There are certain things that we do that put our faith into unnecessary danger. I have developed some ways of defeating doubts in my own mind, but also ways to mitigate the doubts in the first place. Let me give you five ways to … Read More
Why I Remain a Christian
I think some people I assume I am a Christian for job security. Perhaps I’ve even felt that in the past. Today I know that nothing could be further from the truth. I became a Christian because I had a powerful experience with God … Read More
Two GREAT app’s for parents
Of late I have stumbled upon two great apps for parents that you may want to check out. Parent Cue The first app is called “Parent Cue” and was developed by ReTHINK – the same folks who put on the family ministries conference “Orange.” This … Read More
Why I am a Christian
I was born into a Christian family, but that is only a small part of why I am a Christian. I am grateful for the foundations my family gave me, however every soul needs to find their own answer in Jesus for faith to mean … Read More
The Command to Teach our Children
I recently added Psalm 78:5-7 to my memory verse rotation. It says: He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children so that a future generation— children yet to be born—might … Read More
Prepping Your Kids For Summer Camp
It’s summer camp season again and many of our kids are just chomping at the bit to spend their week in nature, making new friends and creating awesome memories. However, for some of our kids, the battle between excitement and fear is a real thing. What … Read More
Becoming the Wonderer
I heard once that the ancient Jews would sometimes wait up to two years or more to name their children so that the name would match their personality. I have no idea if this is actually true or not, but for the purpose of this … Read More
Southland’s Dream For Your Children
Should you ever wonder if we have a plan and goal in mind when you drop off your kids in our children’s ministries, allow me to put that to rest for you! We are crazy about being intentional! Both our K-4 and middle school ministry have … Read More
Helping your kids keep God bigger than their problems
Being a kid is hard. Friends are tricky. School is tricky. Parents are tricky. And Church is tricky. No matter how you slice it, our kids face some really difficult choices, challenges, and changes. Considering that parents also face choices, challenges, and changes, it is … Read More
Surviving Family Roadtrips
Our family likes to road trip. Over the past few years we’ve taken a bunch and, I believe, have gained a lot of wisdom in the art of long-haul survival. (Bear Grylls should shoot an episode from inside our van!) A few years ago, we drove … Read More
4 Ways to Help Lonely Kids
Our second son is currently in grade 4, going into grade 5, and he is experiencing some of the same challenges with friends that his older brother had at that age. What is it about those grades? Maybe it’s because kids at that age are … Read More
HELPING KIDS UNDERSTAND EASTER (PART 3): The Temple
When you sit down and think about it, you discover that Christianity makes some astonishing claims. Claims which aren’t easy to understand for adults, let alone children. So how does a parent explain Easter where the God-Man Jesus Christ died on the cross for our … Read More
Helping Kids Understand Easter (part 2): the market and the courtroom
When you sit down and think about it, you discover that Christianity makes some astonishing claims. Claims which aren’t easy to understand for adults, let alone children. So how does a parent explain Easter where the God-Man Jesus Christ died on the cross for our … Read More
Animal Underground – the LOST episodes!
Yes it’s true! Three “lost” Animal Underground episodes have emerged from the archives! Hope you enjoy them. And don’t forget you can find ALL the Animal Underground episodes HERE, or as soon as they are released by subscribing at Apple Podcasts (just search for “Animal … Read More
Helping Kids Understand Easter (part 1): the four stories of the cross
For the past year, I have been teaching our grade 7 and 8 students about how they can have confidence as Christians. We have talked about if you can know Truth and why bad things happen to good people, among many other topics. Lately we … Read More
Protecting Purity in Kids Workshop
Protecting Purity in Kids was a workshop Pastor Thom did this winter. It is intended to help parents understand their children’s sexual development, give tips for talking to them about sex and tools to keep their kids safe online.
What It’s Like to be Autistic (And How to Survive)
For some people with Autism, silence does not exist. Even in the quietest room, they might hear what others don’t – a clock ticking. The hum of a fluorescent light. The clacking of fingers on keyboards. The scraping of a pencil on paper. With sensory … Read More
The Privilege of Serving our Children
If there is one cry you hear in just about every church in every corner of the continent, it is “We need more volunteers!” I remember several years ago when sitting in a meeting, a colleague of mine commented that he just couldn’t understand why … Read More
The ONE Weapon Every Kid Needs
Nope, I’m not talking about your kid’s first Daisy BB gun (as much as every kid needs a pellet gun.) Pellet guns are good for knocking over tins cans, but I’m talking about the number one spiritual weapon we can arm our kids with. There … Read More