The Parenting for Faith podcast

In this episode of the Parenting for Faith podcast we are joined by Ben Jones from Missional Generation. We asked Ben all about connecting with God through gaming and how we can talk to our kids and teens about God through the games that they are playing. We also touched on AI and Ben shared some really helpful ideas on how we can have helpful and important conversations with our children about it. Ben Jones is the CEO and founder of Missional Generation. Ben is married to Hannah and they have two primary aged children. The family have lived in Leeds for many years and enjoy being part of the local Church and community. Ben runs, Missional Generation, a Christian charity based in the North of England that seeks to equip young people to live influential lives for God in all areas of life. MG employees full-time youth and children leaders and deployed them into the local churches for 6, 8, 12 hours to help weekly youth and children provision in the local churches. In recent years, Missional Generation has developed immersive digital technology resources using artificial intelligence, virtual reality, Augmented Reality, animation, and apps to create Bible devotionals and teachings as tools to engage children and youth in discussions that explore faith, mission, and evangelism all year round. MG is passionate about helping the church grow and become at the cutting edge of Society again and helping the church grow and find new ways to share the Christian faith and disciple the emerging generation. Links: Missional Generation - http://Missionalgen.co.uk/ Missional Generation Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MissionalGeneration Missional Generation Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/missionalgeneration/ Journeying with Jesus Lent resource - https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/lent-journeying-jesus/ Thank you for listening to our podcast, it was great to hear Ben's wisdom and ideas about gaming. If you enjoy these podcasts, it would be amazing if you could consider donating to Parenting for Faith. You can click here to give a one-off or regular gift at 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.

In this episode of the Parenting for Faith podcast we chatted to Bob Hartman all about connecting with God through writing. He shared some amazing thoughts and suggestions on how we can encourage our kids and teens with writing as well as helping them to develop their skills and use them in a way to connect with God. Bob has travelled the world, telling Bible stories, for over 30 years. He has written over 100 books, mostly for children, including The Clever Cub Series, and YouVersion’s Bible App for Kids. Originally from Pittsburgh, Bob lives in England, is married to Sue and has two children and five grandchildren. Links: Team training video - https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/post/helping-children-and-young-people-connect-with-god-in-church-groups/ Thank you for listening to our podcast, it was great to hear Bob's wisdom and ideas about writing. If you enjoy these podcasts, it would be amazing if you could consider donating to Parenting for Faith. You can click here to give a one-off or regular gift at 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.

If our kids really enjoy cooking and baking and preparing food, how can we leverage that into something which draws them closer to Jesus? How can food and hospitality impact your faith journey? Jo Swinney joined us to discuss hospitality and these questions today. Jo works for A Rocha International and is the author of eight books, most recently “A Place at the Table: faith, hope & hospitality”, co written with her mother Miranda. She lives with her husband and their two daughters in Bath, UK and loves nothing more than cooking up a storm for people who enjoy eating and chatting with her while she chops and stirs. Links: A Rocha International - https://arocha.org/en/ A Place at the Table - https://arocha.org/product/a-place-at-the-table-faith-hope-and-hospitality/ Grandparenting for Faith training morning - https://www.brfonline.org.uk/collections/parenting-for-faith-events/products/grandparenting-for-faith-launch-and-training-morning Thank you for listening to our podcast, it was great to hear Jo’s wisdom and ideas about hospitality. If you enjoy these podcasts, it would be amazing if you could consider donating to Parenting for Faith. You can click here to give a one-off or regular gift at 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.

