Grow Christians

Author name: Miriam McKenney

Miriam Willard McKenney is a child of God who finds extreme joy parenting her three girls: Nia, 26; Kaia, 21; and Jaiya, 18. She and her husband, David, met at the Union of Black Episcopalians conference in 1981. Miriam works as Forward Movement’s Development Director and at Calvary Episcopal Church in Cincinnati as Youth Director. She was a children’s librarian and school media specialist for 20 years before joining Forward Movement’s staff. She loves outdoor fitness in extreme temperatures, as there is no bad weather, just incorrect clothing choices.

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Discipleship, Parenting

We say we want kids and teens at church. So what are we prepared to do?

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Two weeks ago, I wrote a blog post questioning whether or not kids should be forced to attend church. The feedback was overwhelmingly in favor of taking kids to church, for a variety of reasons. If we say we want kids to come to church, then stop engaging them, our actions don’t match up with our words. Just what are we prepared to do to keep kids, teens, and young adults in church?

We say we want kids and teens at church. So what are we prepared to do? Read Post »

Parenting

Jesus Didn’t Have Kids, But He Makes Me a Better Parent

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Remember when the acronym WWJD got popular? What Would Jesus Do is a great question to ask in a myriad of situations: when you’re parking, and someone goes for the same spot you’re going for, when someone is rude, and you want to tell them a thing or two… but what about parenting? Have you ever looked at your kids and wondered… what would Jesus do?

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Parenting, Prayer

Teaching Our Kids to Pray for Our Enemies

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No parent, not matter how old your child is, wants to watch his or her child to be hurt. We need to find ways to rebuild our children so that they want to continue to pursue their goals. This time, we did this by praying for those who wish us to fail.

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Parenting, Spiritual Practices

Changing perspectives with opposite thinking… even with teens.

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Perhaps you know a person who can out-argue any potentially successful advice. Kaia could teach a class on how to shoot down suggestions of any plausibility level. I often want to roll my eyes and say “Ok, whatever, you’ve got it all figured out. Let me know how it goes next time.” This time, before I spoke, I paused and prayed for guidance, and God heard.

Changing perspectives with opposite thinking… even with teens. Read Post »

Liturgical Year, Parenting

Same Family, New Traditions: Preparing to Wait for Jesus

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My mom died fifteen years ago, and it’s still tough to think about “doing the holidays” without her. But through God’s grace and our love for Jesus, we’ve created new ways to celebrate the baby who changed the world.

Same Family, New Traditions: Preparing to Wait for Jesus Read Post »

Discipleship, Health, Parenting, Spiritual Practices

In case of emergency… create a spiritual toolkit

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We have insurance policies, health insurance, spare tires, first aid kits, and AAA. What preparation do we have for when we have a spiritual emergency?

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Discipleship, Spiritual Practices

How Daily Devo Guides My Parenting

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I had no idea that reading, writing, and editing Daily Devo: Devotions for Families would make me a better disciple, and a better parent.

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Parenting, Prayer

Parenting in Pain: I Will, with God’s Help

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A few months ago, Nurya encouraged me to write about my experience parenting in extreme pain. Now that surgery is imminent, I’m ready to share how my pain has brought me closer to my family, my friends, and to God.

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