What the next Generation needs
These days, there’s a lot of talk about what this generation needs, what they’re lacking and what’s 'wrong' with them. People also discuss how hard life is for them. Some of that is true. However, a steady stream of criticism does not produce strong individuals; it just breeds anxiety, cynicism and blame.
The honest truth is that every generation has faced real pressure, but this one is constantly bombarded by noise. They’re drowning in information but starving for wisdom. They’re hyper-connected, yet deeply lonely. They’re told they can be anything they want, yet they’re not being given the guidance, boundaries and courage needed to become who God created them to be.
So, rather than starting with what’s broken, let’s start with what’s missing and consider what families can actually provide.
This generation doesn't need any more hype. They need roots.
What “roots” look like in real life:
• A stable marriage culture (or stable leadership in a single-parent home)
• Clear boundaries and consistent follow-through
• Rhythms: meals, sleep, Sabbath, prayer
• Adults who don’t panic, because they’re anchored
Roots are built, not wished for.
They need mums and dads!
Reality check:
Kids don’t primarily need more content. They need presence.
They don’t primarily need more experiences. They need stability.
They don’t primarily need more freedom. They need formation.
And formation requires adults who are supported, not stretched to the breaking point.
It’s wonderful when the Body of Christ acts as spiritual parents to those who never had them. However, our deepest desire is for restoration: to see fathers and mothers return to their God-given roles — first to Jesus, and then to each other. After all, strong parents begin as a strong husband and wife.
Let's stop being reactive.
I often can’t understand why we don’t really support parents — not just with a quick “hang in there”, but with practical help, honest advice, prayer and a culture that strengthens the home instead of quietly draining it.
Because here’s what I see time and time again: we claim to care about the next generation, yet we leave parents to cope alone. We critique outcomes while ignoring inputs. We talk about children's anxiety, screen time, rebellion and confusion, yet we rarely ask what pressure their parents are under and who is supporting them.
Reactivity Is a Trap
When a family is constantly reacting, everything becomes urgent and nothing becomes important. Parents end up parenting in emergency mode:
Signs you’re parenting in emergency mode (not shame — clarity):
• You’re constantly renegotiating rules you already set
• Discipline happens only when you’ve hit your limit
• You say yes to avoid conflict, then resent it later
• Your schedule is louder than your values
• Your marriage conversations are mostly logistics
If that’s you: you don’t need guilt. You need margin and support.
Reactive homes don’t usually collapse because of one big tragedy; they collapse from a thousand small compromises—too many yeses, too few margins, and no one protecting the core.
Look at your family—honestly. Step back and ask, “What keeps pulling us into emergency mode, and what are we sacrificing to keep the peace?” Then choose one courageous change this week: protect the core by saying no to one draining commitment, setting one clear boundary (screens, schedule, relationships), and rebuilding one non-negotiable rhythm (prayer together, a weekly marriage check-in, a real Sabbath). Don’t wait for a crisis to give you permission—lead now.
Supporting Parents Is Strategic Disciple-Making
If you want your children to grow up strong, you must first become strong yourself — not in terms of physical strength or willpower, but in terms of stability. When we’re feeling unstable, we naturally start looking for help and something to support us. There's no shame in that; it's revealing, and it's precisely why God designed the family to be led by stable parents who know where their strength comes from.
The church is quick to create programs for youth. That’s great. But the most powerful youth ministry has always been a father and mother who are equipped, backed, and not alone. Youth Ministry is a support to the home, not a escape!
Think about it: we’ll organize entire teams for events, worship nights, and outreach, but we won’t organize support for the people raising souls every single day. That doesn’t make sense.
If we truly believe children are an inheritance from the Lord, then strengthening parents should be a front-line mission, not an afterthought.
We're sorry if this sounds harsh, but after supporting families for over 20 years, we've noticed a clear pattern. Families who establish healthy support systems from the beginning can progress steadily, with guidance, humility, and consistent development. Then there are those who assume that parenting is 'natural', almost automatic, until they hit a wall and suddenly come looking for help. There is always hope, and God can restore anything, but it usually takes longer when we wait for a crisis to force change.
We need to normalise parenting support. People will take courses to raise a dog, hire a personal trainer every week and invest time and money in their hobbies, yet they won't invest in learning how to raise their children. Something is off. Parenting is a calling and a stewardship that requires long-term commitment; it deserves training, support and intentional growth, not just good intentions.
What Real Support Looks Like
Support isn’t controlling how a family runs their home. It’s reinforcing the parents’ God-given role, not undermining it.
Real support sounds like:
“We’re with you—what do you need this week?”
“You’re not crazy. That season is heavy.”
“Your boundaries are wise; don’t apologize for them.”
“How can we help you protect your marriage?”
