Parenting

Parenting offers biblically grounded guidance for raising children with wisdom, grace, and intentional discipleship. Explore practical articles on nurturing faith at home, teaching Scripture, shaping character, setting healthy boundaries, and building strong family rhythms. You’ll find encouragement for navigating different ages and stages, supporting kids through cultural pressures, and partnering with the church to help children and teens follow Jesus. Whether you’re a new parent or leading through complex seasons, these resources help you parent with hope and Christ-centered purpose.

January 25, 2016

Christian Standard

Boys to Men

By Rick Bundschuh Manhood, inaccurately portrayed and difficult to understand by so many today, is especially hard for many preteen males to attain. Here”s how one Christian leader not only worked to make his church man friendly, but also created a program to show boys how to be godly men.  I could sense the longing immediately. The kid was around 12, had bed head hair, was awkward, somewhat unkempt, and was beginning to exchange baby fat for the sinewy muscles of coming manhood. All I had done was to make a couple of jokes with the boy, and then showed

January 24, 2016

Christian Standard

Protecting Your PK

By Angela Sanders I am a minister”s wife. I have the scars to prove it, but my children don”t. Not because they didn”t see. Not because they didn”t hear. Not because we lied to them. We didn”t. Hunter and Hope came through an enemy attack on their family by church members with their optimism, faith, and desire to serve the body intact. This was possible only because a few who had successfully waded through the murky waters of vocational ministry ahead of us were selfless enough to take us by the hand and teach us to survive and thrive””and maintain

January 9, 2016

Christian Standard

Equipping Parents to Lead Their Family

By Brian Jennings Most scholars agree that Hannah brought Samuel, her son, to the temple around the age of 3 or 4. Even though Samuel was a boy, 1 Samuel 1:28 says, “He worshiped.” Even children can worship, but is the church equipping parents to lead their children to worship? If you are a parent, the sacred responsibility of spiritually leading your children rests primarily on your shoulders. However, life wars against your ability to lead your family well. Busyness wars against you. Frustration wars against you. Stress wars against you. Self-doubt wars against you. Laziness wars against you. Past failure

January 8, 2016

Christian Standard

Parenting Resources for Christians and Their Leaders

This list of parenting resources is a sidebar to Peter Buckland’s article, “Parents Are Primary.” ________ By Peter Buckland FOR PARENTS Teaching Your Children Healthy Sexuality: A Biblical Approach to Prepare Them for Life, by Jim Burns (Bloomington: Bethany House, 2008) This book provides valuable information for Christian parents regarding the sexual information that children need to know and how the biblical sexual ethic may be presented to them. SOS Help for Emotions: Managing Anxiety, Anger, and Depression, by Lynn Clark (Bowling Green: SOS Programs and Parent Press, revised in 2014) Practical steps are provided that enable parents to help

January 8, 2016

Christian Standard

Parents Are Primary

Click here for a list of parenting resources ________ By Peter Buckland All too often, parents assume the church is responsible for the spiritual formation of their children. This assumption is a mistake. It is the parents” responsibility to train their children to know and love Jesus. Whether parents are biological, step, foster, grandparents, or temporary parental substitutes1, they do a better job of prompting childhood and adolescent faith in Christ than the church staff, volunteers, or programming. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 places the spiritual development of children squarely on the parents” shoulders. If we were to apply this old covenant commandment

November 9, 2015

Christian Standard

My Third Culture Kids

By Erin Moore I”ve been reading about “third culture kids” lately. The term refers to children who are from one culture but are living in a completely different one. It”s not a topic I”ve researched in depth, but lately it has greater meaning for me as my kids are getting a little older.  I was reading some essays by an American woman who grew up in Pakistan. She recalls her earliest memories as a child of about 4. I looked at my own third culture kids in awe. I realize as the mother of these three children, I can understand

September 8, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Parenting Predictable, Not Perfect

By Mark A. Taylor Which of these videos reminds you of an awkward moment at your house? Did you ever lose a hamster? Did you ever make yourself sick making your kids happy? Did parenting ever take you out of your comfort zone? Well, take heart. “You don”t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.” It”s a message as encouraging for biological parents as it is for those who would adopt. And it”s exactly what Jack Holland told us in our August 20 episode of Beyond the Standard. In fact, he says professional literature on successful families uses

August 8, 2015

Christian Standard

What”s the Big Deal about Dad?

Psychologists, sociologists, and experts on the family weigh-in on the damage caused by absent fathers. Compiled by Becky Ahlberg   “NEIGHBORHOOD STANDARD may be set by mothers but they are enforced by fathers, or at least by adult males. Neighborhoods without fathers are neighborhoods without men able and willing to confront errant youth, chase threatening gangs, and reproach delinquent fathers. The absence of fathers deprives the community of those little platoons that informally but effectively control the boys on the street.” “”James Q. Wilson, “The Family Values Debate,” posted at www.commentarymagazine.com/article/the-family-values-debate/   “THE INEQUALITIES that stem from the workplace are

