- More Than a Shoebox: One Child's Story of God's Faithfulness with Dania Andraos
Have you ever wondered what happens to an Operation Christmas Child shoebox after your family packs it?
In this episode, Dania Andraos shares her incredible story of growing up in the Middle East, where her family faced persecution for their Christian faith, and how receiving a shoebox gift became a powerful reminder that God saw her and heard her prayers.
We talk about how that simple gift opened doors for the gospel in her community, how Dania eventually became involved with Operation Christmas Child herself, and practical ways families can participate in this ministry together.
If you've ever packed a shoebox or wondered how to help your kids develop a heart for serving others, this conversation will remind you that God can use even the smallest gifts to make an eternal impact.
Resources Mentioned
Carpool Conversations with WinShape Camps
NiRV Question & Answer Bible for Kids
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy29m - Oct 27, 2026 - Why You Procrastinate (and It’s Not Because You’re Lazy) with Dana K White
In this episode, Steph talks with Dana K. White, author of Procrastinators Get Stuff Done, about why procrastination isn't always laziness. Often, it comes from overwhelm, decision fatigue, perfectionism, and the feeling that we need to have everything figured out before we begin.
Dana shares her practical process for getting unstuck, starting with one surprisingly simple step: just look. They talk about why small wins matter, how “noncommittal experimentation” can help us move forward, and why making a big plan too early can actually become another form of procrastination.
Steph and Dana also talk about understanding your personal “commitment threshold,” resisting comparison, and helping kids who procrastinate without labeling them as lazy.
If there’s something you’ve been putting off, this conversation will help you stop overthinking it and take one small, doable step forward today.
Resources Mentioned
Procrastinators Get Stuff Done book
Carpool Conversations with WinShape Camps
NiRV Question & Answer Bible for Kids
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy31m - Oct 20, 2026 - Raising Spiritually Strong Kids Without Trying to Control the Outcome with Charles Fay
In this episode, Steph talks with psychologist, author, and Love and Logic expert Dr. Charles Fay about raising kids whose faith goes deeper than simply knowing how to behave like a Christian.
Charles shares why spiritually strong kids aren't perfect kids, why faith is ultimately a gift from God, and how parents can nurture faith without trying to control the outcome. They talk about allowing kids to make mistakes while the stakes are still small, holding boundaries with empathy, modeling repentance when we get it wrong, and helping kids learn to depend on God through life's struggles.
They also unpack the temptation to believe in a kind of "parenting prosperity gospel": that if we read the right books, follow the right strategies, and work hard enough, our kids are guaranteed to become faithful adults. Instead, Charles encourages parents to focus on what God has actually called us to do and trust him with the results.
Resources Mentioned
Raising Spiritually Strong Kids book
Carpool Conversations with WinShape Camps
NiRV Question & Answer Bible for Kids
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy34m - Oct 13, 2026 - Can my child live out their faith in public school? with Kori Pennypacker
For many Christian parents, sending a child to public school can feel intimidating. Questions about faith, culture, religious freedom, and discipleship often create anxiety. In this episode, Steph sits down with Kori Pennypacker, CEO of Bible2School and author of Backpack Faith, to discuss practical ways parents can prepare their children to confidently follow Jesus in public school.
Kori shares why parents remain the primary disciplers of their children regardless of where they attend school, how Christian students can legally live out their faith at school, and why building relationships with teachers and administrators matters. She also explains why biblical literacy benefits children far beyond their spiritual lives and offers simple ways families can build everyday discipleship into their routines.
Resources Mentioned
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)
Christian Parenting School Simplified digital download
(with links to school choice series and more!)
Raising Spiritually Strong Kids
Carpool Conversations with WinShape Camps
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy32m - Oct 6, 2026 - How to help your kids grieve with Sissy Goff
In this episode, therapist and author Sissy Goff joins Steph to talk about what kids really need when they're experiencing loss and how their grief can look very different from ours.
Sissy explains why grief isn't linear, how kids often revisit loss as they grow and reach new developmental milestones, and why behaviors like anger, anxiety, or even risk-taking can sometimes be signs of sadness underneath. She also talks about secondary losses, why consistency and boundaries still matter during hard seasons, and the importance of surrounding our kids with safe, steady adults.
If your family is walking through grief, or you simply want to know how to support your kids when loss eventually comes, this conversation offers practical wisdom, permission to grieve, and the reminder that God is still faithful even in the hardest moments.
Resources Mentioned
Helping Kids Through Grief book
Carpool Conversations with WinShape Camps
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy32m - Sep 29, 2026 - What the Bible promises about the new earth with Randy Alcorn
What will heaven actually be like, and how do we talk to our kids about it?