And it looks like:
babysitting so a couple can breathe
dropping a meal without a lecture
mentoring younger parents without shaming them
helping a dad stand up again instead of labeling him “absent”
giving parents permission to say no to endless demands
Support becomes harmful when it does this:
• Undermines the parents’ decisions in front of the kids
• Creates dependence instead of strengthening leadership
• Shames parents for boundaries
• Offers help only if the family complies with someone else’s preferences
Protect the Covenant: Don’t Sideline Marriage
One of the biggest ways we fail families is by treating the couple like a convenience instead of a covenant.
People will gladly consume the time of a husband and wife until there’s nothing left for each other. Then, when the marriage goes cold, we act surprised.
But Scripture is clear on order: God first, then marriage, then children, then others. When we flip that order, the home starts to shake.
Order protects love. Disorder drains it.
When marriage is neglected, parenting becomes heavier than it was ever meant to be.
A church culture that respects families will not pressure parents to be endlessly available. It will honor their limits. It will protect their Sabbath. It will respect their “no.”
Because a parent who is too busy “for God”, their spouse, or their children isn’t “serving well”—they’re burning out.
Proactive Parenting Is Where Peace Begins
Kids can tell when love is running on fumes.
When parents are supported—emotionally, spiritually, practically—they parent with clarity. They discipline without rage. They listen without distraction. They lead without panic. They become proactive.
And proactive parenting is where peace begins:
boundaries are set before problems explode
schedules are built around what matters most
screens are managed, not tolerated
friendships are discerned early
the home has an atmosphere of prayer and stability
A Call to Leaders, Grandparents, and Community
If you’re a pastor, leader, mentor, or simply a mature believer: supporting parents is not “extra.” It is disciple-making at the root.
If you’re a grandparent: you are not on the sidelines. Your role is spiritual reinforcement, not commentary. Your prayers, your presence, your encouragement—these are weapons.
If you’re a friend: don’t just talk about “the kids these days.” Show up for the parents raising them.
Because the fastest way to lose a generation is to exhaust the people responsible for forming it.
Build a Culture That Strengthens the Home
Let’s stop being reactive—waiting until teens are in crisis, marriages are brittle, and homes are chaotic.
Let’s invest earlier.
Let’s normalize parent coaching. Let’s make prayer for families regular, not rare. Let’s honor boundaries instead of guilt-tripping people into “more.”
And let’s tell parents the truth:
You are not alone. You are called. You are equipped by God. And you’re allowed to protect your home.
Let’s become the village this Generation needs, because this Generation needs healthy mothers and healthy fathers.
Overwhelmed Isn’t the End: God Restores Families
If you’re reading this and you don’t feel healthy—but instead you feel depressed, shaken by life, overwhelmed, and like you’re barely holding it together—don’t feel ashamed. Bring it into the light and ask for help.
We’re unfortunately normalizing a generation of parents who have lost the fire for parenting, the overwhelmed parent who feels like they’re suffocating… and we’re also declaring this: God is restoring marriages, and He is turning children’s hearts back to their parents.
“He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents…” — Malachi 4:6
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28
You are not alone—and you were never meant to do this alone. I know a parenting class can feel daunting, even scary: What if they talk about things I don’t agree with? What if I feel judged? Parenting can divide people quickly, and that fear is real.
But hear this: our hearts are burning, and that fire didn’t come from us—it came from above.
So don’t wait for a crisis to force change. Try. Take a parenting class. Talk to someone who is grounded and trustworthy. Let yourself be equipped—because getting help isn’t a sign you’re failing; it’s a sign you’re fighting for your family.
I’m so grateful we had mentors early on. We walked a real journey with people we trusted—because that’s God’s pattern: the older train the younger.
A Word of Hope for the Overwhelmed Parent
“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent… Then they can urge the younger women…” — Titus 2:3–5
(And the principle applies just as much to men and fathers—older strengthening younger.)
So much pain can be prevented when families don’t do it alone. We still made plenty of mistakes—and that’s okay—because we had a village that loved us enough to call us higher, speak truth, and help us grow instead of letting us drift.
We firmly believe that this next move of God will come through families!
If you’re a single parent
If you’re a single parent:
You’re carrying weight God never intended you to carry alone. This message is not condemnation—it’s a call for covering. You can build roots through wise support: trustworthy mentors, healthy church community, strong boundaries, and consistent rhythms. God supplies what’s missing, and He strengthens you to lead with stability.
A simple next step (don’t overthink it):
Choose one support move this week:
• Join a parenting class
• Ask one couple to mentor you
• Ask one friend for practical help
• Book a coaching/inner healing session
Support isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
Check out our parenting classes here. If you’re French-speaking, you can also join our École des Parents here.
👉 Want weekly parenting encouragement?
Parenting isn’t meant to be done alone. Let us walk with you—offering encouragement, fresh ideas, and a reminder that hope is always possible.
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