August 7, 2015

Christian Standard

Father Figures

I”m in the ranks of all fathers learning about fathering on the job. But I”m also a part of the church that must find ways to help solve the father crisis in so many families today.  By Jack Holland “You know, this is really going to change your life.” How many times I heard these words. Our first child was on the way. I was going to be a father. Was that phrase intended to end with an exclamation point or a question mark? I”m sure they meant well, but did even good friends question my capacity to be a

June 3, 2015

Christian Standard

Father Life

By Jim Tune I once heard a preacher tell of a tormented young woman who attended his church. He described her as being broken in ways so shattering he doubted she”d ever get all of those broken parts fixed. Her father had abandoned the family when she was a young girl. Her longing for a father grew so intense that when other dads in the neighborhood mowed their lawns, she grabbed her rag doll and walked next to them, back and forth, while they cut the grass. She remembered being hopeful every time she heard a lawn mower start because

July 16, 2014

Christian Standard

Father Knew Best

By Don Wilson (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) The best advice I ever received in ministry was from my father. We would talk on the phone every Saturday morning, and the last thing he would say to me was, “Love your wife and preach the Word.” Those words have helped me remain faithful to my wife for over 45 years and preach at the same church for more than 32 years. Don Wilson serves as pastor of Christ”s Church of the Valley, Peoria, Arizona.

July 11, 2014

Christian Standard

Advice to a Dad

By Dave Stone (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) The best advice I ever received was this: “The best way to be a good father is to be a good husband.” It was given to me by Chuck Lee, a former staff member, who shared it with me soon after the birth of our first child. Dave Stone serves as senior pastor with Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky.

July 10, 2014

Christian Standard

Experiences, Relationships

By Greg Nettle (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) Best advice: Wess Stafford, then president of Compassion International, was mentoring me on how to disciple my own children. He advised, “Give your children experiences, not things.” Worst advice: One of my Bible college professors advised, “Never be close friends with people in the church you lead.” Greg Nettle serves as president with Stadia, Irvine, California.

March 2, 2014

Christian Standard

Shaping Special Hearts

By Vangie Rodenbeck For many years I struggled with what it meant that my son had been created in God”s image, even though his central nervous system and brain hinder his capacity to participate fully in many activities. A better understanding of who God is, as revealed in Scripture, equipped me to see a God who finds beauty in weakness. When we embrace the stories of Scripture, such as the parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:15-24), that tell of a creator who values and cherishes the small, the weak, and the marginalized, we can be empowered with courage and

March 1, 2014

Christian Standard

Tips for Teaching the Bible at Home

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). By Dan Burton When you sit at home. Our family sits together for dinner at least five times a week. This doesn”t just happen . .

August 19, 2013

Christian Standard

How We Serve Single Moms

For nearly a decade LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado, has been trying to figure out how to bless single moms. We”ve had some breakthroughs and some setbacks. Here is the one clear truth: God doesn”t measure success the same way we do.  By Nancy Karpenske I”ll call her Debbie. When she started attending our group, she sat hunched over, making no eye contact. I kept expecting her to storm out. Ever so slowly her protective layers of hostility began to melt, just a few degrees. She has three children, each with a special needs diagnosis. She typically works three

August 18, 2013

Christian Standard

They Need to See Faith

By Phil Allen Discipleship is the foundation for all I believe God has called me to do as a pastor. My own experience as a new Christian tells me every Christian needs someone to show and not just tell how to honor God with his or her own life. This is why discipleship is the foundation for what we do at The Vine college/young adult ministry at Shepherd of the Hills Church. When I say discipleship, I am talking about life-on-life, transparent and genuine, not-afraid-to-get-messy mentorship. A professor of mine said, “How can you change something that you”re afraid to

August 18, 2013

Christian Standard

Parenting: The Stewardship of Preparation

By Becky Ahlberg Parenting is not for the faint of heart””or those who can”t take the long view in life. Few things require more of a person””physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually””than parenting. Even in the best situations, parenting is stressful. It is full of emergencies, urgencies, inconsistencies, sleepless nights, second-guessing, and unending challenges! And to top it off, most people feel unprepared for the adventure! But, oh what a ride! It is thrilling, joy-filled, stretching, enriching, humbling, exhilarating, and more, so much more. But parenting is especially precarious for many today. The numbers paint an alarming picture. In 2012, 43

January 30, 2012

Christian Standard

A Preacher”s Kid”s Hopes for His Own PKs

By Shan Caldwell I was born a preacher”s son. As such, I felt it was my duty to help my dad out as much as I could. I thoughtfully provided sermon illustration fodder for the first 16 years of my life. I enlivened dull sermons by whispering or passing notes, obliging my father to interrupt his message by calling me out””by name””in front of the whole congregation. My dad may not have always appreciated my “help,” but I did (and do) appreciate growing up in a preacher”s family. My dad traveled in evangelistic work for the first six years of

January 29, 2012

Christian Standard

How to Help a Preacher’s Kid

By Charity M. Walker-Byers I am a preacher”s kid. Being a PK has influenced every part of my life. It has influenced my values, my self-concept, and my life goals. I have lived through the joys and challenges of growing up in a ministry family. I know what it is like to be proud of a father and mother who give all they have to the service of God. I also know what it”s like to have my family life centered on, and at times almost overtaken by, service to God. Growing up as a preacher”s kid taught me the

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