Raising Kids Who Don't Deconstruct Their Faith | Alisa Childers
Release Date: 03/03/2026
Operation Christmas Child: How One Shoebox Changed a Life
Everyday Educator
Can a simple gift really change how a child sees God? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Delise Germond sits down with Katie Shearin and Izabella McMillon — two women whose lives intersect through Operation Christmas Child, the shoebox ministry of Samaritan's Purse. Izabella shares her powerful testimony of growing up in communist Romania, where faith had to be practiced in secret, and how a single shoebox gift — and the snow globe tucked inside it — became the moment God's faithfulness became undeniably real to her as a 13-year-old girl. Katie, a Classical...
info_outline
Classical Conversations' Guide to Homeschool Social Media
Everyday Educator
Ever wonder if social media is doing your homeschool family more harm than good — or if it might actually be a gift? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Delise Germond sits down with Classical Conversations' own social media team, Tunrade Schumann and Treva Barnes, to talk honestly about what it looks like for homeschool families to use social media well. Tunrade and Treva share the practical guardrails they use in their own homes — from time limits and phone-free schoolwork to defining your "why" before you scroll — plus how to talk with teens about social media...
info_outline
Neurodivergent Kids in Your Homeschool: Finding Their Keys
Everyday Educator
Is your homeschool student neurodivergent, dyslexic, or dealing with an undiagnosed learning struggle — and you're not sure where to even start looking? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Amy Jones sits down with Margaret Walsh, founder of Secret Garden Educational Pathways, and Alaina Gray, Classical Conversations academic advisor for Challenge A/B1 (and homeschool mom of four), to talk through how to recognize, support, and disciple a child with learning differences. Margaret and Alaina unpack the real difference between a learning disability and an intellectual...
info_outline
Our Favorite Homeschool Moments: Parent Practicum Round-Up
Everyday Educator
Ever wonder what actually happens at a Classical Conversations Parent Practicum — and whether it's worth your summer day? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Kelli Wilt sits down with fellow homeschool moms Lisa Bailey and Rachel Thompson to relive the 2026 Parent Practicum theme, "In the Beginning Was the Word." Together they reflect on how this year's focus on Latin and language pointed back to God's own intentionality — and why every subject, in the end, points back to Him. From favorite table talks (the catechesis wheel and the Trivium skills chart both made the...
info_outline
How to Build a Home Library Your Kids Will Actually Love
Everyday Educator
Ever look at your bookshelves and wonder if you're doing this whole "home library" thing right? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Lisa Bailey sits down with fellow book-lovers Jennifer Courtney and Delise to talk about how to build a home library your kids will actually love — one thrifted treasure, hand-me-down classic, and cherished read-aloud at a time. From Jennifer's collection of vintage Landmark history books (including one that sparked a beautiful conversation with her dad) to Delise's hunt for out-of-print gems at the thrift store, this episode is full of...
info_outline
Reclaiming a Love of Learning as a Homeschool Mom
Everyday Educator
Ever notice how your own love of learning shows up after you start homeschooling? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Amy Jones talks with Classical Conversations mentor Aimee Smith about the 15-year journey that took her from a nervous first-year Foundations tutor — who once got caught not knowing where to find things on the map — to a Classical Learning Cohort mentor helping other homeschool moms teach with confidence. Somewhere along the way, she picked up something she never expected: a real, honest love of learning. Aimee opens up about the Classical Learning...
info_outline
Close Reading 101: A New Tool for Every Homeschool Family
Everyday Educator
Ever catch your kids — or yourself — speed-reading through a book just to check it off the list? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Lisa Bailey talks with Tim Knotts, Director of Challenge Development for Classical Conversations, about the lost art of close reading: slowing down enough to actually understand a text, whether it's Scripture, a history document, or a confusing Russian novel. Tim introduces Classical Conversations' newest resource, Reasoning Together Words in the Word, built around the same 15 skills and three arts your family has been practicing since...
info_outline
Cate-Whaaat? A Heartfelt Breakdown
Everyday Educator
Cate-whaaat? If you've ever heard the word "catechesis" and wondered what it means for your homeschool, this one's for you. In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Delise welcomes back Rachel Thompson and Amy Jones to unpack the Classical Conversations catechesis wheel — the diagram that puts God at the center and shows how every strand of learning connects back to His character — and to talk about what it really looks like to keep Christ at the center of home education, not as one more subject, but as the source everything else flows from. Rachel and Amy open by sharing...