How can a love of performing be directed in a way that glorifies God? Are there points of conflict between our faith and the TV/theatre industries? And how should we nurture the faith of our stage-loving kids? Joanna Adeyinka-Burford is with us today to answer these questions and more. Joanna is a cbeebies presenter, stage and screen actress and voiceover artist. She’s also a Christian, a wife and a mum of two. Links: Joanna’s website: https://www.itsjoanna.co.uk/ Follow Joanna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joanna_adeyinkaburford.tv/ Buy ‘What’s Up?’, Joanna’s new devotional book for 7-11s: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whats-Up-encouragements-fuel-faith-ebook/dp/B0C6QJRG37 Grandparenting for Faith training morning - https://www.brfonline.org.uk/collections/parenting-for-faith-events/products/grandparenting-for-faith-launch-and-training-morning Isn’t it encouraging to hear from Christian role models in the media? We loved hearing Joanna’s story as well as her tips and ideas that can equip us as parents, carers and leaders to nurture our children’s faith. If you enjoyed this episode, please would you consider giving a one-off or regular financial gift to support the ongoing ministry of Parenting for Faith? 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.

Our next podcast episode is now available! This week we chatted to Liz Cole all about how our kids can connect with God through Science. How do faith and science interact with each other and how can we help our kids and teens see that they go together rather than separately? We chatted to Liz all about this and more. Christians in science - https://www.cis.org.uk/ Faraday Institute - https://www.faraday.cam.ac.uk God’s Cosmic Cookbook - https://www.johnmurraypress.co.uk/titles/elizabeth-cole/god%e2%80%99s-cosmic-cookbook/9781399806480/ Answering questions - https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/post/questions/ Intellectual wrestlers - https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/post/intellectual-wrestlers-equipping-kids-who-need-to-know/ We are so grateful for all Liz shared with us today. We loved hearing her wisdom for parents/carers, and hope you did too! If so, would you consider partnering with us financially to enable this podcast to continue? Click here to give a one-off or regular gift at 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.

How do we nurture our children’s love of music in a way that glorifies God? How do we frame the difference between performance and worship - or is there a difference? And what about our kids who don’t identify as musicians, who feel self-conscious of their voices - how can we help them into a spirit of worship too? Our guest today is the fabulous Samuel Nwachukwu (Called Out Music), a British-Nigerian music producer, singer-songwriter and worship pastor based in Basingstoke. As a committed Christian, Samuel’s diverse music strongly reflects his belief in Jesus, addressing the issues people face while sharing the good news of the gospel. He is an ambassador for Compassion UK and has a strong desire to see lives transformed and to spread the love of Christ both inside and outside of the church. Links: Listen to Called Out Music https://open.spotify.com/artist/3VY7IlU2547DIC1ca88lRH Check out Called Out Music on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/calledoutmusic/, Twitter https://twitter.com/calledoutmusic and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CalledOutMusic We the Triibe on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WeTheTriibe HFP on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@HFPmusic Triibe podcast https://triibepodcast.podbean.com/ We are so grateful for all Samuel shared with us today. We loved hearing his story and his wisdom for parents/carers, and hope you did too! If so, would you consider partnering with us financially to enable this podcast to continue? Click here to give a one-off or regular gift at 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.

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 thoughts. Abigail is a qualified counsellor who has worked over several years with both adults and children. In more recent years she has increasingly seen how the Bible speaks to all of life and has completed the Dynamics of Biblical Counselling module with BCUK. Abigail now serves alongside her husband who is the pastor of their small local church in London. She continues to use her counselling skills to support individuals within her local church and provides counselling to the wider body of Christ. Links: Cherish Counselling Practice - https://cherishcounsellingpractice.org/ Big picture story bible – https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/the-big-picture-story-bible-hardback The Awesome Super Fantastic Forever Party Storybook - https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/christian-books-for-children/life-issues-for-children/childrens-difficult-issues/the-awesome-super-fantastic-forever-party-storybook/ Goodbye to Goodbyes Storybook - https://www.eden.co.uk/christian-books/christian-books-for-children/easter-books-for-children/age-4-to-7-easter-and-lent-books/goodbye-to-goodbyes-storybook/ Grief and Your Child: Sharing God's Comfort in Loss - https://newgrowthpress.com/minibooks/parenting-guide-books/grief-and-your-child-sharing-gods-comfort-in-loss/ It’s a privilege to welcome such expert guests onto the podcast to give us spiritual wisdom on parenting our children for faith through all sorts of different circumstances. If you appreciate these nuggets, why not consider giving a one-off or regular financial gift so that future generations can continue to enjoy them too? You can do that here: www.brf.org.uk/donate/ 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.

