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Making a Spiritual Impact on Your Teens: Young Adults Share How Their Parents Shaped Their Faith

In Knowing and Loving God, Relationship with Kids, Uncategorized by Taylor JohnsonLeave a Comment

Now that my kids have become teenagers, my husband and I have thought and prayed through what this spiritual discipleship process should look like as they move closer and closer to adulthood.   On the one hand, our teens are often exposed to more worldly influences than when they were younger, making it more essential to guide them through uncharted waters that could affect their faith.  On the other hand, they are growing up and becoming more independent, making it harder to know how to spiritually mentor them without making them feel “too young”  or worrying that they won’t want our spiritual influence in their lives any longer. For this reason, I felt led to interview young adults who are strong in their faith and were positively impacted by their parent’s spiritual mentorship during their teen years to learn what impacted them the most. These insights will help those of us seeking to spiritually disciple our own teenagers to gain insights on what seems to work well and how to best encourage our kids spiritually during this more complex stage of life. 

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Raising a Faithful Generation: Equipping Kids to Stand Firm in a Shifting Culture

In Knowing and Loving God, Reflecting His Character, Sharing His Love by Merry Usman2 Comments

In a world where biblical truth is increasingly challenged, raising children who stand firm in their faith can feel like an uphill battle. Cultural pressures, shifting moral values, and the pervasive influence of social media all compete for the hearts and minds of the next generation. As Christian parents, mentors, and church leaders, our calling is clear: to equip our children to navigate this ever-changing landscape while embodying the love and truth of Christ. But how do we do this effectively?

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A Mama Heart Like Jesus: Sending Our Kids Out to
Share God’s Love

In Sharing His Love by Taylor JohnsonLeave a Comment

Jesus sent the disciples out to share the good news and minister to others once they had been equipped to do so.  Likewise, once we give our kids a sense of purpose, equip them to bear good fruit, and model sharing Jesus’ love with others, it’s time to send them out.  Just like Jesus used a boy who was willing to share his lunch to feed 5,000, God can use our kids too. In fact, children have a unique position and faith that allows them to impact the world around them in significant ways.

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Choosing a Devotional Your Children Will Want to Read

In Devotionals, Knowing and Loving God by Taylor JohnsonLeave a Comment

One way to encourage our children to have a personal relationship with the Lord is to encourage devotional readings coupled with reading their Bibles.  Devotionals are impactful because they teach Biblical truths and help children apply God’s Word to their lives through stories, analogies, and discussion questions. Devotionals can also encourage children in their prayer life.  There are many different kinds of devotionals we can use to encourage our children in their walk with the Lord, so sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start.  

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Helping Your Teens Prepare Spiritually for College

In Knowing and Loving God, Reflecting His Character by Taylor JohnsonLeave a Comment

Recently my good friend Lindsay shared with me about her experience sending her first child off to college this year.  I was so amazed and encouraged to learn about the intentional ways she has prepared her daughter to be spiritually grounded to leave home.  I was also impressed with the process she went through to help her daughter determine which school was the best fit for her.  Because our conversation was so insightful, I asked her to share with us about her experience sending her daughter off to college for the first time, and how she prepared her daughter spiritually to do so.