info_outline
Keeping God at the Center
Everyday Educator
How do you plan a whole homeschool year without letting the plan crowd out the reason you started? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Delise Germond sits down with Kelli Wilt to talk about preparing for the new homeschool year while keeping God at the center — the mindset shifts, routines, and practical organization tips that make the difference before the first day of school ever arrives. Whether you're heading into your very first Foundations year or you're a veteran mom sending a student into the Challenge program, this conversation is full of ideas you can put to work...
info_outline
Making American History Come Alive: Patriotism, Cycle 3 & the 250th
Everyday Educator
America is turning 250 — and there's never been a better time to bring US history to life in your homeschool. In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Lisa Bailey sits down with Kelli Wilt and Amy Jones to explore practical, joyful ways homeschool families can celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence — from living history activities and patriotic family discussions to CC's Cycle 3 memory work and a sneak peek at the upcoming Foundations Curriculum 6th Edition. Whether your children are preschoolers who just love a birthday party or older students ready to...
info_outlineIs progressive Christianity coming for your kids — and would you even recognize it if it was? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Amy Jones and co-host Emma Bortins sit down with author and apologist Alisa Childers to unpack what progressive Christianity actually is, why it appeals to young people, and how Christian homeschool parents can equip their children to stand firm in biblical truth. If you're raising kids in today's cultural climate, this conversation is one you can't afford to miss.
Alisa shares her own story of encountering progressive Christianity through a pastor who slowly dismantled core doctrines of the faith, and how that crisis ultimately led her to study apologetics and write Another Gospel. She offers a clear definition of progressive Christianity — not by what it affirms, but by what it denies: substitutionary atonement, the authority of Scripture, the reality of hell, and the exclusivity of Christ.
The conversation turns to the younger generation and how moral relativism has become the dominant worldview of Gen Z, making it harder than ever for kids to understand why biblical truth isn't just "your opinion." From there, the hosts dig into practical parenting strategies: why it's not enough to shelter kids, why you should actually show them progressive content and work through it together, and how modeling confidence in your faith can be more powerful than having a perfect answer.
What You'll Learn:
- What progressive Christianity is — and the core doctrines it quietly denies
- Why young people are so susceptible to progressive theology and deconstruction
- How social media (including random TikTok videos) is influencing your kids' faith
- Why the definition of “truth” may be the most important conversation you have with your child
- A practical, age-by-age strategy for building spiritual resilience at home
- How to show your kids progressive Christian content without it rattling their faith
- Why holding a biblical sexual ethic feels different for Gen Z than it did for previous generations
- The best apologetics resources for parents and students — including Alisa's new student edition
00:00 — Introduction & Welcome
00:29 — Introducing Alisa Childers: Author, Apologist & CCM Artist
02:18 — About Another Gospel & the Student Edition
03:09 — Alisa's Personal Story: How She Encountered Progressive Christianity
06:04 — What Is Progressive Christianity? Definitions & Core Denials
11:13 — Tracing the Gospel Arc: Where Progressive Christianity Goes Off the Rails
15:02 — Social Justice, Marxism & What Unites Progressive Christians
16:14 — Is Progressive Christianity Growing? What the Data Doesn't Show
21:21 — The Most Important Word: How You Define "Truth" Changes Everything
24:06 — Insulin or Ice Cream: Teaching Objective vs. Subjective Truth
28:40 — Loving Your Kids' Friends While Holding a Biblical Sexual Ethic
30:03 — Identity, Sexuality & Untying the Knots for the Younger Generation
36:06 — Social Media & Progressive Christianity: Where the Influence Is Coming From
40:10 — Practical Strategies: How to Raise Spiritually Resilient Kids at Home
44:25 — It's Okay Not to Have All the Answers: Modeling Faith Under Pressure
47:36 — Secondary Issues, Wrestling with Scripture & Holding Things in Tension
48:38 — Recommended Resources for Parents & Students
52:01 — Closing Thoughts: The Beauty of the True Gospel
Resources:
https://alisachilders.com/
This episode of Everyday Educator is sponsored by:
Summit Ministries
Do you want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endure,
and friends and faith for life? Summit’s Student Conferences equip young Christians with
the hope, clarity, and confidence they need to follow Jesus boldly in today’s world. It’s not
just about getting apologetics answers. Students learn how to live winsomely and bravely in today’s world.
Visit summit.org/cc before March 31, 2026, and lock in the early bird rate. Save an additional $250 when you use the code CC26. Want your child to have conversations that challenge, encouragement that endures, and friends and faith for life? Grab their spot now at summit.org/cc