Faith in Parents

Let's hang out with Charlie and Dan. We're talking Gen Alpha- that's all our kids who are born after 2010. Dan says they're inspiring and hope-filled leaders. They're also voice activated, swiping, coding, messaging, coordinating, tech savvy and all in a wizz. As parents, we struggle to keep up. They can be our guide!

We also tackle the downsides when there is less play, less conversation and their lower concentration span. They say they're bored but don't know how to be bored.
Dan gets us talking about engaging them in Church and encourages parents to lean in with a new spiritual openness.
Charlie covers routine, time limits and the dangers of online contacts.
Great guests! Ed leaves thinking he may not be too old while Amy asks for a quick recap

Charlie and Dan Blythe are leaders, communicators, and parents of two boys, passionate about helping families.

Charlie works with A21, a global anti–human trafficking organisation, and Dan leads Alpha Youth, equipping the next generation to explore faith and life’s biggest questions.

Together, they host the Yung Cubs Parenting Podcast, creating honest, hope-filled conversations about raising kids in today’s world. You can join the journey @yung_cubs_parenting

In this madcap special episode, Ed and Jam are all about donuts. Would you believe Jam’s favourite donut is a jam donut? Coincidence?! Yes! But donuts are for sharing – like the gospel. Except the ones made of potato. Or the ones with expensive grit on the top. All this, plus live donut eating action – and music from Awesome Cutlery.

https://www.awesomecutlery.com/tracks/good-news-family/

(Some donuts were harmed in the making of this podcast).

And get your Donut Sunday resources at the Faith in Kids website:

https://www.faithinkids.org/resources/all-age-talks/donut-sunday-inspiring-everyone-for-outreach/

Support the show

Let's start 2026 knowing Jesus is going to do good in our families. 

We start by talking donuts and how our families can reach our friends this year. Listen to Amy's top tip: Be ordinary! 

Hear Ed's desire to love his friend well on the side of the football pitch in the rain. And enjoy Amy explaining what she says to another mum outside the school gate..

We talk donuts because they're the secret to mobilising a church for mission! Which is your favourite- iced, ring or jammy? 

Amy and Ed also make time to celebrate how the next generation are doing better than us at outreach- hear how the 5% can change the eternity of the 95%.

Links:

Donut Resource

Faith in KIDS 4 KIDS Donut Episode

Scripture Union - To find out more about reaching the 95 

🌟 Take a break from the chaos and join Ed and Amy for some Christmas encouragement.

👑 We’re off on an adventure with the wise men, with all the action of shifting stars, dodging bad guys, the struggle with “boys eyes” and practical encouragement to find ways to worship Jesus in the middle of every day family life.

Adventure of Christmas resources here:

https://www.faithinkids.org/resources/sunday-school/the-adventure-of-christmas/

It’s nearly Christmas! Ed and Amy chat honestly about the gap between the Christmas we imagine and the one we actually get – the nits, the nit lotion, the 2am present-opening, the sleepless children and the WhatsApp family polls about who’s bringing the cheese.

They share childhood Christmas memories, talk about the pressure to create a picture-perfect, movie-style Christmas, and gently remind us that “big Christmas joy” doesn’t come from the middle of Lidl or the perfect dinner set – it comes from Jesus, who stepped into our very real, slightly messy lives.

Christmas Resources:

https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/the-adventure-of-christmas-book

https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/the-adventure-of-christmas-tract

https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/come-along-christmas-advent-calendar

Adventure of Christmas Wise Men all age service:

https://www.faithinkids.org/resources/church/the-adventure-of-christmas/

The Christmas Build Up digital advent resource:

https://christmasbuildup.faithinkids.org/

Kate and Matt believe they are normal people. Matt knows how to slot motorway bridges into place and Kate is a medical engineer who can juggle twins. Their super power is that they are trying to reach neighbours, colleagues and not-yet-friends with the good news of Jesus. 

We hear the stories of frightening five year olds doing forceful evangelism and little one's praying over friends in the classroom. There is a ton of top tips including Amy saying it's alright just to sob at the school gate, Kate finding a better use for the class WhatsApp group and Matt being bold every Monday morning. 

In short, none of them are confident, but all of them are trusting Jesus to bring the miracles. We can all be normal families who bumble along taking every opportunity for the King.

Links:

https://www.brfonline.org.uk/products/refresh

Hosts: 

Ed Drew - Director of Faith in Kids
Amy Smith – Writer for Faith in Kids

Join Ed, Amy and Nay Dawson as they talk through a Christian approach to Halloween for parents. We can use Halloween as an opportunity to talk to our children about fearless faith, living distinctively and loving generously. It is also the one time when our community knocks on our door. How can we love them, offer them something of Christ without compromising our deep conviction that Christ is the light of the world?

