Parenting is a wild ride, isn’t it? Nothing can adequately prepare you. Parenting books, blogs and podcasts are all great. But they only scratch the surface of what it’s like to have your own kid. There are so many paths to parenthood; no one gets there quite the same way. But when that precious life is placed in your arms, you are changed for ever. And you might freak out a little. So many thoughts race through your head, but I think one every parent can identify with is that we don’t want to fail our kids. ... continue reading
When a family in your community experiences pregnancy loss, you and your church have a powerful opportunity to minister to and care for them. A great way to express your care is a “miscarriage care package.” It enables you to validate the grief and the life of their child, practically serve and meet the physical needs of this family, help them apply the good news of the gospel and the truth of God’s word to their hardship, and comfort them.
Here are a few ideas of what to include in a care package for families grieving the loss of an unborn child.... continue reading
Joni Eareckson Tada’s new kid’s book The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party helps kids understand—and get excited about—a future for ever with Jesus.
To help this wonderful truth stick, kids benefit from hearing the storybook and engaging with it and the concepts via games, crafts, colouring and more. Throwing a “Forever Party” for your family or a kid’s ministry is a great way to make the truth about forever-with-Jesus memorable.... continue reading
I am absolutely convinced that every single person who is reading this already has the skills necessary to read and understand the Bible. Why am I so sure? Let me give you a one-word answer: Netflix. (Or any other streaming service!) Watching a movie or box set actually requires a very sophisticated set of skills to make sense of what’s going on. And it all starts as we simply watch and listen carefully.... continue reading
It may not be 2022 quite yet, but we’re already looking forward to leaving the old behind (looking at you, Omicron) and moving on to what’s ahead. If you’re looking to make New Year’s resolutions or just to start fresh in some areas of life in 2022, here are some of our favorite reads to help you make meaningful progress.... continue reading
Spending time with family can be, well, hard. Even if you have great relationships with the people you spend your holidays with, they may have expectations you can’t (or don’t want to) live up to. You may get picked on for being the youngest, or the oldest, or otherwise black sheep-ish.... continue reading
Every family does Christmas differently. My wife’s family would open their presents at the kitchen table, each opening one gift at a time with a few words of surprise and comment from others. I found it a bit intense (and the moment her mom held up her new knickers will live with me forever). We grew up with all of us opening our presents at the same time. It worked for us. Until the wrapping-paper blizzard. In that moment, it felt like my family were ripping through each present without gratitude or any sense that someone had generously given it to them.... continue reading
This year there is an opportunity to use Christmas carols to draw people together again. We may still need to be creative in how we do that, and we certainly need to consider how to help people feel safe and comfortable when they may not have sung in public for nearly two years—but this Christmas we have a chance to put the local church carol service back at the heart of the community.... continue reading
There’s something wonderfully warming about receiving a handwritten card or letter. Having endured multiple lockdowns over the last 18 months, the importance of letters, parcels and personal signs of relationship over physical distance has been brought into sharper focus. Every card that was sent or received symbolised connection that couldn’t be expressed in other ways.... continue reading
Right now a lot of people are turning away from or changing their beliefs, not based on theology but based on compelling narratives that they’ve heard. Stories are literally shaping the way people think about God and sex and sin and money.... continue reading