Parenting in a Digital Age

Session 1: Meet Generation Z

Session 2: Counter-cultural Parenting

Session 3: Learning to Communicate Our Faith

Sunday Morning Class: Spiritual Vocabulary

Sunday Morning Sermon: Generation Why

Meet Generation Z – James Emery White

Move over Boomers, Xers, and Millennials; there’s a new generation–making up more than 25 percent of the US population–that represents a seismic cultural shift. Born approximately between 1993 and 2012, Generation Z is the first truly post-Christian generation, and they are poised to challenge every church to rethink its role in light of a rapidly changing culture.
From the award-winning author of The Rise of the Nones comes this enlightening introduction to the youngest generation. James Emery White explains who this generation is, how it came to be, and the impact it is likely to have on the nation and the faith. Then he reintroduces us to the ancient countercultural model of the early church, arguing that this is the model Christian leaders must adopt and adapt if we are to reach members of Generation Z with the gospel. He helps readers rethink evangelistic and apologetic methods, cultivate a culture of invitation, and communicate with this connected generation where they are.
Pastors, ministry leaders, youth workers, and parents will find this an essential and hopeful resource.

Alone Together – Sherry Turkle

Technology has become the architect of our intimacies. Online, we fall prey to the illusion of companionship, gathering thousands of Twitter and Facebook friends, and confusing tweets and wall posts with authentic communication. But this relentless connection leads to a deep solitude. MIT professor Sherry Turkle argues that as technology ramps up, our emotional lives ramp down. Based on hundreds of interviews and with a new introduction taking us to the present day, Alone Together describes changing, unsettling relationships between friends, lovers, and families.

Sticky Faith – Kara E. Powell, Chap Clark

Research indicates that almost half of high school seniors drift from their faith after graduation. Struck by this staggering statistic, and recognizing its ramifications, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the “College Transition Project” in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. This easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Dr. Kara E. Powell and youth expert Chap Clark–authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people–Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages.

How to Lead In a World of Distractions – Clay Scroggins

While many leaders train themselves on how to tune out external distractions that keep them from being productive, they remain deaf to the inner desires and emotions churning beneath the surface. Pastor and author Clay Scroggins describes spiritual disciplines and tangible daily steps to help you incorporate four noise-canceling habits into your daily life:

• Finding simplicity – how does simplicity bring clarity?
• Speaking to yourself – you’re not crazy. Many of us do it, and there are real benefits!
• Getting quiet – silence is difficult. Why emotionally healthy leaders make time for it.
• Pressing pause – what does the word sabbath even mean, and why is it so important–on both a practical and a spiritual level?

By embracing these habits–business, church, and ministry leaders will be able to identify and understand their emotions and develop a calm and effective leadership style.

Boundaries with Kids – Henry Cloud, John Townsend

Using biblically backed principles, including respect, stewardship, and self-control, Drs. Cloud and Townsend share the lessons they’ve learned firsthand after decades of working with families across the country. The tools and support they provide in Boundaries with Kids will change the way you view healthy boundaries, no matter where you are in your parenting journey.
With wisdom and empathy, they take you through the ins and outs of instilling the kind of character in your children that will help them lead balanced, productive, and fulfilling adult lives. You’ll learn how to:

• Define appropriate boundaries and consequences for your kids
• Set limits and still be a loving parent
• Bring balance to an out-of-control family life
• Apply the ten laws of boundaries to your parenting
• Understand the six steps to implementing boundaries in your home

Fantastic Families – Joe Beam

Learn from 14,000 strong families how to have a fantastic family. With the help of this groundbreaking book, you can take the guesswork out of parenting and be assured that you are building not only a strong family — but a fantastic family.
Based on the largest study ever done on strong families — 14,000 families studied over twenty-five years — this book reveals six simple, yet profound, steps to building a fantastic family that will thrive for generations to come.

The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations – Mary Schaller

Love God, love people. Could evangelism really be that simple?
Often, it doesn’t seem so. It can feel scary, awkward, and uncomfortable as we try to navigate loaded questions and different perspectives. Even the most faithful of believers sometimes get stumped. But can you imagine if we, as Christians, simply spent time with people who are far from God and provided a safe place to talk about spiritual matters? If we listened to them and discovered what was really important to them? After all . . . it’s what Jesus did. And it’s what you can do too.
Drawing straight from the life and ministry of Jesus, The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations offers simple practices to help you build relationships with people who believe differently. Anyone who has read and appreciated Becoming a Contagious Christian or Just Walk across the Room won’t want to miss this book on creating a safe space to have natural, loving, and spiritual conversations with others.