In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation from the Faith & Clarity podcast with Dr. Mark Turman and author Randy Alcorn about his children’s book, Heaven on Earth, and the biblical promise of a new heaven and new earth.
We talk about resurrection, grief, losing loved ones, miscarriage, disabilities, animals, and some of the big questions kids ask about eternity.
If your family has ever wondered what happens after we die, this conversation will help you move beyond the “clouds and harps” picture of heaven and toward the incredible hope Scripture gives us for what is to come.
Resources Mentioned
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy59m - Sep 22, 2026 - How to talk about faith without lecturing with Katheryn Saunders
As we wrap up our discipleship series, we're talking about one of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of raising children who continue following Jesus into adulthood: having meaningful spiritual conversations.
In this episode, Steph talks with Katheryn Saunders, author of Having Spiritual Conversations with Your Kids, about how parents can create safe spaces where children ask honest questions, wrestle with their faith, and ultimately build a relationship with Jesus that becomes their own.
This conversation beautifully ties together everything we've explored throughout the discipleship series. Reading Scripture, praying together, worshiping through music, serving others, and practicing everyday discipleship all become even more powerful when they're accompanied by genuine conversations that help our kids process what they believe and why.
Resources Mentioned:
Having Spiritual Conversations With Your Kids book
Thanks-Living: Embracing the Power of Gratitude Every Day
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy29m - Sep 15, 2026 - Why listening to Christian music matters more than you think with Jason Houser
What if one of the simplest ways to disciple your children was as easy as pressing play?
In this episode of our discipleship series, we're looking at another practice that research from Lifeway identified as having a significant impact on helping children develop a lasting faith: listening to Christian music.
Steph is joined by Jason Houser, Executive Director of Seeds Kids Worship, a ministry that has spent more than two decades helping families hide God's Word in their hearts through Scripture-based worship music.
Together they explore why music has such a powerful influence on our hearts, how worship songs create natural opportunities for conversations about God, and why Christian music isn't just something to listen to on Sunday—it can become a simple rhythm that shapes your family's faith every day.
Resources Mentioned
Thanks-Living: Embracing the Power of Gratitude Every Day
Christian Parenting's latest prayer journal:
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
(PS You can also listen to Pardon the Mess podcasteach Monday starting September 14th to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal.)
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy37m - Sep 8, 2026 - How serving helps kids build a lasting faith with Eric and Sarah Holmstrom
What if one of the most important things you can do for your child’s faith is help them become part of the church, not just attend it?
In this episode of our discipleship series, I’m joined by Sarah and Eric Holmstrom to talk about why regularly serving in church can have such a lasting impact on our kids’ faith.
Sarah and Eric share how serving has shaped their own family, why kids are never too young to begin, and practical ways to help children discover where their gifts and personalities fit within the church. We also talk about what to do when your child doesn’t want to serve, why more is often caught than taught, and how to create a family culture of serving without making it feel like something we do to earn God’s love.
If you want your kids to know they have a place and a purpose in God’s kingdom, this conversation will encourage you to move beyond simply going to church and help your family become an active part of it.
Resources:
Thanks-Living: Embracing the Power of Gratitude Every Day
Christian Parenting's latest prayer journal:
Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation
(PS You can also listen to Pardon the Mess podcast each Monday starting September 14th to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal.)
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy36m - Sep 1, 2026 - How to teach kids to pray for a lasting faith with Erica Renaud
In this episode, Steph continues the discipleship series by exploring one of the strongest predictors of lasting faith: regular prayer. We know prayer is important, but many parents feel unsure where to begin or worry they aren't "good enough" at praying out loud.
In this episode, Steph sits down with author Erica Renaud to talk about how prayer becomes the foundation of a child's relationship with God. Together they discuss practical ways families can incorporate prayer into everyday life, how to move beyond memorized prayers without abandoning them, and how to help children navigate unanswered prayer with trust in God's character.
Whether your children are preschoolers, teenagers, or somewhere in between, this conversation offers simple encouragement to help your family grow closer to God through prayer.
Resources Mentioned
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today! You can also listen to Pardon the Mess podcast each Monday to listen to guided prayer and reflection that follows the journal beginning September 14th!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy33m - Aug 25, 2026 - Why Scripture is the foundation of lasting faith with Andrew and Charlotte Ollerton
The Bible can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to read it with your kids. Where do you start? How do you help them understand it? And how do you make it something they actually enjoy?
