The Parenting for Faith podcast

Family life seems to get busier and busier, with a multitude of activities, playdates and school events to fit into the calendar. As Christian families, we long to do a good job of nurturing what God is already doing in the lives of our kids - but how can we do this when life is so hectic? Here to share some wisdom with us today is Dave Newton, the new National Director of Scripture Union England and Wales. Dave has over 30 years’ experience in a range of ministry and leadership roles, including Director of Training and Principal of Regents Theological College and national leadership team of Youth for Christ. He is married with 3 grown up children and enjoys any kind of sport. Links: Check out Scripture Union: www.scriptureunion.org.uk SU’s ‘Revealing Jesus’ initiative: su.org.uk/revealingjesus Free mission support to you from SU: su.org.uk/missionsupport The Forge gathering for Children’s, Youth and Family Leaders: https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/theforge/ We hope you enjoyed hearing from Dave today. If you’d love to be part of helping make this podcast happen, why not become a Friend of Parenting for Faith, for as little as just £2 a month? Click here to find out more: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

As Christian parents we long to see our children meet and know God for themselves and so we bring them up learning about God, going to church, praying and reading the bible. But sometimes others say that we are brainwashing our kids. Is that true, or are we simply sharing things we know are good and important for them? Here to help us unpick the difference between brainwashing and discipling is Rachel Turner, Founder of Parenting for Faith. Rachel has a huge amount of wisdom, gleaned from years of experience in children’s, youth and family work and from being a parent, and loves talking about how to disciple kids. Rachel has written a whole host of Parenting for Faith titles, presents three of our four courses and loves talking to churches all over the world about how to disciple people well. You can contact her at rachelturner.org and read and watch her posts on parentingforfaith.org. Links: Buy Rachel’s books: www.brfonline.org.uk/search?type=pr…=rachel+turner Watch Rachel in the Parenting for Faith courses: parentingforfaith.org/the-courses See Rachel’s posts on parentingforfaith.org - https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/author/rachel-turner/ Thank you for listening today. If you are able to contribute to the cost of producing this podcast, please click here to give a one-off or regular gift: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

This term, we have been thinking about curveballs to family life, and what they mean for our children’s (and our) discipleship journey. To end the season, we wanted to speak - more generally (or perhaps more specifically?) - on the topic of disappointment. How do we coach our children through disappointment - whether it’s a theme park that didn’t live up to expectations, or school grades which were worse than predicted? And how do we manage our own disappointment, framing it for our kids in a helpful way? Our guest for this episode needs no introduction - but, go on, we’ll do it anyway! Rachel Turner is the founder of Parenting for Faith, author of numerous books, and much-in-demand speaker across the UK and internationally. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and son. Links: Rachel’s books: https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/topics/shop/ Parenting for Faith website: https://www.parentingforfaith.org Become a Friend of Parenting for Faith by giving a regular gift of as little as £2/month: www.brf.org.uk/donate Parenting for Faith is part of the charity BRF Ministries. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible - and we are grateful for each and every one. Big or small, your financial gifts make a massive difference. Thank you.

Whether you have much or little, finances are always a key part of family life. How do we frame Christian principles around money with our children? How can we raise them to be responsible stewards of what God has given them? And when a financial curveball hits - perhaps a job loss or mortgage hike - how do we navigate our families through this season? Here to help us today is CAP UK’s Philanthropy Manager, Jess Monteiro. Jess is no stranger to Parenting for Faith, having appeared before on the podcast and our Facebook Lives for parents and carers. She has years of experience in the money/budgeting sector, and is married to Ricardo. Together they have two young children. Links: CAP Money Coaching: https://capuk.org/get-help/money-coaching Life Skills: https://capuk.org/get-help/cap-life-skills Job Clubs: https://capuk.org/get-help/cap-job-clubs The Forge (our kids/youth/family leaders’ retreat): https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/theforge/ We are so pleased that you’re tuning in to listen to this podcast! If it has blessed your parenting and family life, would consider giving a small, regular gift of £2, £5 or £10 a month (or more if you can afford)? Alternatively, why not give a one-off donation? These really do help us to create helpful resources for you and other Christian families around the globe. Click here to give a one-off or regular gift: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity BRF Ministries. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible - and we are grateful for each and every one. Big or small, your financial gifts make a massive difference. Thank you.

Stephanie Foster has been married for 7 years and has 3 young children. Despite having a background in Law and International Public Policy, she has had the privilege of working as a Youth Leader and it remains her most meaningful role to date. Stephanie enjoy worship and spending time with her family amongst other things. She is also a fully accredited local preacher of the Methodist Church U.K. Links: The Forge (our kids/youth/family leaders’ retreat): https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/theforge/ Did you know that it costs over £300 to produce each episode of this podcast? A regular gift of £2, £5 or £10 a month (or more if you can afford) really helps us to cover the costs. Alternatively, if you have enjoyed our podcast, why not give a one-off donation? Click here to give a one-off or regular gift: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible - and we are grateful for each and every one. Big or small, your financial gifts make a massive difference. Thank you.

