On this month’s M2P podcast, our very own Amy Diller interviews her friend and single mom Donna Collins. Donna shares her story of raising her son as a single parent and she offers insight on how leaders in the church can help and support single parents in meaningful ways. In this conversation, Donna provides practical advice from her own experiences. She also offers words of encouragement for single parents and talks about some ways she has navigated her journey through the years. Sass and Kerry join in to offer their perspectives, and we’re excited to introduce a new member of the M2P team, Chris Hargrove.

On this month’s M2P podcast, you’ll join the conversation we had with wife, mom, and writer Carrie Bevel Partridge. Carrie and her husband, Kevin, have five children, two of whom they adopted from Colombia in 2016. They have been right in the middle of parenting struggles for a long time, and Carrie has a lot to say about our focus this month, “When Parenting Hurts.” Throughout the podcast, we will discuss her article, When Parenting Hurts: A Resource for Moms and Dads. This resource is full of ideas for parents to think through when they are going through hard times as a family. Carrie has been creating resources for families for over a decade, and her hope is to support, encourage, and offer hope to families as they navigate real life. This episode does just that.

As we all move along our journey of life, we are no doubt shaped by what we encounter. Our experiences and the people we encounter have a tremendous impact on who we are. This is especially true of kids and teenagers. Kids and teenagers have many voices and influencers in their lives. As we attempt to disciple the children and teens in our church, in our homes, and in our community, we need to pay attention to the voices in their lives and do everything we can to surround them with the “cloud of witnesses” they need to grow in their faith.

On this episode of the M2P podcast, you’ll join Sass, Amy, and Kerry as they bring to you an interview they recorded while at the 2024 D6 Conference in Orlando, FL. The M2P team had a great conversation with pastor, author, professor, and dad Rich Griffith, about the power of surrounding kids and teens with the positive influences they need. Rich shares a lot of great nuggets from his book Voices: Helping Our Children and Youth Listen to Wise Counsel. Rich has many years of experience both in ministry and as a parent. Rich and the M2P team offer some great insight and encouragement to those of us leading kids and teenagers. It really is a great conversation!