Examining the Challenge of Discipling Kids in a Digital Age with Sarah Cowan Johnson

The foundations for a lifelong faith begin not in children’s ministry or church programs, but with parents. In a world that pushes us to be distracted, disengaged, and anxious, how can we instead disciple our children from a place of peace, attentiveness, and responsiveness to the Holy Spirit’s work in our family? 

In this episode, Jay Y. Kim is joined by Sarah Cowan Johnson, a ministry trainer, consultant, coach, and author of Teach Your Children Well. Together they explore effective strategies for everyday family discipleship and discuss how parents can be expectant and aware of God’s presence and ongoing work in their children. Drawing on her extensive ministry experience, Johnson emphasizes the importance of parents leading the way in their children’s spiritual formation through attentiveness, countercultural choices, and intentionality in the ordinary moments of family life.

Kim and Johnson also dissect social media’s harmful effects on the wellbeing of youth and encourage parents to create age-appropriate opportunities for their children to learn the spiritual skill of discernment.

Tune in to glean wisdom and approachable practices for raising your children well in an overly-hectic and technology-driven world.

Download a reflective guide to The Examen.

This episode highlights the following themes:

• The role of discernment in managing technology's impact on child development
• Integrating spiritual practices into everyday routines through 'habit stacking'
• Redefining parental success through the lens of eternal values rather than societal pressures

Links from this episode:

• Get to know more about Sarah Cowan Johnson
• Order Johnson’s book, Teach Your Children Well
• Follow Sarah Cowan Johnson on Instagram
• Read The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch
• Visit Dr. Jean Twenge’s website
• Visit Jonathan Haidt’s website
• Watch Soul Searching: A Movie About Teenagers and God, directed by Richard Eaton & Michael Eaton, and co-directed by Christian Smith
• Read the transcript here

The world is full of noise. Many are exhausted by the cacophony and chaos of the modern, digital age, where peace is scarce and self-reflection is infrequent. In “The Digital Examen”, a new podcast from IVP, author and pastor Jay Y. Kim converses with a variety of leaders, pastors, and scholars who are working to reorient their lives in the direction of listening, tuning their hearts and minds to hear the voice of God in all of its clarity, kindness, and strength.

Learn more about The Digital Examen

Learn more about your host, Jay Y. Kim

Read Analog Church and Analog Christian by Jay Y. Kim

Links and Credits

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