Family & Relationships

Family & Relationships offers biblically grounded guidance for building healthy relationships at home and in everyday life. Explore articles on marriage, parenting, singleness, friendship, communication, conflict resolution, and cultivating a Christ-centered household. You’ll find practical wisdom for forming strong families, nurturing faith in children and teens, and navigating challenges with grace, truth, and hope. Whether you’re seeking encouragement, direction, or tools for discipleship in the home, these resources help you love well and reflect the character of Jesus in your closest relationships.

July 17, 2018

Christian Standard

Church Celebrates Long-Married Couples

By Peggy Park It was a golden day in Lexington, Ky., on June 10, as Tates Creek Christian Church celebrated its annual Wedding Bells Sunday with 83 couples who have been married 50 years or longer. One couple, in fact, has been married 75 years. Ladies received white corsages while the men received boutonnieres, and all of the couples had their pictures taken. The couples were also recognized as a group during the worship service. Additionally, senior minister Tommy Simpson recognized the widows and widowers who would have been married 50 years or more. The church administrator and some members

June 30, 2018

Christian Standard

Youth Sports Families Offer a ‘Heads-Up’

By Caleb Kaltenbach PARKER, CO—Just as senior pastors look forward to the fall season attendance bump, youth sports families across the nation delivered a “heads-up” regarding their attendance. “We’ve never given a ‘heads-up’ about our attendance, but when many of us formed a National Youth Sports Family Social Media Group, we thought it was a good idea,” said Dana Jensen of 66th Street Christian Church, Sedalia, Ohio. Jensen said her pastor’s reaction was a bit unsettling. “He was in such a happy mood that morning, but when I told him that starting in September we’d be gone for two and a

February 9, 2018

Christian Standard

Ben & Pat Merold: Still Having Fun After 68 Years

By Kelly Carr   Ben and Pat Merold—most folks seldom say one of their names without the other, and that’s just fine with them. When they talk, you hear their love for one another, the joy they feel together, and the immense pride they have about the other’s ministry. One could easily declare that Ben and Pat Merold are who we all hope to be when we grow up! Ben and Pat share their story of a lifelong love for serving the Lord and for each other.   Jumping into Ministry The year was 1948. Pat, a freshman at Johnson

February 8, 2018

Christian Standard

Finding Joy in Marriage and Ministry

By David and Rachel Dummitt   For the last 22 years, my wife, Rachel, has been my partner, best friend, and comrade-in-arms. When I was asked to write about experiencing lasting joy in marriage and ministry, I immediately thought of her and how she has helped to build both our home and our church with strength, grace, and joy. So for this issue, I asked Rachel to share her insights and wisdom. When Dave and I married, neither of us could have imagined the journey God had in store for us. While both of us had grown up in the

January 31, 2018

Christian Standard

Love, Marriage, and Missions

Four missionary couples discuss how their marriages affect their mission work, and vice versa. By Emily Drayne Some aspects of marriage are hard. It’s not easy joining together two lives, two families, two personalities, and two upbringings under one roof. Success in marriage takes work and desire. With divorce rates at about 50 percent in America and even higher in parts of Europe, I’ve often wondered how missionaries are affected by this epidemic. Not only are missionary couples working and maintaining their marriages, but they might also be serving in a cross-cultural setting. Some are also raising children. Missionaries might

December 6, 2017

Christian Standard

Blessing Our Children and Grandchildren

How We”ve Created Memories and Provided Opportunities to Talk About What”s Truly Important By Don and Sue Wilson The first time we consciously thought about the importance of blessing our children and grandchildren was probably when we realized our children had grown up, become parents, and we were now grandparents, which meant we must be old. All at once it was apparent our days were numbered and if we wanted to be a blessing to the adorable little children who were cascading into our lives at a rapid pace, we needed to focus on making memories instead of money. Over

December 3, 2017

Christian Standard

Life Lessons Learned from My Grandfather

By Matt Merold Some of the greatest lessons in life are caught, not taught. They”re learned by what is observed in us, not what is heard from us. Sometimes the teacher isn”t even aware that school is in session. I”m not entirely sure if my instructor””my grandfather, Ben Merold””is fully aware of all the ways he”s taught me, in both simple and sophisticated ways. His lessons have gone beyond anything I could ever learn in a classroom.   You”re Never Too Important to Take Out the Trash. It was hot . . . Missouri hot! Anyone who had been outside

December 2, 2017

Christian Standard

‘I Showed Up’

Mandy Harvey”s journey from hearing loss to the finals of AGT, and the family who wouldn”t give up on her. By Joe Harvey As I write this article, my wife, Val, and I are sitting in a hotel room in Los Angeles busying ourselves with work as we await the contestants” final performances on America”s Got Talent for 2017. Tonight, our daughter Mandy Harvey will sing another original song and play her ukulele. Val and I will sit in the lower balcony, stage left, and watch in wonder, sometimes literally holding our breath, as the grand finale unfolds before us.

