
New research by Childwise found that more than half of children say they sleep with their mobile phone beside their bed, with most young people now having their own phone by the age of seven. The annual report into children’s use of media also found that seven to 16-year-olds spend an average of three hours and 20 minutes per day on their mobiles.
Storge: We are family
Registered users only: Download as a PDF here.
I don’t know. And it’s OK.
Annie Willmot shares some advice and encouragement for anyone who feels like they’re blagging their way through parenting
Family mental health
Registered users only: Download as a PDF here.
Discipling children with additional needs
Kay Morgan-Gurr explores spiritual development in young people with additional needs
How to be a family friendly church? It might involve nappies...
Annie Wilmott asks, who has your back when your toddler poos through their clothes? The answer, she discovered, was her community. And that has a lot to teach us about being a family-friendly church.
The uniqueness of family
Now, think of your family of unique individuals creating a unique collection of humans that is different from any other on earth, either now or that has ever been. The funny thing is, we generally see our own families as normal. The quirks and strange words are the only thing ...
How to help parents of small children survive church
The paradox of being up since 5am but still arriving late to church can baffle parents and those who are supporting them. Here’s how to help kids of small children feel genuinely supported in church.
The first 1,001 days
There is a growing body of research to support the importance of a child’s development from conception to the age of 2 (the first 1,001 days). But what does this mean for those running groups for these young children?
Parenting teenage girls
Meg Cannon is author of Hope Rising 365, a devotional for teen girls. She has so much wisdom on raising confident, Jesus-loving women.
Maintaining sexual intimacy after having children
Talking about sex is something we often shy away from, but sex therapist Emma Waring has dedicated her life to the topic. She spoke to deputy editor Emily Howarth about how couples can maintain sexual intimacy after having children
Finding my voice: the experiences of a child with quadriplegic cerebral palsy
12-year-old Jonathan Bryan was labelled with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). The only part of his body he has full control over is his eyes, which he uses to communicate. He shares his experience of education, faith and the need for us to create spaces for all children and young people to actively contribute
Nobody puts baby in the corner
Margaret Pritchard Houston challenges us to make the most of our crèche spaces
Bun in the oven, Bible in hand
The nine months before giving birth can be a great time of preparation. Children’s worker and mum of two Annie Willmot shares her thoughts…
Why it’s OK to entertain your kids with screens
As the summer holidays begin, former Blue Peter presenter and mum of two Helen Skelton talks about why it’s so important to take a break and how electronic devices can help.
Parenting your teenage children
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus turns to his followers and says: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The first picture Jesus uses to illustrate this is “a city on a hill” which has come to represent the Church. As we gather together as this community of ‘called-out ones’, which is what Church literally means, we are to be this light. The second picture is a “lamp on a stand”, whose job is to “give light to everyone in the house”.
I’m so tired
“I’m feeling so awake today!” said no teenager ever. We all know the signs of tiredness: bags under the eyes, pallid skin, frequent headaches, dry lips, sugar cravings. And that’s just when we look at ourselves in the mirror!
Forming faith rituals: Contemplative family time
What does the phrase ‘family devotions’ conjure up for you? A family of four sitting around the kitchen table, one quietly reading the Bible and another leading the family in intercession for the nations?
Single parent and proud
Anne Phipps explains why she thinks we need to shake off the negative stereotypes of single parenting and embrace its positives as well as the difficult bits
Tightropes & safety nets
Parenting can feel like something of a high-wire act, especially when it comes to discipline. Rachel Turner explores the balance between punishment, teaching our children consequences and giving them room to make mistakes
The Royal Family and mental health
The idea of the British stiff upper lip has been traditionally synonymous with our Royal Family, but the past few months have turned things upside down.
It takes a whole church to raise a child
Despite two decades of unparalleled investment in youth ministry, the figures show that the Church is still haemorrhaging young people. Krish Kandiah explains where we’ve been going wrong, and why youth work can’t be left to youth workers.
A family affair
I got an urgent call from a teenage girl who had locked herself in the toilets at KFC. Life had got too much and an increasingly toxic relationship she was caught up in had taken a desperate turn for the worse. We hadn’t talked in over a year, but that day she called me to come and find her.
Modern Family
There's a new family on the block: gangs. CEO of XLP, Patrick Regan, outlines the state of gang activity in the UK, and explores how the Church can be the hope – and the family – these young people need.
Part 2: We Are Family
THIS WEEK’S PASSAGE 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-23
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