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 experienced children's, youth and families' minister, as well as a mum, and she shared valuable wisdom as to how to deal well with the inevitable disagreements and arguments that will crop up in family life. Links: - https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/post/sandpits-and-sin/ - ‘I’m not finished yet’ additional session on parenting children for a life of confidence https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/course/the-course-follow-on-sessions/ - Parenting Children for a Life of Confidence is one of three books included in the Parenting Children for a Life of Faith Omnibus edition https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/resource/parenting-children-life-faith-omnibus-edition/ It’s a privilege to welcome such expert guests onto the podcast to give us spiritual wisdom on parenting our children for faith through all sorts of different circumstances. If you appreciate these nuggets, why not consider giving a one-off or regular financial gift so that future generations can continue to enjoy them too? You can do that here: https://www.brf.org.uk/donate/ 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.

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 asked Dr Oluseye Arikawe to join us for today’s episode. Oluseye is a Christian GP with nearly 30 years professional practice behind her. She’s also a wife and a mum of an adult daughter. Speaking with expert insights into the medical side of eating disorders and self-harm, as well as a strong belief in the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to change lives, Seye talks about the medical help available, what early signs we might be looking for and how to navigate these issues if they’ve arisen. Links: Seye’s website A Word for Her: https://wordforher.com/ Follow Seye @ A Word for Her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/a_word_for_her/ Seye’s e-book “How to make Menopause a Positive Experience” https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Menopause-Positive-Experience-ebook/dp/B09HLBSD21 Grab the free printable resources Seye mentioned in the episode: https://wordforher.com/resources/ The seven declarations Seye talked us through at the end can be found on the Parenting for Faith website here: https://www.parentingforfaith.brf.org.uk/post/navigating-self-harm-and-eating-disorders-in-our-children-and-teens It’s a privilege to welcome such expert guests onto the podcast to give us spiritual wisdom on parenting our children for faith through all sorts of different circumstances. If you appreciate these nuggets, why not consider giving a one-off or regular financial gift so that future generations can continue to enjoy them too? You can do that here: https://www.brf.org.uk/donate/ 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.

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 episode with guest Erik Castenkiold, who leads Restored Lives, will help us all become more informed about divorce, marriage, relationships, and supporting those in them. Erik shares honestly about the impact of divorce on children and teenagers, how we can navigate them through tricky times in our relationships, but also the hope and encouragement of how we can point our kids to Jesus, even in dark times. Erik has personal experience of divorce, and is now happily married with three young adult children, based in London. He worships at Holy Trinity Brompton where he is on the PCC. Erik is a Chartered Accountant by profession, having worked for several big-name companies including Deloitte, but has also been running Restored Lives since 2021, a charity that has helped thousands of people find hope after divorce. Links: - Restored Lives https://www.restoredlives.org/ - Your Direction (workshops for 12-30 year olds) https://www.restoredlives.org/yourdirection - Restored Lives course for adults who have separated/divorced https://www.restoredlives.org/go-on-a-course - Romans 8:1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+8%3A1&version=NIV - Galatians 5:1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205%3A1&version=NIV - My marriage has broken down - how can I help my kids stay in the faith? (article by Lucy Rycroft for Premier NexGen) https://www.premiernexgen.com/family-and-parenting/my-marriage-has-broken-down-how-can-i-help-my-kids-stay-in-the-faith/15555.article We found this a hugely helpful, encouraging episode - despite the difficult subject matter - and hope you did too. If you’d love to help us get this podcast out to more people who would be blessed by its content, why not consider giving a one-off or regular financial gift? You can do that here: https://www.brf.org.uk/donate/ 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.