In this episode, Steph continues the discipleship series by exploring one of the strongest predictors of lasting faith: regularly reading Scripture at home. Joined by Andrew and Charlotte Ollerton, authors of God's Story, Our Story, they discuss why understanding the Bible as one unified story changes everything. They also share practical ways to make family Bible reading simple, engaging, and consistent without adding guilt or pressure.
If you've ever felt intimidated by opening the Bible with your children, this conversation will encourage you to start small, stay faithful, and trust God to use his Word to shape your family's faith for years to come.
Resources Mentioned
God’s Story, Our Story journey cards
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy29m - Aug 18, 2026 - What actually helps kids follow Jesus for life? With Jana Magruder
Every Christian parent wants to raise kids with a lasting faith, but with so much parenting advice available, it's easy to wonder where to focus your time and energy.
In this episode, Steph kicks off a special discipleship series by sitting down with Janet Magruder of Lifeway Christian Resources to discuss the groundbreaking research behind the book Nothing Less. After years of studying what influences children who grow into adults with a vibrant, enduring faith, the research points to a handful of practices that consistently make the biggest difference.
If you've ever wondered what matters most when it comes to discipling your kids at home, this conversation will encourage you to let go of the pressure to do everything and instead invest in the things that have the greatest lasting impact on your child's faith.
Resources Mentioned
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy37m - Aug 11, 2026 - What college students need most spiritually with Paul Worcester
The college years can be one of the most defining seasons in a young person's faith. So how can parents prepare their kids to stand firm long before they leave home?
In this episode, Steph sits down with longtime college ministry leader Paul Worcester to discuss the spiritual habits that help faith last. They talk about the power of Scripture memory, daily time in God's Word, the challenges today's college students face, and practical ways parents can train, not just teach, their teens to follow Christ. Paul also shares how his new Bible study, Thrive, equips college students and young adults to build a faith that is grounded in Scripture and prepared to withstand the challenges of this pivotal season.
Whether your child is heading to college soon or you still have years to prepare, this conversation will encourage you to invest in the kind of faith that endures
Resources Mentioned
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy40m - Aug 4, 2026 - Why the things we pray for can still exhaust us with Melissa Miller
Have you ever received an answer to prayer only to discover it was much harder than you expected?
In this episode, author Melissa Miller talks about "change fatigue," the emotional exhaustion that can come even during the seasons we've prayed for.
Melissa shares her family's adoption story, the surprising challenges that followed, and how God met her in the middle of overwhelming change. We talk about why Christians often feel guilty admitting that good change is still hard, how Scripture validates those experiences, and practical ways to process complicated emotions with God.
If you've ever felt grateful and overwhelmed at the same time, this conversation will remind you that you're not alone and that God's grace meets you right where you are.
Resources Mentioned
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy27m - Jul 28, 2026 - Should Christian Parents Be Worried About AI? With Ben Peterson
Artificial intelligence is changing the way our families learn, work, communicate, and even seek advice. For many parents, it feels like this technology appeared overnight, leaving us wondering how to help our kids navigate it wisely.
In this episode, combat veteran, speaker, and author Ben Peterson sits down to discuss why AI is more than a technology conversation. It's a discipleship conversation. Together we explore how parents can embrace the benefits of AI while protecting the God-given roles of family, community, creativity, and the Holy Spirit in their children's lives.
If you've wondered where to draw healthy boundaries with AI, how to talk with your kids about using it for school, or how to raise children who seek God's wisdom before artificial intelligence, this conversation is for you.
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
Resources Mentioned
When Intelligence Isn’t Human book
Pre-order When Intelligence Isn’t Human
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy27m - Jul 21, 2026 - Helping Kids Experience God, Not Just Learn About Him with Jen Weaver and Gayle Veitenheimer
Teaching our kids Bible stories is important, but discipleship doesn't stop there. We also want our children to recognize God's guidance in their own stories, bring him into everyday conversations, and develop a genuine relationship with him that grows over time.
In this episode, Bible teachers and co-authors Jen Weaver and Gayle Veitenheimer talk about helping kids move from simply knowing about God to experiencing life with Him. They discuss why stories are such powerful discipleship tools, how to answer kids' big questions about prayer and hearing God's voice, and simple ways parents can nurture faith at home.
If you've ever wondered how to make faith feel more personal for your kids, this conversation is full of practical encouragement.
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
Resources Mentioned
Kingswell Kids Detective series
The Christian Grandparenting Podcast
Get your copy of our latest prayer journal Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy28m - Jul 14, 2026 - The Gospel for real-life parenting messes with Scarlet Hiltibidal
Today we are joined by Scarlet Hiltibidal, who is the new host of Pardon the Mess.
Scarlet is a wife, mom of four, author, speaker, and follower of Jesus who is passionate about helping parents see the gospel in the middle of everyday family life.
