The One Thing that will Make You A Strong Christian Parent

Last updated on: November 23, 2016 at 9:24 pm By Cindy Brandt

Image: Pixabay So much anxiety abounds in how to raise strong Christian children in Christian parenting. When hard statistics as well as anecdotal evidence reveal young people leaving the church in droves, it is understandable Christian parents and institutions are wringing their sweaty hands trying to figure out how to solve the problem. Some suggest more robust biblical literacy in children, others recommend apologetics for kids, and churches scramble to make their services as child-friendly as possible. But here is... Read more

Six Concrete Actions for the Family Post Election

Last updated on: November 18, 2016 at 10:23 am By Cindy Brandt

Image: Pixabay I’ve been convicted that wearing a safety pin, or joining a Facebook group, or posting messages of support on social media while potentially helpful, are not enough to overcome the battles ahead of us. We must prepare to love our neighbor in the face of potential opposition over the next several years. But I know why we resort to “salcktivism” as it’s been called: It’s because we’re unsure what else to do. It’s not for a lack of... Read more

This Is Not How I Imagined Christianity

Last updated on: November 17, 2016 at 10:43 am By Stephen Mattson

I imagined Christianity would be similar to what I read in the Bible: I would pray for people and they would get better, I would have intimate conversations with God and receive supernatural revelations, I would be an unstoppable force for good, evil would be overcome, and things would generally be good—or at least headed in that direction. I pictured scenes of innocent happiness, laughter, and joy. I envisioned a world where the church would be a source of unstoppable... Read more

‘Tis the Season: 5 Approaches to Religion & Politics During the Holidays

Last updated on: November 15, 2016 at 7:48 am By Anna Skates

There are quite a few of us who are no doubt wringing our hands and preparing for tense times around the dinner table as this holiday season approaches. “Do I speak up when I’m surrounded by people who enthusiastically voted differently than I did?” “What happens if Grandma tells my kids that God is going to punish them for eternity if they don’t accept Jesus into their hearts?” “How do I express my empathy and compassion toward black and brown... Read more

Five Ways to be an Unfundamentalist Parent After the Election

Last updated on: November 11, 2016 at 7:33 pm By Cindy Brandt

Image: Pixabay The worst outcome is now our reality—Trump has won the presidential election. If you are an unfundamentalist parent; one who strives to raise children into a world with less sexism, racism, and homophobia, with a faith that tears down walls and welcomes strangers; this election feels like one giant middle finger to our efforts. As unfundamentalist Christians this is particularly painful as 81% of white evangelicals voted for Trump, so for those of us raised in evangelicalism this... Read more

Raising Children to be Spiritually Multilingual

Last updated on: May 29, 2017 at 9:12 am By Cindy Brandt

Image: Pixabay Sometimes on Saturday mornings when my husband and I are eager to finally launch into our weekend with a good dose of zzz’s, we will be rudely awakened by loud noises outside—clanging cymbals, followed by a string of firecrackers. If we were more familiar with the Taiwanese folk religion, which celebrates certain festivals according to the lunar calendar by parading gods on platforms with teams of brightly costumed men through the streets, we would have anticipated which days... Read more

Evangelical? Progressive? Unfundamentalist?

Last updated on: October 31, 2016 at 4:49 pm By Cindy Brandt

Image: Canva Most people are shocked I still identify as an evangelical given that I have shifted in my faith so drastically and publicly—from a hardcore missionary in a restricted access country to now a progressive Christian blogger. I know many are tired of conversations about labels, believing labels to be the reason why people are frustrated with institutional religion and why can’t we all just be one big happy human family anyway? However, I find it a worthwhile conversation... Read more

9 Ways to Prepare our Children for Suffering

Last updated on: May 11, 2017 at 5:39 pm By Cindy Brandt

Image: Pixabay How do we prepare our children for suffering? John Piper answers in a three point audio cast which I find to be in violation of a child’s autonomy. Today, I’d like to offer better alternatives in hopes of navigating with my fellow unfundamentalist parents, the vulnerable job of raising our children to face the daunting yet inevitable task: to suffer. Here I propose 9 ways to prepare our children for suffering. You can’t. I’m sorry to begin this... Read more

How Donald Trump Exemplifies the Grooming Process of Abusers

Last updated on: October 21, 2016 at 2:35 am By Ryan Stollar

The last few weeks have felt overwhelming and discouraging to me as both an advocate for abuse survivors and a personal survivor of child sexual abuse. With the revelations of Donald Trump bragging to Billy Bush about sexually assaulting women, the subsequent allegations of many women (and a child) against Trump, and the widespread inability of Trump supporters to take abuse seriously and distinguish between abuse and consensual sex, the world has felt askew. Add to this how survivors have... Read more

John Piper, Children & Suffering – Part 1

Last updated on: May 11, 2017 at 5:37 pm By Cindy Brandt

Image: Pixabay I don’t normally frequent the Desiring God site as my theology has taken a dramatic departure from John Piper’s brand of Christianity. *Let it be noted that John Piper was a large influence in inspiring me towards global missions, a vocation I dedicated years of my life to—so when I say I departed from his theology, it isn’t a flippant statement but a concise description of a long, painful, identity-shedding and faith shifting process.* But because of the... Read more