Northbrook Next Gen Podcast

What are the building blocks of a healthy marriage?  Host Jon Mahlstedt sits down with Paul and Jeri Robertson, who have spent years investing in and mentoring marriages. Together they discuss the role of shared faith in marriage, how to navigate seasons of spiritual misalignment, practical advice for younger couples, and when it’s time to seek help for your relationship.  This conversation offers...

What does it mean to be a young adult today? In this episode, host Jon Mahlstedt sits down with Steven Argue from the Fuller Youth Institute for an honest conversation about the unique challenges emerging adults face in today’s world. Together, they discuss common misconceptions about young adults, shifting life milestones, faith crises, mentorship, and the important role both parents and the chur...

Raising kids doesn’t come with a manual—but wisdom helps. This month, host Jon Mahlstedt sits down with Northbrook Lead Pastor, Mike Bellanti, for an honest conversation about building lasting relationships with your kids. Drawing from his experience raising two, now adult children, Mike shares hard-earned wisdom and practical strategies for cultivating connection, trust, and respect through a bib...

Parenting comes with a lot of questions. In this episode, we explore the top ten parenting questions I’ve been asked over the years, and share practical wisdom and encouragement for the journey of raising kids.

My guests for this episode are Paul and Katie Bernard.  Whether you are thinking about foster care, whether you are in the trenches of foster care, or just curious, you will enjoy this conversation.  Paul and Katie have been foster parents of 15 children, 5 of which they have adopted. Resource: Connecting Bridges Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/CBMilwaukee  

In this episode, Jenny Heckman, Pastor of Care, joins me for an honest and hopeful conversation designed to encourage and equip parents—not burden them.  In this episode, we talk about: • Why parents still know their kids best • Simple, powerful habits that support mental health • The real impact of social media on kids’ brains • When to step in—and when to seek help • How faith, hope, and connect...

Between sports, school events, church activities, and everything in between—family life is BUSY. But is all this activity helping or hurting us? In this honest and practical episode, Pastor Jon Mahlstedt (NextGen Pastor at Northbrook Church) and Pastor Zack Casper (Associate Pastor at Fulton Church) sit down for a real conversation about the silent killer of busyness. They talk about the toll it’s...

Why are so many students walking away from their faith after high school? As a Next Gen Pastor, Pastor Jon has seen the trends, had the conversations, and wrestled with the reality that too many young people disengage from church after graduation. In this episode, he unpacks five key reasons why this is happening—and what we can do about it. Whether you're a parent, pastor, or student, this conver...

Today Pastor Jon interviews our upcoming Equip Parenting Conference speaker, Terra Mattson. Terra is a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, clinical supervisor, executive coach, social entrepreneur, and co-founder of Living Wholehearted and Courageous Girls alongside her husband, Jeff. We are thrilled she will be at Northbrook March 7/8 for our Equip parenting c...

Welcome to helping students in 2025! We all want to help the young people in our lives, but helping starts with understanding. In this episode Pastor Jon dives into four battles students are facing right now and how parents and loved ones can support them.

Pastor Jon and his wife Shalanna share over 20 of their favorite books for parents and teens in categories like parenting, spirituality, leadership, biographies, politics and more. Everyone is sure to hear at least one book they mention that sparks an interest! Find links to all the books they mention below: The Anxious Generation Books by David and Sissy Your New Playlist Ruthless Elimination of...

David Thomas answers some of the questions we didn't get to at the Equip parenting conference. Great wisdom for any parent! Road Back to You Enneagram Book Enneagram Made Easy Driven to Distraction Book Raising Boys and Girls

Northbrook parent mentors John and Jill Peterson share their insights on what parent mentoring is, who would benefit from it, and other helpful parenting advice they've learned over the years! Ben Pugh Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ryt1j8QCaoseRPQHw9eSL Books: https://www.amazon.com/Doing-Life-Your-Adult-Children/dp/0310353777/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1707426179&sr...

Looking to work on your marriage? Whether you have a healthy marriage and want to keep it that way, your marriage is in crisis, or your marriage is somewhere in between, we're here to help! Join Pastor Jon and Pastor Jenny as they share resources provided by Northbrook for marriages in any state of health, and Jenny shares some simple advice to make your marriage healthier in the coming year. Addi...

This Christmas season Pastor Jon and his wife Shalanna talk about great gift ideas to help kids birth through college grow in their spiritual development, improve mental health, or gifts that facilitate quality time as a family! Next Gen Survey Gift link list: Parent Cue Gift List Stair Slide Beginner's Bible Adventure Bible Action Bible NIV Teen Study Bible God Speaks in Whispers Book Indescribab...

David's Books Raising Emotionally Strong Boys: Tools Your Son Can Build On for Life Strong and Smart: A Boy's Guide to Building Healthy Emotions

Jenny Heckman is our newest Pastor at Northbrook Church. With a background in Pastoral Care and Counseling she offers knowledge and resources to separated or divorced parents. Book Resource: The Parent's Guide to Birdnesting: A Child-Centered Solution to Co-Parenting During Separation and Divorce

Be sure to share this episode to encourage other parents!

Book #1 Book #2

Click here to listen to our "part 1" episode with Mike Bellanti

Thanks for listening to this episode! Part 2 will be coming out soon!

Thanks for listening to this episode! Here are some relevant resources below: Raising Boys and Girls Podcast  Raising Boys and Girls Website

"Find Your People" by Jenni Allen Life Groups at Northbrook Serving opportunities at Northbrook

Thanks for listening to this episode! Here are some relevant resources below: NbKids Page with Parent Cue info at the bottom

Thanks for listening to this episode! Here are some relevant resources below: Raising Boys & Girls