In this conversation we speak with Dr Sarah Allen, a GP with a special interest in anxiety disorders, about the feelings we call anxiety, worry or fear, especially as experienced by our children. Sarah helps us to understand the difference between 'everyday' kinds of worry and clinical anxiety disorders - and what we should do if we think we or our children are suffering from the latter. We talk about how the Bible sheds light on this topic in helping us to understand God's purposes in our and o...
Aug 14, 2025•56 min•Ep. 15
In this episode we talk with Kate Morris and Dave Whittingham, who both have first hand experience of living with neurodivergence and/or supporting neurodivergent children. Kate Morris also brings a wealth of knowledge from her studies and research in this field. Our guests' insights are enlightening, educational and very encouraging. We cover questions like: - What do the terms 'neurodiversity' and 'neurodivergence' mean? - What language is most helpful when referring to neurodivergent people? ...
Jul 17, 2025•58 min•Ep. 14
In this episode we talk with Jocelyn Loane about the thorny topic of discipline. We explore what biblical discipline really means - it's not just punishment for a past wrong, but rather the loving, intentional, wholistic, long-term process of modelling, encouraging, training and correcting our children to help them mature towards godliness. We talk about: - What is discipline? - Why do parents need to discipline? - How can discipline go wrong? - Is it OK for Christian parents to smack (or not to...
Jun 12, 2025•48 min•Ep. 13
In this episode we talk with Jane Gibb, an experienced life and conflict coach, about the many aspects of personal conflict, especially within marriages and families, and how it can help us grow. We had an insightful, practical and wide-ranging conversation about: - What is conflict? - Should Christians expect conflict? - What are the different ways people naturally respond to conflict and why? - Where do we experience conflict in our families? - What steps can we take to work through personal c...
May 15, 2025•59 min•Ep. 12
In this episode we speak with guests Kat Ashton Israel and Al James about the heavy topic of when children wander from the Christian faith. We explore the reasons why Christians can be uncomfortable discussing this topic; the impact it has on parents (and their faith) when a child 'wanders' and how the church can best support families in that situation. We also take an in depth look at the tension between our responsibility as parents to raise our children in the faith and the reality of God's s...
Apr 10, 2025•54 min•Ep. 11
This episode was recorded live at the Mothers Union Sydney Seminar on February 28, 2025 at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. In the final session of the day, Al James and Beth Braga had a conversation about why teens and young adults are dropping out of church and the Christian faith, and what parents can do about it. They spoke about the key factors that, under the sovereignty of God, have been shown to help kids develop a robust, coherent and liveable faith that stays with them into adulthood. Th...
Mar 20, 2025•44 min•Ep. 10
In this 'summer edition' we spoke with Sam Hudson from Youthworks' Getaways program about holidaying well as a family. We talked about why we can find it hard to prioritise family holidays, what God's word has to say on the topic and how holidays can strengthen Christian families in their faith and relationships. Finally, we explored some practical tips for holidaying well, even if our budget is tight or things don't go to plan. Links: Youthworks Getaways : offering immersive outdoor adventures ...
Jan 16, 2025•51 min•Ep. 9
We spoke with author and podcaster Daniel Sih about why Christian discipleship should include being intentional in our family's use of technology. We talked about the effects of tech overuse on children and their learning, the importance of creating 'tech-healthy' rhythms and 'going slow' with introducing new tech to kids. We finished with an encouraging reminder that no matter what, we can always keep coming back to God's unending grace. Links: Parenting in God's Family: Biblical Wisdom for Eve...
Dec 12, 2024•46 min•Ep. 8
In this episode we chat with our guests Mary O'Brien and Jocelyn Loane about what the Bible says about family traditions, how repeated rhythms can benefit our families, and how we can keep our focus on relationships rather than 'rules' amidst it all. We then share some practical ideas and examples of the kind of daily, weekly and yearly rhythms that can draw Christian families closer to God and closer to each other. Links: An Arrival to Celebrate: Fun Advent devotions for busy families unwrappin...
Nov 07, 2024•51 min•Ep. 7
In this episode, we chat with Kat Ashton Israel, preschool educator and mother-of-five, about: how to decide whether our child is ready to start school, how to prepare them for their first day, how to build a positive partnership with our child's educators, and how to navigate conflicts and concerns that may arise. Links: Parenting in God's Family: Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Issues , which contains a chapter on 'Weighing up different types of schooling' by Emily Cobb and two chapters by our gu...
Oct 10, 2024•47 min•Ep. 6
In this episode, Christian sexologist Patricia Weerakoon and her son, theologian Kamal Weerakoon, spoke with Harriet Connor and Al James from the Effective Ministry Podcast. We spoke about the changes in our society that have given rise to transgender ideology, about the many factors that can contribute to children experiencing gender-related distress, about the most effective ways of managing gender dysphoria and about how parents can promote a healthy, biblical understanding of gender that is ...
Sep 12, 2024•56 min•Ep. 5
In this episode, Christian sexologist Patricia Weerakoon and her son, theologian Kamal Weerakoon, spoke with Ann Cunningham and Al James from the Effective Ministry Podcast. We spoke about the secular, hyper-sexualised world our children are growing up in, how the Bible offers a much more positive message about sex, and how parents can start talking to their children about sex in a healthy and natural way. Parents will come away from this conversation feeling encouraged and equipped. Links: Yout...
Aug 15, 2024•41 min•Ep. 4
In this episode, we talk with Al James from Youthworks about what the research tells us about how to help our children stick with Jesus and his church. While there are no guarantees or 'silver bullets', these three things could be called the 'silver shavings' that Christian parents ought to prioritise. Links: Growing Faith Mothers Union Sydney . Listen to past Mothers Union Christian seminars on Soundcloud . Youthworks Media Big Picture Parents Theme music: Soul's Getting Wet by Ali Maegraith. P...
Jul 18, 2024•45 min•Ep. 3
Episode 2 - Doing church well, even when it's hard. With Al James In this episode of the Timeless Parenting podcast, hosts Harriet Connor ( Growing Faith ) and Anne Cunningham ( Mothers Union Sydney ) discuss the importance of prioritising church as a family and share practical tips for making it a positive experience, even when it's challenging. Joined by Al James ( Youthworks Ministry Support ), they explore the benefits of intergenerational relationships in faith retention, strategies to invo...
Jun 13, 2024•44 min•Ep. 2
In our very first episode, you will meet co-hosts Harriet Connor from Growing Faith and Ann Cunningham from Mothers Union Sydney and find out why they have started the Timeless Parenting podcast. Together with their guest Christine Jensen, Ann and Harriet explore whether parenting has become harder over time. They talk about the challenges of modern parenting, such as technology, information overload, social media, busyness and loneliness. But they also reflect on how knowing God, drawing on the...
May 16, 2024•38 min•Ep. 1
