Stand Firm Parents

In this episode, Jake continues sharing the Six Spiritual Prepper Steps and continues with the first “W” which stands for WARNING. We must share the warnings of turning away with our children. It’s important we all hear, heed, and realize these warnings apply to us. Internationally-renown prophecy teacher Nelson Walters joins Jake to talk more in depth about Biblical warnings. Nelson is asked which warning concerning the last days should parents be the most concerned about. He doesn’t hesitate in answering the question. He then shares why our children are even more in danger than we realize concerning this Biblical warning.   Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.  Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse.  Nelson Walters is the founder and Director of Overcomers, Inc., a non-profit, non-denominational ministry dedicated to preparing believers for the times before the greatest day in history – the day that Jesus comes back. Overcomers, Inc. assists in awakening Christians to God’s purposes at the End of the Age through face-to-face conferences, internet-based teaching, books, and Bible studies.  Nelson is the author of nine books including Revelation Deciphered, How to Prepare for the Last Days, and Daniel Unsealed. And he encourages and opens the scriptures to millions every year on his internationally renowned YouTube channel.  Nelson is married to Laura and together they have 3 adult children and one grand-daughter. 

Throughout a ten-year journey with Stand Firm, Jake has developed the Six Spiritual Prepper Steps. These six things will help our children have a faith that lasts. In this episode, Jake shares the first of these 5 W’s plus H. The first “W” stands for WARNING. We must share the warnings of turning away with our children. It’s important we all hear, heed, and realize these warnings apply to us. Throughout the episode Jake walks through Biblical warnings we need to prioritize and then takes time to communicate how to introduce those six steps. Jake mentioned his new book, For Uncertain Times, which released September 11th. Check it out! Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com. Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse.

For most of this first season of Stand Firm Parents, host Jake McCandless and his guests have looked at what has proved to be the number one way to help children and teens have a faith that last which is helping them have a bigger story. A bigger story of mission and of the Bible. Before moving towards other factors in helping families have a faith that lasts, Jake recaps the season so far and gives practical advice. This is a must listen to episode for parents.  Jake mentioned his new book, For Uncertain Times, which released September 11th. Check it out!  Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.  Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse. 

Though each episode Jake bridges the conversation to practical take-aways and advice, we parents need the nuts and bolts. In this episode, Jake and guest Olly Goldenberg of Children Can, serve up three practical steps. Olly Goldenberg’s longtime leading of one of the largest children’s ministries in Europe and his work around the globe has led to the development of three stages of faith necessary for not just a faith that lasts, but a vibrant and passionate faith. In the interview, Jake and Olly address that there are already standard stages accepted for children and faith. The work laid out by Fowler and Westhehoff have been the standard, but Olly’s list focuses on the role parents in the development of their child’s faith and is rooted in Biblical evidence.  Jake mentioned his new book, For Uncertain Times, which released September 11th. Check it out,  Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.  Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse.  Olly Goldenberg has been ministering to children in churches and outside of the church for twenty-five years. For fifteen of these years, he led one of the largest children's ministries in Europe, with responsibility for children aged 0-14. The ministry more than doubled in size under his leadership. He saw a reversal of the trend of children leaving the church, with many of the children inviting their friends to be part of the church. Over the years the fruit remained up into the youth ministry and beyond. Currently he leads a ministry, together with his wife and five children, called 'Children Can' www.childrencan.co.uk. Through modelling and training leaders they have inspired thousands of leaders from different nations and denominations to know how to lead children from a head knowledge of God to a passionate relationship with him. At the heart of their ministry is a passion to see children raised as disciples of Jesus. Olly is the author of numerous books such as The Josiah Generation, Jesus, Your Baby, and You, A Home with God, and the God’s Generals for Kids series. 

Another guest from across the pond joins Jake to talk about raising children that will stand firm. Olly Goldenberg was a children’s pastor in one of the largest children’s ministries in Europe for fifteen years. He now leads Children Can and hosts the podcast Raising Stand-ers. The connection between Jake and Olly is obvious as both have a heart to help children and teens have a sold-out faith that lasts. Originally, Jake interviewed Olly because of the faith framework he has developed to help parents and children ministries contribute to the continued development of faith in their children, but as with every guest, Olly went off script and blew Jake’s mind. Olly asked about children of the early church. This revelation led to a discussion of how if we raise our standards for what we believe our children can do, they will be stand-ers. He also brought in how that embracing conflict and helping children navigate through it builds this high-grade faith. Jake uses the conversation as a springboard to share research of youth in the first church.  Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.  Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse.  Olly Goldenberg has been ministering to children in churches and outside of the church for twenty-five years. For fifteen of these years, he led one of the largest children's ministries in Europe, with responsibility for children aged 0-14. The ministry more than doubled in size under his leadership. He saw a reversal of the trend of children leaving the church, with many of the children inviting their friends to be part of the church. Over the years the fruit remained up into the youth ministry and beyond. Currently he leads a ministry, together with his wife and five children, called 'Children Can' www.childrencan.co.uk. Through modelling and training leaders they have inspired thousands of leaders from different nations and denominations to know how to lead children from a head knowledge of God to a passionate relationship with him. At the heart of their ministry is a passion to see children raised as disciples of Jesus. Olly is the author of numerous books such as The Josiah Generation, Jesus, Your Baby, and You, A Home with God, and the God’s Generals for Kids series. 

