The Thing About Forgiveness

When it comes to their future after high school, young people have a dizzying array of choices and options made available to them, and with so many choices, anxiety levels can increase. One way to give young people the time and the space to understand their unique purpose and identity as they grow into adulthood is to choose a gap year. A gap year is a time set aside between high school and college or career to gain insight, perspective, and experience. Listen to this week’s episode of the Parenting Pathway Podcast to learn more about gap years from Family Ministry Pastor Dave Carl, High School Ministry Pastor Nathan Kocurek, and special guest Adam Martin, Vice President of Operations for Kanakuk’s Link Year program.

In this episode of the Parenting Pathway Podcast, Family Ministries Pastor Dave Carl and High School Ministry Pastor Nathan Kocurek dig into the topic of inviting our kids into a relationship with God. How do we inspire our kids to love God? It can’t be something we push, demand, or discipline to achieve. This is a heart condition, so how do we encourage our kids to open their hearts to God?

In this episode of the Parenting Pathway Podcast, pastors Dave Carl and Nathan Kocurek discuss the challenging nature of forgiveness. Listen as they ask questions and discuss what’s standing in the way of accepting forgiveness from God. As parents, we need to surrender and embrace God’s forgiveness before we can invite our kids to receive it also. Wouldn’t you want to give your kids the gift of a lifelong relationship with a loving and forgiving God?

In this week’s return to the Parenting Pathway Podcast, Family Ministries Pastor Dave Carl invites Elementary Ministry Leader Barbara Deatherage to share her struggle to overcome a lifelong battle with legalism and redefine what it means to be a follower of Christ.

In this week’s episode of the Parenting Pathway podcast, Family Ministries Pastor Dave Carl and High School Ministry Associate Pastor Nathan Kocurek discuss a topic many have wrestled with but usually don't want to say out loud for fear of being judged: What is the purpose of Christianity?

In part two of our Parenting Pathway Podcast series on mentoring, Pastors Dave Carl and Steve Fischer talk about what it looks like to be a mentor and a mentee. We at Stonebriar strongly believe that spiritual growth is best achieved through the guidance and encouragement of fellow believers. The intimacy that develops in a mentor/mentee relationship is the best path to promoting spiritual development.

The more time we spend with kids and their parents, the more we have become convinced that all of our kids are desperate for mentors in their lives. The ability for our kids talk to someone they trust and that you trust, but is not you, is so important and life-giving to them. You can say something to your kids 1,000 times, but it usually takes someone else saying the same thing for them to hear it. Here at Parenting Pathway, we always end each podcast episode with the phrase, "Don't do life and don't do parenting alone." The power of someone beside you, pointing your kids to Christ, is overwhelming. This week on our Parenting Pathway Podcast, Family Ministries Pastor Dave Carl and Care Ministries Pastor Steve Fischer discuss the importance of mentorship in our lives and the lives of our children. Listen to: The Value of a Mentor to Our Kids, Part 1.

This week on our Parenting Pathway Podcast, Pastors Dave Carl and Nathan Kocurek are stepping into the topic of failure in our kids’ lives. The very nature of children growing is a process of failing and learning from it. Whether they are a toddler learning to walk or a teen learning to drive, each life experience requires the fine tuning of their skills. Failing is a natural part of the learning process, but allowing our kids to fail, and watching them work through the consequences of that failure, is significantly more painful for parents than if we endured the failure ourselves. Listen to today's podcast episode to hear Dave and Nathan unpack why parents are resistant to allowing our kids to fail, why failure is important in kids’ lives, and how to help our kids boldly pursue opportunities and success.

As a parent raising boys in today’s America we struggle with helping them find their way to manhood and be the leaders and spiritual influences that God has called him to be.  Dr. Ron Archer—pastor, speaker, and author join Pastors Dave Carl and Nathan Kocurek to talk about his new book The Power of One Man: How God Uses Men Like You to Change the World.

In the last year, screens have crept into every area of our lives. At first this seemed like the best solution, but now as the we start to expand life outside our pandemic bubble the pull to stay tethered to our screens seems unbreakable.  Are you, or members of your family finding it hard to step into face-to-face relationships? This week, Student Ministry Youth Pastor, Nathan Kocurek talks with David Murrow, author of Drowning in Screen Time, on our Parenting Pathway Podcast.