PODCASTS

Tag: #FAMILYLIFENEWS

An Interactive Good Friday Experience – Hometown Heroes – 3/19/24

An Interactive Good Friday Experience – Hometown Heroes – 3/19/24

A Tonawanda Church invites the surrounding communities to experience first-hand what Jesus experienced on the original Good Friday.

Their interactive Good Friday experience takes place on Good Friday, March 29. Guests can drop in for as long or as little as they like, anytime between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. First Trinity Lutheran Church is at 1570 Niagara Falls Boulevard in the northern Buffalo suburb.

Carolyn Doster is one of the coordinators. She tells our “Hometown Heroes” interviewer Mark Webster about what families and individuals will discover as they “Journey Through Good Friday”. The Biblical story comes alive with an all-five-senses self-paced visit. It is family friendly, plus has advice for parents of very young children about two of the 16 scenes which may be too stark or need parental context. The First Trinity website offers a preview (plus information for people who are unable to attend in person).

https://printerval.com/au/good-friday-wish-classic-t-shirt-p77564

Issues in Education – 3/18/24

Issues in Education – 3/18/24

 

Issues in Education – 3/18/24

Education spending is a huge “chunk of change” in the 233 billion dollar New York State budget. That amount is in addition to all the local and county funds which pour into school district coffers.

The founder of the Teaching and Learning Institute says local school districts statewide need to prepare themselves for some fiscal belt-tightening in the very near future. Dr. Ralph Kerr explains why, in this Family Life News podcast.

Also on this week’s “Issues in Education“:

  • New York residents vote on their local school budgets on May 21.
  • That same time, they’ll also elect new or returning members of the school board.
  • School board candidates have until April 22 to submit their nominating petitions.
  • Students, parents and colleges continue to be “on edge” over an historic delay in financial aid forms, the FAFSA process used by most of higher education. (Dr. Kerr says the delay is not the fault of the universities.)

Capital Connection – 3/15/24

Capital Connection – 3/15/24

Capital Connection” on Family Life     3/15/24

Christian watchdogs Jason McGuire and Michael Geer discuss the issues making news from Albany and Harrisburg from a faith and family perspective.

Listen for the latest analysis on these stories:

Making Political Hay out of the IVF Controversy

Recapping Legislative Day 2024 in New York

Decriminalizing Adultery, perhaps

New Bill Targets Gambling Addiction

Abortion Expansion Efforts in Pennsylvania

Jason McGuire is executive director of the New York Families Foundation: www.newyorkfamilies.org

Michael Geer is president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute: www.pafamily.org

They (and other representatives of these two organizations) join Family Life’s Bob Price for this weekly roundtable on the Friday edition of the Family Life Noon Report.

Diversity of viewpoints on a SUNY campus (an update) – 3/14/24

Diversity of viewpoints on a SUNY campus (an update) – 3/14/24

Faith Under Fire” from Family Life

A reversal by campus leadership will now allow a group of conservative students to receive official recognition for their local chapter of Turning Point USA at SUNY/Cortland. The student senate there had initially vetoed approval of Turning Point as a campus organization. However, a First Amendment lawsuit was filed, claiming that the senate had discriminated against the students’ Constitutionally-protected viewpoints and that opponents had launched a planned assault on the students bringing a petition for consideration. According to the Alliance Defending Freedom, the petitioners endured 100 minutes of questioning and demeaning responses from student senators and a philosophy professor. Students Gabriella Delorenzo and Megan Rothmund next took there concerns to the college president. Erik Bitterbaum warned that they would likely be denied again, telling them, “We silence voices all the time in this country. That’s the tragedy and also the greatness of democracy.”

A review committee at the State University of New York school reversed the rejection, giving the Turning Point chapter the same rights and privileges of other officially-sanctioned campus organizations.

In this exclusive Family Life interview, ADF attorney Matthew Hoffman gives background on this specific lawsuit (which as of now continues to be pending, as ADF wishes to assure that SUNY/Cortland’s policies protect a full range of viewpoints in future decisions). Hoffman, who also works with ADF’s Center for Academic Freedom, also offers his perspectives on freedom of speech and thought on campus and in the culture, and the danger that officials who try to shut down or punish prominent groups and speakers also have a “chilling effect” on others who agree with divergent viewpoints.

 

For more information:

The Alliance Defending Freedom:  ADFlegal.org

Specifics on the case and SUNY’s two actions:  adflegal.org/case/turning-point-usa-suny-cortland-v-cortland-college-student-association

Matthew Hoffman:  biography

Turning Point USA:  national website

SUNY/Cortland:  Student Government Association

Family Life News has also reached out to SUNY officials for their comments.

Inside Out – Gen Z Needs Friends – 3/13/24

Inside Out – Gen Z Needs Friends – 3/13/24

Gen Z is Looking for Friends

Gen Z has a reputation for being tech-addicted and anti-social, but it makes sense that many are looking for friends.

“We were designed by God to experience Him when we’re in fellowship with other believers—believers of all ages,” says Kirsten Franze, author of The Gospel Coalition article “Gen Z is Looking for Friends.”

“This age group can experience a lot of change and emotional instability due to the way they’re developing, and so it’s really hard, and they’re eager for a wise, non-parental figure to care enough to listen to their challenges and offer encouragement,” she says.

 “This kind of relationship fills a need for wise guidance in life that they really do want, but maybe there are some things that are hard to discuss with their parents,” she adds.

 The opportunities are there, but if you’re older than Generation Z it can feel intimidating to reach out to teens and twenty-somethings when it looks like you have little in common.

 “Pray about and consider who God has placed in the regular routines of your life, because they’re there for a reason, right? Remember their names, say hi to them on Sunday or wherever you see them regularly,” Franze says. “Ask them questions, like how their exam went, how sports are going, how developing friendships is going in their freshman year of college. Find out what’s important to them—like what makes them light up—and just take an interest in it, because they’ll be surprised that someone even cares enough to ask.”

 

Learn more about being friends with someone in GenZ by listening to our 7-minute podcast.

Read the article that inspired the podcast here.

Read more of Kirsten Franze’s work here.

EMAIL FAMILY LIFE

Fill out my online form.