Hearing that it takes conflict to give children a great story combined with the need to present them with a greater story sent Stand Firm Parents host, Jake McCandless, reeling. Over the last two episodes, he dived into how as parents can embrace conflict and help children navigate through it. In this third conversation about conflict in our children’s stories, Jake takes us back to the time of the first followers of Jesus. What Jewish leadership called this new movement reveals how Christianity is meant to be lived out, but also the great story our children have been invited to.  Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.  Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse. 

The guest from episode six sent the search for how to give families a faith that lasts in a new trajectory, leaving host, Jake McCandless, scrambling. It had been established we need to give our children a greater story. Asking his literary agent, what makes a great story, Cyle Young shared that it was conflict. This has left Jake considering how we should bring this understanding of conflict into the Christian parenting realm. In the previous episode, Jake shared how that when it comes to dealing with conflict, American believers are at a disadvantage. In this episode, Jake shares that whether we realize it or not we’re all in a great conflict. In this overarching conflict there is no neutral. As parents we can’t go on autopilot. We can’t be passive. Our children are already in a story—one in which there is no neutral.    Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.    Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse. 

Still reeling from his literary agent and writing guru, Cyle Young’s answer to what makes a great story, Jake pauses to wrestle with how to embrace conflict in the story of our children’s lives. Modern American Christian parenting is focused on sheltering children from the difficulties in life, while at the same time the number one reason for Americans leaving the faith is due to facing difficulties. Maybe this paradox holds the answer to helping our families have a faith that lasts. Jake dives deeper into what it means for parents to embrace conflict and prepare their children for it. He points out how American believers are uniquely unprepared and introducing children to conflict might help turn the tide.    Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com.    Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse. 

The previous episode shared research and evidence that giving our children a better story—a bigger story of Christianity—would help them have a faith that lasts. Talking about our “story” is trendy, we see it and hear it often, but what truly makes a story great. To breakdown this idea of giving a better story, Jake invited his literary agent, Cyle Young, on to talk about what makes a great story. Leaning into Cyle’s knowledge in the writing world as an author and one of the leading agents in the business, we are able to dissect how to guide our children into a deeper following of Christ. Cyle surprises Jake with his answer, which not only throws Jake off in the interview, but reshapes the entire coming season of Stand Firm Parents. Stand Firm Parents is a resource from Stand Firm led by pastor and author Stand Firm Jake, Jake McCandless, who has been on a journey the past ten years to help believers around the globe hold on to their faith—to stand firm. Learn more at www.standfirmministries.com. Creating tools for their parenting goals, Jake authored the first traditionally published children’s book on the return of Jesus entitled Jesus and His White Horse. Cyle Young is a renowned literary agent and award-winning author of over 20 writing awards. When not writing or representing books, Cyle travels across the U.S. speaking at many conferences, including regional writers’ conferences in OH, MI, NC and GA, hosted by his own company, Serious Writer Inc., http://www.seriouswriter.com. Cyle is passionate about training writers through in person instruction and through his on-line writing school, Serious Writer Academy, http://www.seriouswriteracademy.com. You can find out more about Cyle at his website https://www.cyleyoung.com. Along with being deeply rooted in the writing world, Cyle is a pastor. He also is a leading online gamer. He streams regularly as Dadventurer with his kids. Through this endeavor, he is positively impacting kids across the globe. Cyle also is a member of the college football national championship Michigan Wolverine team.

Jake, a researcher on youth faith trends, and Donald Miller, author of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, delve into the reasons why young people are leaving the church. They discuss the critical step parents can take to foster lasting faith in their children by crafting an engaging family narrative. Jake shares research on the disconnect between the emerging generation and traditional faith practices, while Miller emphasizes the power of storytelling to provide purpose and belonging. Their insights offer practical tools for parents to cultivate a vibrant faith in their children.