All young people articles
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Article3 tips to help your youth and children love your church
As soon-to-be empty nesters, it seems we’ve nearly completed each level of the Christian parent’s “We’re all going to church this Sunday” quest!
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Article3 things Christian parents can do when engaging with RE in schools
When you hear the words ‘RE lesson’ what springs to mind? It may trigger memories of copying notes from a board or a book about things we didn’t really understand. It may be remembering particularly quirky teachers, or maybe you don’t remember RE lessons even happening!
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ArticleAs a Christian parent I don’t put my children on social media - this is why
I once listened to a children’s sermon about the power of our words and the harm they can cause. To illustrate his message, the pastor used a tube of toothpaste. He squeezed all of it out onto a tray, then asked one of the children to put the toothpaste back into the tube. Naturally, they couldn’t do it—once the toothpaste is out, it can’t be put back. His point being that the same is true of our words, once spoken they can’t be taken back. In today’s digital age, it seems the same holds true for what we share online—once something is posted, it’s nearly impossible to take it back. While some platforms like Snapchat automatically delete messages after a certain time (unless saved), one has to wonder: are these records ever truly gone?
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ArticleIf you’re dreading the summer holidays the joy of the Lord can be your strength
The school holidays will soon be here. For some families that’s a brief respite – children who struggle with school and are misunderstood in the classroom will experience a welcome relief. But for others it can bring difficulties. Children who rely on the security of the classroom routine can be completely thrown out by the unpredictable weeks stretching before them. Not all summer holiday play schemes can meet the requirements of children with additional needs, so it falls to mum and dad. It’s doubly hard, of course, for single parents.
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ArticlePlaying is good for youth, children and their communities - here’s how Christian parents and churches can encourage it
Today the Raising the Nation Play Commission released it’s report Everything to Play For: A Plan to Ensure Every Child in England Can Play - it shows that spaces and opportuntities for play in the UK are being eroded and that perhaps unsurprisingly youth and children in the UK are some of the unhappiest in Europe. How can parents and churches play their part in addressing this? Well before we get to that let’s wind back and think what play actually is.
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ArticleRaising youth and children in the age of AI: A Christian parent’s guide
AI such as ChatGPT can be fascinating for children and young people. It can deliver a wealth of information in split seconds and can even be conversed with. But with ethical concerns about plagiarism, reports of AI addiction, and even the threat of AI becoming sentient, how should we talk to our children about AI?
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ArticleParenting without pretence: How vulnerability builds stronger families and communities
It’s a sunny Tuesday morning in London and everyone in my family is getting ready for their respective days – a dad, a mum, and five kids. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out… socks. Socks can go very wrong.
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ArticleAnswering your child's questions: What’s the point of praying? Because God is all powerful
Praying with our children is one of the most meaningful and powerful parts of parenting. In fact, teaching them how to pray is quite possibly the most significant thing we could ever teach them! But it is often one of the hardest habits to help them form.
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ArticleAddicted, anxious and online: What every Christian parent needs to know about social media and wellbeing
When 15-year-old Anna decides to embark on a fitness regime, she soon discovers social-media posts offering nutrition advice. Embracing her new healthy lifestyle enthusiastically, she begins sharing her progress online. Within weeks, she finds herself scrolling through dieting regimens. As well as working out at the gym, she begins limiting her food intake. Her social media use quickly spirals from anorexia and bulimia sites onto pages promoting self-harm.
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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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ArticlePop the Balloon LIVE: Helping Christian teens navigate identity in a swipe-and-judge culture
If you’ve not yet come across it, Pop the Balloon is a new dating series on Netflix that’s grown in popularity after being streamed on TikTok. A contestant walks along a line of potential matches and decides whose balloon to ‘pop’, effectively rejecting them based on first impressions alone. It’s a high-pressure test of appearance, confidence, and social power. Who’s attractive? Who’s awkward? Who gets left standing? No conversations. No background. Just a snap judgment, broadcast for millions to see.
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ArticleFiction as a faith‑builder: How Christian parents can use stories in discipleship
Long ago, before my husband and I had children, we were staying with a family who had teenagers. Together we watched a TV series featuring an alcoholic. I was surprised that the parents allowed their young people to watch it, but the ensuing discussion proved invaluable.
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ArticleA Christian parent’s guide to mandatory reporting: What’s going on and why it matters
Trigger Warning: This article contains information about child sexual abuse
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ArticleThe online world: Friend or foe for Christian youth and children?
We are all increasingly aware of the role that online spaces play in our daily lives – from shopping to entertainment, work to recreation, and even chatting with the postie through the doorbell. Life is now lived in a hybrid reality that is here to stay.
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ArticleRoadman, drill and chavs: A guide to help Christian parents
Would you know how to respond if someone said this to you in the street?
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ArticleFinding peace after loss: Trusting God while supporting your child’s grief
Grief is one of the most challenging experiences that we endure in life. Whether it arrives suddenly or evolves over time, nothing fully prepares you for the plethora of emotions that it brings. When my father passed away last year, the grief was overwhelming. Though I continue to hold on to my faith, there are days when the weight of his absence feels unbearable, and the notion of ‘healing’ seems distant.
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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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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.
