The Parenting for Faith podcast

Today on the podcast, we spoke to Abigail Richardson all about what we can do when our children or teens loose someone in their life that they love. How can we explain death to our children? How can we journey with them through grieving? What resources could help me explain loss to my child? These are all questions that we asked Abigail and she gave us some incredibly helpful suggestions and thoug...

That we will, at some point, disagree with our children is news to no-one. But how can we argue WELL with them, in a way that deepens our relationship and points them to Jesus? At every stage, from toddler to child to teen to adult, can our disagreements teach our child positive lessons about life and faith? Parenting for Faith founder Rachel Turner joins us for today’s episode. Rachel is an exper...

We long for our children to grow up knowing that they are loved by and valuable to God as well as to us. But with the rise of eating disorders, self-harm and other destructive behaviours in children and teenagers, parents and children’s/youth leaders can feel powerless to share these messages. So to help us think about how we can best nurture our children’s faith in the midst of these issues, we a...

Divorce or separation can feel like a taboo subject amongst Christians, with great feelings of guilt and shame when our marriages/relationships don’t work out. But the truth is that no relationship is perfect, every relationship takes work, and when marriages or long-term partnerships end, many churches want to support those affected - they just don’t always know how. So this content-packed episod...

Trigger warnings: miscarriage, new babies/family members Adding to our family, whether by birth or adoption, is a joyful occasion, but it doesn’t come without challenges for the children we already have. On today’s episode, Anna Hawken and Lucy Rycroft have an open discussion about preparing for a new sibling. Anna shares how she has prepared her children for new baby siblings, and how the key too...

Many of us are aware of the rise of accessibility of pornography, and the damage it causes individuals and families, not to mention those involved in the industry. But talking to our kids about pornography - why to avoid it, how to avoid it and what to do if you encounter it - is another matter. To help us have those conversations, Anna was thrilled to chat to Ian Henderson, founder and CEO of Vis...

When we have prayed for our children to come to know Jesus for themselves, when we've nurtured their faith and created opportunities for them to grow, it can feel devastating when they make the decision to turn away from Jesus. But there is always hope. Today Lucy speaks to mother-and-daughter duo Linda Green and Sarah Walton. Both Linda and Sarah are now Christian authors and speakers - but this...

What happens when a child or teenager is let down by the church? When they suffer church hurt? Will they walk away from God forever - or is it possible to parent them for faith through this painful season? Our guest today is Natalie Thomas Runion, author of Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry when you have a Million Reasons to Walk Away. Natalie was a pastor's daughter, then later a pastor her...

At some point in their lives, our children will encounter racism - whether directed to them, or a friend, classmate or partner. How do we raise our children to be allies in the fight against racist discrimination? And as Christian parents, how can we ground our attitudes and words in Scripture? Our guide for today’s topic is Rev Azariah France-Williams. Azariah is the author of Ghost Ship: Institu...

Part of the Christian walk involves experiencing different churchmanships or styles. This might be by choice - for example, booking onto a Christian festival or looking for a new church after moving house. Or it may be by invitation - perhaps a family member is getting baptised, dedicated or confirmed, or there’s a wedding or funeral to attend. How do we navigate these times with our children, ens...

How do we talk to our older children and teens about puberty, sex and relationships? As Christian parents, we want to make sure our children get excellent, Biblical, healthy sex education, but it’s not always easy to have those conversations. In this episode, we’re focusing on how we navigate this area specifically with our 11-18 year olds. We are delighted to welcome as our guest for this topic S...

How do we talk to our younger children about growing up, puberty and sex? As Christian parents, we want to make sure our children get excellent, Biblical, healthy sex education, but it’s not always easy to have those conversations. Helping us navigate this issue today is Emma Waring. Emma is a psychosexual nurse therapist with over 20 years of experience. Many of the patients and clients she has h...