November 29, 2017

Christian Standard

The Blessing of a Love for Ministry

By Rusty Russell My parents, Bob and Judy Russell, raised two sons who love the church and are involved in ministry. I”ve served as lead pastor at New Day Christian Church in Port Charlotte, Florida, since 2010. My brother, Phil, is a deacon and on the worship team at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville where we grew up. My parents” seven grandkids all love the church. Their oldest grandchild””my 22-year-old son, Charlie””is a graduate of Johnson University and is in full-time ministry in Chicago. On one hand, it”s not surprising that I was drawn to ministry. I grew up in

November 26, 2017

Christian Standard

The Blessing of Daily Faithfulness

By Kyle Idleman Initially I was reluctant to write this tribute. I was hesitant not because my parents are undeserving or because I”m ungrateful. I was reluctant mostly because I”ve already written to my parents most of the things I”ll write here. I”ve already expressed my appreciation to them. And this is the sort of thing that makes my parents feel awkward. If you asked them to tell you about passing on “the blessing” to the next generation, they wouldn”t point to their example, but would be quick to speak of God”s goodness. They would tell you his grace is

November 25, 2017

Christian Standard

The Blessing Freely and Naturally Given

By Dave Stone No one has any say into which family he or she is born. But someday I intend to thank the Lord for the parents he gave to my brother, Jeff, and me. Sam Stone has been known to many by a variety of titles: Preacher, Seminary Dean, Editor, Brotherhood Leader, and North American Christian Convention President. But I”ve been fortunate to just call him Dad. What a blessing! When asked why we chose to go into the ministry, Jeff and I typically give the same response: “Because our dad was the same man in the home as

November 24, 2017

Christian Standard

Don”t Drop the Baton

By Gary Johnson Mission: Impossible was one of my favorite television shows as a child. At the start of each episode, agent Jim Phelps would locate a hidden reel-to-reel tape recorder and would play a message describing an “impossible” assignment for his team. Each week, Phelps had a choice to make: “Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it . . .” As elders, we have a mission that we must accept. The mission has everything to do with reaching the next generation for Christ. Most of us have children and grandchildren who need Christ. If we lead by

November 18, 2017

Michael C. Mack

Stand: When You Did Not Receive Your Father”s Blessing

By Michael C. Mack “Stand up if you grew up without a father . . . if you never knew him . . . if he was abusive or inept or spiritually vacant and unavailable . . . even if he was around, but not really there . . . if you knew him but weren”t known by him . . .” I and six other members of my men”s group had traveled to the RCA Dome in Indianapolis for the Promise Keepers conference, joining some 62,000 other men worshipping God and being inspired to live godly lives. On the

May 30, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

Your New Chapter””Don”t Be Afraid to Turn the Page

By Mark A. Taylor New parents sometimes feel trapped. Infants need constant attention, and Mom and Dad may grieve the diminished freedom, increased expenses, and unending on-call status that come with this new addition to their family. But after only 18 years or so, that son or daughter, now looking ahead at a life of independence, leaves home. He gets a job, and she establishes a household of her own. And some parents discover a new reason to grieve: without that child who was once such a challenge, now the house seems empty and lonely. Whether pressed by our current

May 21, 2017

Christian Standard

Dads Are Single Too

By Matt Johnson “Please raise your hand if you can name three single moms in your congregation,” I said while coleading a workshop at the 2015 North American Christian Convention. Many hands proudly shot up. Most of us can easily rattle off the names of three or four single mothers. Many can list 10 or more. These are women we respect. They faithfully wake up early on Sundays to get three wiggly children to worship. They are frazzled with life and still carve out time to volunteer at the Welcome Center. They often do the work of two parents while

May 20, 2017

Tyler McKenzie

How I Know My Wife Married the Wrong Person

By Tyler McKenzie Today my wife, Lindsay, and I celebrate our five-year anniversary. Five years ago we tied the knot and took the plunge. Five years ago the cutest girl in Indiana was taken off the market! Five years ago we launched the beginning of the rest of our lives. Five years ago . . . And after five years, there”s no more hiding behind the dinner-and-a-movie façade of dating life. I can”t buy enough flowers to conceal it. I can”t open enough doors. I can”t say enough “I love yous.” She knows (and painfully, so do I) that she

May 19, 2017

Christian Standard

Of Manure, Porches, and Good Fights

By Arron Chambers All married couples fight at one time or another. It”s like a pile of manure landing on your front porch. You know what manure is, don”t you? Manure on your front porch is not a good thing. Not at all. It”s a smelly, disgusting, and completely unappealing in every way kind of thing. In my experience as a marriage coach, I”ve come to believe that every married couple will have a pile of “manure” fall onto their “porch” at one time or another. Bad stuff happens to good married couples. And when the unexpected pile of manure

May 16, 2017

Mark A. Taylor

First Family

By Mark A. Taylor Ministry can be hard on a minister”s family life. The demands of the congregation don”t stop when the church office closes. Needs and opportunities to serve abound in the evenings, threatening to take the minister away from conversations with a spouse or attendance at children”s ballgames and concerts. Phone calls can come night and day. And the minister may feel he has no one to talk to about disappointments and difficulties except a spouse, who then becomes overwhelmed with information and worries that cannot be shared with anyone else. We can be encouraged that 70 percent

May 14, 2017

Christian Standard

Teach Your Children to Be Critical Thinkers

By Tricia Johnson She was the professor of theology; my son was her student. He attended a secular university, and when he needed an extra elective, he thought theology would be a breeze, so he took the class. Her teaching was right on target most of the time, which was surprising since it was a secular university, but when she taught about Abraham and Lot, my son had to disagree with her summation of one particular scene. You may recall, Abraham and Lot were about to part ways, as Genesis 13:1-13 tells us. They traveled from Egypt to Bethel. They

May 13, 2017

Christian Standard

Stepfamilies Are REAL Families

Stepfamilies have real problems too often misunderstood or ignored by the local church. Here”s what stepfamilies around you are facing and feeling and how your congregation can help them. *  *  * By Jeff and Judi Parziale John and Stephanie were married about two years before they started attending a nearby church. Each brought two children into the marriage. Stephanie”s children were with her full time; her former spouse had left the state and had almost no contact with his children. John shared custody with his former spouse, Pam. Every week their two sons transitioned from one house to the other.Â

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