Curveballs aren’t necessarily ‘negative’ in nature. Sometimes our families can be thrown off track by something positive and joyful, if it arrives unexpectedly. One example is when you have a high-achieving child, whose opportunities require you to make some sacrifices as a family. Our guests today, Carey and Frances Simon, know a lot about this, having nurtured their daughter Naomi’s gift of singing from a young age. Naomi was a chorister at York Minster, then moved on to Rugby School with a music scholarship. In 2022, Naomi was crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year. Carey, a life coach and author, and Frances, a professional actress, talk openly about Naomi’s journeys, the joys and challenges along the way, and how they’ve nurtured her faith at different stages. Links: Follow Naomi’s musical journey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomisimonmusic/ Follow the Simon family on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamsimonpics/ Check out Carey’s book: www.powerfullytransforming.com Talking about the election: https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/post/talking-about-the-election/ We love bringing fabulous guests onto this podcast to talk about such fascinating topics. But we can’t do it without financial support! Thank you to those of you who give regularly to enable the ministry of Parenting for Faith to continue. If you don’t - would you consider partnering with us in this way? Even just £2 a month goes a long way! Click here to give a one-off or regular gift: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible - and we are grateful for each and every one. Big or small, your financial gifts make a massive difference. Thank you.

What happens when you’re trying to parent ‘well’, but your own upbringing was challenging? How do you break the cycle of generational trauma? And where does journeying with Jesus fit into it all? Sharing her wisdom today is author and teacher Fran Hill. Fran had a turbulent childhood and entered foster care at the age of 14. In her late teens, she came to faith through the witness of her foster family, got married and started a family. In today’s episode, Fran shares her story of dealing with trauma as a child, adolescent, parent and now grandparent. Fran lives in Warwickshire with her husband. They have three children and two grandchildren. Links: Read Fran’s Substack: https://franhill123.substack.com/ Buy ‘Cuckoo in the Nest’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cuckoo-Nest-Daily-Mail-Book/dp/1915643910 Buy ‘Miss, what does incomprehensible mean?’ https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/christian-biographies/autobiography/miss-what-does-incomprehensible-mean/ Fran’s website: https://www.franhill.co.uk/ Follow Fran on X: https://twitter.com/franhill123 Follow Fran on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franhill123/ If you appreciated this episode, would you consider giving as little as £2 a month to help support Parenting for Faith (part of BRF Ministries)? Click here to give a one-off or regular gift: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

Disability can be a huge curveball to family life - particularly if it occurs suddenly. At the age of 12, Jade Reynolds was struck by an extremely rare, debilitating virus which left her unable to walk again. How she walked through this curveball, and how her parents walked through it, give us much hope and encouragement if this is something happening to our family or those we love. Jade talks with so much wisdom and honesty about that time of her life, as well as what it’s been like to be a disabled mum and wife, and how we - the church - can do better in our inclusion of those with disabilities. Jade and her husband John are content creators, who regularly post funny videos about disability and family life on Instagram and TikTok. They’re about to start a podcast, Able to Laugh, and have a book by the same name coming out in the Autumn. They live in the north west with their two young children. Links: Follow Jade on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jade.reynolds_/ Follow John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnejreynolds/ Follow Able to Laugh podcast: https://www.instagram.com/abletolaughpod/ Pre-order ‘Able to Laugh’ book: https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/christian-biographies/autobiography/able-to-laugh/ Parenting for Faith team training videos: https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/events-and-training/team-training-videos/ We are so grateful for Jade’s insights today. If you enjoyed this episode as much as we did, would you consider partnering financially to help us make it happen? You can give as little as £2 a month - and trust us when we say that really does make a difference! Click here to give a one-off or regular gift: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

Regardless of our situation, the challenge of balancing work and family life will always be a curveball in our parenting journey, throwing up new and interesting problems that we never expected before we became parents. So we’re delighted to welcome Naomi Aidoo onto today’s podcast, to share wisdom about managing the different aspects of our lives well and finding peace through that. Naomi is a former secondary school teacher, current work-life wellbeing coach and the founder of Time & Pace® - where, with a faith focus, she help clients reframe their mindset, build momentum toward their goals, and obtain work-life wellbeing. She is also Co-Director of Innerscope, an education coaching company she leads with her husband James. Naomi's debut book 'Finding Flourishing - Time & Pace for your work-life wellbeing' will be published by BRF in July 2024. She lives in South London with her husband and two young children. Links: Check out Time and Pace: https://www.timeandpace.com/ Follow Naomi on Instagram https://instagram.com/naomiaidoo Follow Naomi on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomiaidoo/ Check out Time and Pace on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/timeandpace Check out Naomi’s book ‘Finding Flourishing’ https://www.brfonline.org.uk/products/finding-flourishing-time-and-pace-for-your-work-life-wellbeing If you’ve appreciated this episode, did you know that you can be an important part of making it happen? For just £2 a month, you can give to the work of Parenting for Faith and help us make all our resources freely available to all. Click here to give a one-off or regular gift: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.

Arguably the biggest curveball life can throw at us as parents is losing our child. On today’s podcast, we hear from Rebecca Fogarty, who lost her son Leo to cancer shortly before his 4th birthday. With candour and honesty, Bec walks us through the challenges of his illness and the social isolation it created for her and her husband as they travelled to a hospital hundreds of miles away in order to access treatment for Leo. She talks movingly about his death and the whirlwind of emotions at that time, but also of the faithfulness of God throughout everything they experienced. Bec is a psychologist and lives in Tasmania, Australia with her husband, son and daughter. We would be so grateful for your partnership with us as we produce this podcast. Most of all, it is your prayers we value. But second to that is finance! You can give a one-off or regular gift here, to be part of all God is doing through this podcast: www.brf.org.uk/get-involved/give/ Parenting for Faith is part of the charity, BRF. We are reliant on donations from individuals and churches to make our resources available to as many people as possible. We are grateful for all donations, big or small. They make a real difference. Thank you so much for partnering with us.