In this episode, Scarlet shares about her own parenting messes, including loving each of her kids well in very different seasons and needs. We talk about the pressure moms feel to get everything right, the invisible report card so many of us carry, and the freedom that comes when we remember parenting is not about our performance, but about pointing our kids to Jesus.
Scarlet also gives us a look at the new format of Pardon the Mess, where she will take one real parenting struggle each week and help parents untangle it through Scripture, stories, and one small faithful step.
Resources Mentioned
Get your copy of Faith in Action: Prayers from James for the Next Generation today!
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy29m - Jul 7, 2026 - How to talk to your kids about sex without shame with Kelly Edmiston
Many Christian parents want to talk to their kids about sex and sexuality in healthy, biblical ways, but feel unsure where to begin. In today’s episode, Kelly Edmiston talks about how to move away from fear, silence, and shame-based messaging and instead help our kids understand the goodness of their bodies, God’s design for sex, and the importance of open, ongoing conversations in the home.
We discuss how purity culture shaped many parents’ own experiences, why discipleship matters so much in these conversations, and how parents can build trust with their kids while still holding biblical convictions. We also talk about practical ways to make sex talks feel more natural and less intimidating for both parents and children.
Notes: use your discretion when it comes to listening to this conversation with your kids present, we do use accurate terminology for body parts and sexuality.
Kelly is the author of Shame-Free Sex Talks, is lead Pastor at Vineyard Church in Sugar Land, Texas and a mom of three kids.
(00:00) Introduction to the Conversation
(02:57) Navigating Sexuality Conversations with Kids
(05:59) Understanding Shame in Sexuality Discussions
(08:49) The Importance of Normalizing Conversations
(11:55) Spiritual Sexuality: Integrating Faith and Sexuality
(15:08) Values-Based Approach to Sexuality Education
(18:04) Empowering Kids to Make Healthy Decisions
(21:00) Hope for Future Generations
(24:05 )Resources for Parents
Resources Mentioned
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy26m - Jun 30, 2026 - You haven’t ruined your kids with Abbey Wedgeworth
If you’ve ever felt weighed down by guilt after a hard parenting moment, this conversation will encourage your heart.
In this episode, Abbey Wedgeworth talks about the fear many parents carry that they’ve somehow “ruined” their kids. We discuss parenting failures, repentance, repair, and the freedom that comes when we stop trying to be perfect parents and start trusting God’s grace.
Abbey and I talk honestly about how community shapes us as moms, why repair matters so much in relationships with our kids, and how God can use both our faithfulness and our failures in the lives of our children.
Abbey Wedgeworth is an author, Bible teacher, and speaker who encourages moms with gospel-centered truth and practical hope for everyday motherhood. Her newest book is called, Help! I’m Ruining My Kids.
(02:52) The Fear of Ruining Our Kids
(05:58) Understanding Conviction vs. Shame
(09:00) The Power of Repentance
(12:08) Navigating Apologies and Repairing Relationships
(15:01) Excuses vs. Explanations in Parenting
(17:55) Self-Care and Managing Stress
(21:10) The Importance of Community in Parenting
Resources Mentioned
Help! I’m Ruining my Kids book
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy30m - Jun 23, 2026 - Growing in gentleness when you’re tired and stretched thin with Christie Thomas
In today’s episode, Christie Thomas is back to talk about the quiet strength of gentleness and why it matters so deeply in our homes. Christie shares how gentleness is not weakness or passivity, but strength held under control for the good of others. We discuss parenting through the fruit of the Spirit, responding instead of reacting, and how our kids learn about the character of Jesus through the way we handle frustration, conflict, and mistakes.
We also talk honestly about the exhaustion of parenting, spiritual dry seasons, postpartum anxiety, worship as prayer, and simple ways to stay connected to God when you feel overwhelmed.
This conversation is full of practical encouragement for parents who want to build homes marked by patience, safety, grace, and the gentleness of Christ.
(00:00) Introduction to Christie Thomas and Her Journey
(03:10) Understanding Gentleness: A Deeper Meaning
(06:04) Gentleness in Parenting: Balancing Authority and Compassion
(08:51) The Role of the Holy Spirit in Cultivating Gentleness
(12:09) Discipling Our Children Through Our Actions
(14:50) Practical Steps to Grow in Gentleness
(18:05) The Impact of Gentleness on Family Dynamics
(21:02) Resources for Growing in Gentleness
(24:03) Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources Mentioned
Everyday Prayers for Gentleness book
Prefer video? Find this and other episodes on YouTube!
The Christian Parenting Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy26m - Jun 16, 2026
