{"id":38936,"date":"2024-07-03T21:24:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T11:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpaulsanglican.org.au\/?p=38936"},"modified":"2026-07-13T22:20:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T12:20:46","slug":"parenting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpaulsanglican.org.au\/zh\/explore\/parenting\/","title":{"rendered":"Curious about Christian parenting?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hi there! My name is Pip (short for Phillip). I\u2019m a pastor at St Paul\u2019s Anglican Church in Carlingford. I have a wonderful wife named Sophie and a daughter named Nora who keeps us busy and entertained. She is less than one year old, but already she has taught my wife and me so much about ourselves and about life.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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I wrote this resource to help parents explore how Christian faith impacts our parenting. I don\u2019t have all the answers\u2014I\u2019m sure of that. But I believe the Bible has answers. Whether or not you believe in God or the Bible, my encouragement is to keep an open mind as we explore this topic.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The question all parents want an answer to<\/b><\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\nIf there\u2019s one thing kids do better at than adults, it\u2019s asking questions. \u201cWhy is the sky blue?\u201d, \u201cWhy do I have to go to sleep?\u201d, \u201cWhy can\u2019t I have ice cream for dinner?\u201d<\/span>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Kids have lots of questions, but sometimes mums and dads just have one: \u201cAm I a good parent?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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We worry: Am I doing this right? Will my kids turn out okay? Am I giving them the best possible education? Are they making enough friends? Are they making the\u00a0<\/span>right<\/em>\u00a0friends? Is my child going to be alright?<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you\u2019ve asked yourself these questions, you\u2019re not alone. And here\u2019s the good news: you don\u2019t have to figure it out by yourself. Christians believe that God wants to help parents in raising their children, because God loves people (including parents and their children!).<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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If you are not a Christian, my encouragement is to be open to the wisdom the Bible gives. Let\u2019s keep exploring.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Wisdom from the Bible<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\nThe Bible has lots to say about parenthood: the good, the bad, and the ugly.\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nIn the Bible, the book of Proverbs offers guiding principles for life. Proverbs 22:6 says: \u201cTrain up a child in the way they should go; even when they are old, they will not depart from it.\u201d This is a general truth: when we train, tutor and guide our kids go in the way they should, the benefits extend even into their adult lives.<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nBut no matter how good we are at training and teaching our kids, we\u2019ll never be perfect. We all make mistakes. The Bible reveals this clearly\u2014every single story of a parent trying to raise their children shows that even the best parents aren’t perfect.<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The perfect parent<\/b><\/h2><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nThe Bible gives us lots of examples of parents. But there\u2019s only one parent in the Bible described as being completely perfect. The perfect parent is not a human parent\u2014it\u2019s God!<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nThe Bible describes God as a father. Throughout the Bible, God is a perfect parent: he provides, he guides, he disciplines with love, and he never stops caring even when his children mess up.<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nWe see this perhaps most clearly in the famous parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11\u201332). In this story, a son rebels against his father and spends his father’s money in reckless living. Broken and desperate, the son returns home, expecting rejection. But his father sees him from afar and runs to embrace him with overwhelming joy. There are no harsh words, only celebration and forgiveness.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nGod is that father, and we are that child. Even though we so often ignore God while squandering the good gifts he gives us, he loves us more than we know. He welcomes us home not with judgment but with open arms.<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nWhen you look at how God relates to His people\u2014with patience, with forgiveness, with a kind of love that doesn\u2019t depend on performance\u2014you get a glimpse of what good parenting actually looks like.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Hope for imperfect parents<\/b><\/h2><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nI love my daughter, but I know I am not a perfect dad. When I think about the mistakes I\u2019ve already made as a parent, and when I think ahead to all the potential mistakes I\u2019ll make as my daughter grows up, it\u2019s easy for me to feel despair.<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nAnd yet, my despair turns to joy when I realise that God cares for me and my daughter more than I could possibly dream. God cares for me like a child. 1 John 3:1 says, \u201cBehold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!\u201d<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nIt is liberating to know that God\u2019s love for me doesn\u2019t depend on my performance as a parent. It also gives me deep comfort to know that God wants to help me as a parent. If you feel like an imperfect parent, it\u2019s probably because you are\u2014in fact, we all are!<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nThe goal of parenthood isn\u2019t to be perfect\u2014and it\u2019s not even to raise perfect kids. The goal of parenthood is to raise our kids so that they know that even though they are not perfect, and even though we are not perfect, we have a God who loves us perfectly.<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Keep exploring<\/b><\/h2><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\nIf this resource has stirred up questions for you, that\u2019s a good thing. Questions about life, meaning, and God are worth exploring\u2014both for you and your kids! Below are some possible next steps you might take to help you (and your kids) keep exploring.<\/span>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJoin us for Super Sunday with your kids! \t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIt's a wonderful opportunity to connect with families whose children attended Kids Holiday Club. Bring your kids and enjoy a lively morning filled with songs, games, and a child-friendly message. We look forward to welcoming you at our Morning Church service at 9:15am or our Mandarin Church service at 11:15am on Sunday, 26 July, for this special event!\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYou\u2019re welcome at church\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIf these questions have stirred something in you, we\u2019d love to walk alongside you. Visit us at St Paul\u2019s Anglican Church, 32 Moseley Street, Carlingford. Our main Sunday services are 9:15am (families and adults) and 6:00pm (young adults), with youth, kids\u2019, and other gatherings throughout the week.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Got a question?<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n
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We would love to help you with any questions you have. Send through a question and a pastor will reply.<\/p>\n\t\t\n<\/div>\n

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