All family and parenting articles
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ArticleWhat’s your parenting style? Are you a dolphin?
There have been several animal parenting styles that I’ve talked about in the last few articles. Drawing on Solomon’s wisdom and the common grace that comes from the world, these styles can give us clues to self-reflecting on our own parenting styles.
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ArticleDave Newton: As a parent ‘put your confidence in God - in the one who holds your child more tightly than you ever could.’
OK so I am Dave Newton. I’m an Elim Pentecostal, ordained minister, working as the National Director of Scripture Union (SU) England and Wales. My background has got two sides to it. One is youth mission and ministry – I worked for Youth for Christ (YfC) for many years and now work for SU. The second side to my work is that in-between I was the principal of Regents Theological College in Malvern and director of training for the Elim movement. Born and brought up in Merseyside I now live in Malvern which is a beautiful part of the world, married to Liz and have three children who are all adults.
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ArticleAnswering your child's questions: Aren’t all religions basically the same?
I don’t know if you’ve ever done this thought experiment. Humour me for a moment.
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ArticleTrussell reports food poverty is increasing: Christian parents and churches can provide hope in these difficult times
You don’t have to look very hard to see that the majority of people in the UK are feeling the pinch of the cost-of-living crisis. Our money has to stretch further. Our jobs have become more unstable. The price of food has risen. We know that some people have to make a choice between heating and eating. But how bad is it really? What can we do as Christians to help alleviate some of the pressures from the families we might know. And how, as a Christian, can I survive in the middle of it all, living in a house with one income, three children and a high rent bill each month?
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ArticleSafeguarding and intergenerational relationships: Helping Christian parents explore the tension
You are running your first-ever Messy Church session. After months of planning, training the team, advertising the date, and talking to everyone you know about coming along to the launch, people start to arrive, and your church hall is now looking full. You are busy welcoming people and ensuring that your team has everything they need when you notice that your welcome desk team member is waving you over. You weave your way across the room to check that they are okay.
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ArticleThunderbolts* – Redemption in the face of darkness
It’s been a bumpy road since Endgame but this is a fantastic addition to the Marvel universe because it’s actually able to stand on its own as a good film.
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ArticleFrom headlines to hope: How Christian parents can guide youth and children through troubling news
The news isn’t easy for anyone to hear right now, least of all our children. From war and political divisions, to natural disasters, the headlines are enough to fill a grown adult with terror, let alone a young person.
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ArticleA creative world with no imagination – A Minecraft Movie fails to craft a story
Film: A Minecraft Movie
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ArticleMake your home the safest space for the biggest conversations with your youth and children
I don’t know if you knew this already, but you parents are scary to many younger youth workers.
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ArticleGrace Keir: The 'young preacher of the year' on the prize that changed her life
In Spring 2023 16-year-old Grace Keir gave a talk on the subject ‘Why there is hope’. So far so unremarkable, plenty of 16-year-olds talk on similar subjects up and down the UK every week. But this talk was recorded and sent off to the Premier Unbelievable Youth Preaching Prize (with Spring Harvest) and Grace won.
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ArticleSweet dreams - Sleep is foundational for the mental and spiritual health of youth and children
I can remember as a child and teenager trying various tactics to push back my bedtime. It was like going to sleep was a bad thing and creating a battle or managing to get to bed later was somehow a worthwhile victory. As an adult I now enjoy getting a good night’s sleep – but occasionally there is a battle with myself to get off the sofa and make it happen.
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ArticleHaving a Disability Champion can revolutionise life for disabled youth and children in your church
When we moved to our current church a few years ago, most people who talked with me for more than a few minutes soon discovered that I’m passionate about churches becoming more accessible for disabled people, including disabled young people and children. It wasn’t too long before our vicar approached me and asked if I would consider being the Disability Champion for our church. After praying about it, I gladly accepted. I want churches to not only welcome and include disabled adults, youth and children, but to also be places where they can feel that they truly belong. But what is a Disability Champion and why might your church need one?
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ArticleAs Gareth Southgate considers a generation of lost boys here are some reflections for Christian parents
In recent weeks, the success of the Netflix drama Adolescence, with its visceral depiction of a teenage boy’s crime and its effects on his family, has led to widespread conversation on boys and masculinity. Sara Taylor has already helpfully explored ways in which this might inform parents in their relationship with kids.
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ArticleThe new Netflix series Adolescence raises difficult but essential issues for Christian parents to grapple with
Few television shows capture the emotional chaos of growing up as honestly as Netflix’s latest series, Adolescence. Diving deep into the complex struggles faced by young people today, this is more than just a typical coming-of-age drama. With its innovative use of single-take episodes, its raw and poignant cinematography immerses you into a world of identity crises, societal pressure, online dangers, and the hidden pain of those caught in the fallout of serious mistakes.
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ArticleMothering Sunday: A chance to celebrate mothers and consider the implications of mothering for mission
One of the things that I love most about being a Mum is receiving hand delivered tokens of love. I have kept notes from my now-teenagers, one of whom, at six, declared they loved me nearly as much as their favorite toy. I have photos of a special stick found ‘just for me’ by a sweet little redheaded boy who is now as tall as I am.
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ArticleShould Christian parents be prepared to smack their children? The case against corporal punishment
The Research is unequivocal; smacking children is harmful. Studies have shown that the negative effects of smacking include problems with social-emotional development, self-regulation, and cognitive development. Smacking also alters children’s brain response in ways similar to severe maltreatment and it increases the perception of threats.
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ArticleShould Christian parents be prepared to smack their children? The case in favour of corporal punishment
It’s not an easy thing to talk about corporal punishment. Many British parents are wary even of broaching the subject with one another, let alone normalising it. For many people, the potential for justifying abuse is too high. Anyone defending a genuinely Christian view of corporal punishment should never justify abuse. But in our zeal to combat abusive forms of corporal punishment, we also risk eradicating this biblical practice altogether, forgetting that, when practised in love, it is intended for good not evil.
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ArticleSiblings of youth and children with additional needs need support too - Here’s five things Christian parents can do
This article is written by Phoebe Ridout, who is the daughter of Mark Arnold (from the Additional Needs Alliance). Phoebe shares her experience of growing up as an additional needs sibling to her brother, James, as well as offering learnings for us all…