Giving our child their first phone can be a daunting prospect, filled with trepidation at the risk we might have exposed them to. Have we set up the right filters and limits? Are we having the right conversations? Will they act responsibly and safely online? Today’s guest is Andy Robertson, founder of Taming Gaming and theology-trained video game journalist. Andy shares helpful tips and boundaries...

As Christian parents, how can we help our children form healthy friendships at school, or in other situations when they are away from us? What happens when there’s been a fall-out or break-up? How can we navigate our children through the loneliness of having no friends? And what about when it’s our child who’s the source of the friendship difficulties? Today’s guest is Clare Luther, former occupat...

How do we know when our child is ready to make a public faith commitment - whether that’s baptism, confirmation or profession of faith? What are the smaller steps along the faith journey that we should be looking out for? How can ‘sacred pathways’ help us nurture our child’s faith in helpful ways? And what can we do if our child is showing no interest in Jesus? Our guest today is Christie Thomas,...

How do we find time to read the Bible as busy parents? How can we best model this to our kids? And what are the benefits of reading the Bible with friends? In today’s episode, Lucy meets Felicity Carswell and Sarah Dargue - aka Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea. Through their popular podcast, they encourage hundreds of women to read the Bible with a friend (and a cup of tea), share their own insights a...

They say it takes a village to raise a child - but what is the significance of having a Christian ‘village’ around you as you bring up your children? How can we support each other well, and what difference does it make? Becky Miles and Helen Smith are today’s guests. Hosts of the ‘Salty Mums’ podcast, which gives a faith-based angle on issues surrounding motherhood, these two women met as new mums...

If you have a teenager or young adult off to University this Autumn, you’re not going to want to miss this episode! Whether or not they currently identify as a Christian, the student experience offers fresh opportunities to discover their own path of faith, exploring different churchmanships and worship styles, and meeting others whose enthusiasm about Jesus can be infectious. How can we best supp...

In today's bonus episode, host Anna Hawken treats us to excerpts of her new book, 'Being God's Child', which is out TODAY! It's a slim book, comprising ten different ways our children can inspire us to connect with God. Light enough to read on holiday, and perfect for packing in a suitcase! Whether you've struggled to connect with God since becoming a parent, you're just exploring faith for the fi...

This season, we've been thinking about what it means to be God's child. But how do we take this further, inviting our kids and teens to become God's children too? To wrap up this season, Anna speaks with the marvellous Rachel Turner, founder of Parenting for Faith. Rachel answers questions about: - parenting for faith when our partner isn't a Christian - parenting really little children for faith...

There is ultimate power and authority in the name of Jesus. What a privilege, then, that as Christians, we have the privilege of using Jesus' name to seek God's kingdom - whether that's praying for healing, deliverance, or for situations to change. Today we're hearing from the inspiring Olly Goldenberg. Olly is a dad of five and, together with his wife Helen, founded Children Can, an organisation...

Children love to join in with what their parent is doing (even when that's not always very helpful!). We can learn from them in our relationship with God. He is at work in the world doing amazing things - and invites us to join in! Speaking to Anna today about this topic is Jade Farmer, Tearfund's Youth and Emerging Generation's Manager. Jade shares insights into various issues of social justice,...

On this week’s episode, we’re thinking about what we learn from our parents, looking at how our children learn from us, and what that can teach us about how we learn from our Heavenly Father. Dr Anita Devi is our guest today. Anita brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from her career in education. She is an education consultant, author, former SENCO, senior leader and school improvement adv...

We were so honoured this week to chat with Dr Naomi Graham, occupational therapist and founder of Growing Hope, a charity which offers free therapy to children with additional needs, as well as support to their families, all through the local church. We all seek parental love, comfort and protection - but sometimes there are challenges to experiencing that. Naomi chats about these challenges, as w...

Today's guest is the fabulous Victoria Beech, founder of Godventure, home educating mama and all round creative person. Children can be so observant of the little details in life, and Victoria shares how we can learn from them in terms of celebrating and enjoying simple things. She helps us to unpack any guilt we might feel about our quiet times not looking like they did before parenthood, and ins...