People: 

Ed Drew - Director of Faith in Kids
Amy Smith – Writer for Faith in Kids
Nay Dawson - Nay is the founder of Passion for Evangelism. PfE exists to empower, encourage, and equip women to share the good news of Jesus with God-given confidence and creativity. 

Quote from Nay:

“It may well be that we don’t trick or treat ourselves. My two daughters get really scared of that kind of stuff. But we were so busy last year. All we were doing was constantly filling up this box to give away ‘gift bags of light’. If you’re unconvinced, go back to Scripture to see what is says about being light of the world, and if Jesus is the light of the world, we have this incredible opportunity to bring light into darkness and point to the light on this dark night.”

 
If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch with us at [email protected]. We won't read out your emails on the podcast if you don't want us to, but we'd love to hear your stories and feedback.  We would love to speak to some families or share your stories on social media, be brave and get in touch!

Genuinely, we love hearing from folks, and helps us feel less like we are speaking into the void - do send us a friendly hello on email or socials, it might just make our day!

Support the show (http://www.faithinkids.org) 

In this warm and witty crossover episode of the Faith in Parents and Faith in Kids for Kids podcasts, Ed, Amy, and Jam dive into one of the most common questions parenting seem to be facing every day... "can I watch this?".

They discuss what it means to “choose the wallpaper” of your home — shaping the tone and values behind what your family watches. Expect stories about Buddhist cartoons, tearful cinema trips, and the joy of discovering shows you can genuinely enjoy together.

Together, they discuss:

• How to balance shared viewing and solo screen time
• Why it’s okay to let kids be a little scared sometimes
• How to spot opportunities for spiritual conversations after films
• Setting healthy boundaries around screens and smartphones
• The freedom of remembering: you’re the parent — you set the wallpaper.

James Cary is a scriptwriter, author and podcaster (co-host of the Faith in Kids podcast!) His new podcast is called The Stand-Up Theologian. His show touring the UK in 2025-26 is called God, the Bible and Everything (in 60 Minutes). Dates are here: https://www.jamescary.co.uk/

That episode of Popcorn Parenting on Encanto is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6pvyhy3k6U

Pixels and Parables: Can Gaming Be Good?
With Guests Tom Clarke and Andy Gears

In this episode, Ed and Amy dive into a conversation many Christian parents are asking: “What do we do about gaming?” Is it a waste of time? Is it dangerous? Or could there be something good buried under the pixels?

They’re joined by two guests who actually love games—Andy, a game developer who’s created a Bible-based adventure game (The Serpent and the Seed), and Tom, a dad of three who’s spent years figuring out how to enjoy gaming with his kids, not just against it.

Together, they explore:

•⁠  ⁠How gaming can be more than a screen-time battle
•⁠  ⁠⁠Why playing with your kids might change the game
•⁠  ⁠⁠How to set boundaries with grace, not guilt
•⁠  ⁠⁠And whether a co-op Minecraft session can teach us about Jesus (spoiler: maybe it can)

This episode isn’t about being for or against games. It’s about discipling our children in a digital world, learning to enter their world like Jesus enters ours, and finding gospel moments—even between rounds of Fortnite.

Episode Links:

Listen to "Gaming for God":
https://www.buzzsprout.com/237067/episodes/9869948

Gaming for God Article: 
https://www.faithinkids.org/article/gaming-for-god-an-introduction-to-video-gaming-for-parents/

The Serpent & The Seed Game:
https://discipleship.tech/serpentseedgame/

People:

Andy Geers - Andy is the CEO of Discipleship Tech, the creator of PrayerMate and Co-founder of Kingdom Code. For as long as he can remember, he has two passions: Coding and Christ. Since then his passions have grown to include his wife and three children! They live in North London

Tom Clarke - Tom lives in Kent with his wife, Lizzie, and their three pre-teen children. He loves church, Lego and gaming with his children.

The joy and angst of our children's friendships are a constant feature of so many homes.

Hear Amy and Ed share their stories of friendship success, of God hearing prayers and the miracle of care between children. But we also have the stories of tears, of the years of heart break and the longing for better. What can we say? What can we do for our children?

Hear the rules of saying 'hello' on a bus.
Discover if Amy thinks it's alright to swear in righteous anger
Learn about the wonderful bonding power of Cricket stats
Join us. Because friendships are a mess worth making.

Links:

• Who Am I? - Faith in Kids Resource 
• Reclaiming Masculinity - Matt Fuller