Good Pictures, Bad Pictures – Kristen A. Jenson

Good Pictures Bad Pictures is a comfortable, read-aloud story about a mom and dad who teach their child what pornography is, why it’s dangerous, and how to reject it. Using easy-to-understand science and simple analogies, this ground-breaking book engages young kids to porn-proof their own brains.
The 5-point CAN DO Plan teaches kids how to avoid the brain-warping images of pornography and minimize the troubling memories of accidental exposure that often tempt kids to look for more and lead them into a dark and destructive addiction. To stay safe in the digital age, kids must install an internal filter in their own brain. Good Pictures Bad Pictures shows them how.

The Whole Brain Child – Daniel J. Siegel, Tina Payne Bryson

In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offers a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain—and make accessible—the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth.
Complete with age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives.

Teaching Your Child Healthy Sexuality – Jim Burns

Trusted family authority provides a simple and practical guide for parents to help their children develop a healthy perspective regarding their bodies and sexuality.

Crucial Conversations – Joseph Grenny , Kerry Patterson

The book that revolutionized business communications has been updated for today’s workplace. Crucial Conversations provides powerful skills to ensure every conversation―especially difficult ones―leads to the results you want. Written in an engaging and witty style, it teaches readers how to be persuasive rather than abrasive, how to get back to productive dialogue when others blow up or clam up, and it offers powerful skills for mastering high-stakes conversations, regardless of the topic or person. You’ll learn how to:

• Respond when someone initiates a Crucial Conversation with you
• Identify and address the lag time between identifying a problem and discussing it
• Communicate more effectively across digital mediums

Parenting with Purpose – Paul Tsika

How Do You Become The Parent You Always Wanted To Be?
Almost anyone can be a parent, but what does it take to become a truly great parent? Everyone is looking for the secret to successfully raising their kids, and that secret starts with – purpose.

Relationship coaches, Paul and Billie Tsika openly share their struggles and victories in raising three children throughout their 45-year marriage. They even take you behind closed doors and bring their own kids’ perspectives into the book, having them share the good and bad of how they were parented. 

The Power of Showing Up – Daniel J. Siegel, Tina Payne Bryson

One of the very best scientific predictors for how any child turns out—in terms of happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships—is whether at least one adult in their life has consistently shown up for them. In an age of scheduling demands and digital distractions, showing up for your child might sound like a tall order. But as bestselling authors Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson reassuringly explain, it doesn’t take a lot of time, energy, or money. Instead, showing up means offering a quality of presence. And it’s simple to provide once you understand the four building blocks of a child’s healthy development. Every child needs to feel what Siegel and Bryson call the Four S’s:

• Safe: We can’t always insulate a child from injury or avoid doing something that leads to hurt feelings. But when we give a child a sense of safe harbor, she will be able to take the needed risks for growth and change.
• Seen: Truly seeing a child means we pay attention to his emotions—both positive and negative—and strive to attune to what’s happening in his mind beneath his behavior.
• Soothed: Soothing isn’t about providing a life of ease; it’s about teaching your child how to cope when life gets hard, and showing him that you’ll be there with him along the way. A soothed child knows that he’ll never have to suffer alone.
• Secure: When a child knows she can count on you, time and again, to show up—when you reliably provide safety, focus on seeing her, and soothe her in times of need, she will trust in a feeling of secure attachment. And thrive!

Parenting with Love and Logic – Foster Cline and Jim Fay

Designed for preschool and beyond, this helpful and practical psychology-based parenting method is an invaluable guide for all parents! Teach your children healthy responsibility and encourage their character growth from a young age. Learn to establish healthy boundaries with your children through easy-to-implement steps without anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles.

Each issue is indexed for easy reference. Learn how to tame tempers and re-establish a calm, healthy relationship and positive communication with your child today!

The Culture Translator

Each week, our team researches culture to help you stay up to date on the music, movies, TV shows, and social media trends impacting your kid’s world.
Check out the audio version of our Culture Translator on Fridays, and go deeper with the team each Monday with the Culture Translator roundtable – a  Q&A into the context and nuance around the issues affecting your teen’s world.

The One Conversation

Ever wonder what it takes to be a One Conversation Parent?
Dive in with the Axis team as we share interviews with the experts that will help take your conversations with your kids to the next level.
This podcast will provide fuel for your parenting journey as we tackle the toughest topics facing you and your kids.

The Deep Dive

Have you ever felt unequipped and in the dark when it comes to what’s going on in your teen’s world?
Come take a deep dive with us into some of the biggest topics in today’s culture – from music to movies to TV to social media, and everything in between. Each episode will focus on one relevant piece of pop culture, digging under the surface to discuss why teens like it, what it’s about, and the deeper themes and meaning behind it.
This podcast will give you everything you need to know to make conversations with your kid count.

MAMA BEAR APOLOGETICS PODCAST
Mama Bear Apologetics is a podcast for mothers of biological, adopted, or spiritual children who want to learn about how to defend the Christian faith, help give their children reasons for faith, and understand the worldviews that challenge Christian faith in the first place.