Published on: 21/07/2026
Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Romans 12:9-13 The Message
I recently got back from maternity leave. My life having been changed once again by a new little person. As many of you will know, being a new parent is simultaneously a life-giving joy and a draining struggle, and it’s easy to feel cut off from the church and distanced from God. For me, this was because I really struggled to find the time or energy to access faith input, let alone feel part of a community.
‘Out of the newborn phase and into the fire!’ – Well no, not quite. But it seems to me even once a parent has made it through the first few months and is able to form a routine, that faith input and community is still out of reach. A parent may feel able to attend church, but the ministry they have access to is often exclusively aimed at children; or they can attend an adult ministry but can’t fully engage because they’re taking their toddler to the toilet or feeling pressure to try and keep them quiet.
It might be tempting to disregard the struggles of early parenthood if we’re not currently going through it ourselves. Afterall it might seem, on a superficial level, like children and families take more from the church community than they give back. Nevertheless, parents need to be reached out to and held by their churches at this vulnerable time. Because isn’t that what churches are for? To build a community that looks after those who are vulnerable?
It’s certainly not a simple situation with an easy solution but by nurturing faith in parents we also nurture faith in children: when faith is present in the home, children are more likely to flourish spiritually.
In the next blog I will be exploring some practical ideas around this subject. With that in mind do get in touch and share your wisdom if this is a strength at your church!
This week’s Blog post was written by Elise Deput, Church in Schools Enabler