JUNE 2025 | LISLE, IL—InterVarsity Press (IVP) is excited to announce the launch of its first parenting podcast hosted by Sarah Cowan Johnson, award-winning author of Teach Your Children Well.
The first episode of The Teach Your Children Well Podcast kicks off on June 23 as Sarah sits down with Justin Whitmel Earley, author of Habits of the Household, to discuss this question: How do we help our kids love and follow Jesus in today’s cultural climate?
In this ten-episode podcast, Sarah and hear guests explore how the biblical story offers wisdom and good news for the twenty-first-century parent. Each episode examines two approaches to guiding our kids through difficult topics: one informed by the world’s culture and one informed by the biblical story. Through enriching conversations and practical discipleship ideas, Sarah and her guests unravel the differences between these two approaches and discuss how our families can shift from the cultural narrative in pursuit of a gospel-oriented one.
“In a world that doesn’t know Jesus and his love, parenting in the way of Jesus often feels like swimming upstream,” Sarah said. “In our cultural moment, how should we think about technology, sexuality, busyness, achievement culture, and even the definition of the ‘good life’? We sometimes flail and flounder amid powerful—and even compelling—cultural narratives. While I can’t magically change the currents, through this podcast I hope to invite listeners to swim alongside one another, gaining wisdom and insight from brilliant voices who remind us that this upstream journey is not only good and beautiful but also vital—for our kids, and also for our own souls.”
In the trailer for The Teach Your Children Podcast, which is available now, Sarah shares her heart for helping parents and provides a sneak peek at some of the tools, perspectives, and practices she and her guests will offer for discipling the next generation.
Sarah’s guests on The Teach Your Children Well Podcast are as follows:
June 23
Justin Whitmel Earley is the creator of The Common Rule, a program of habits designed to form us in the love of God and neighbor. He is author of numerous books, including the bestselling The Common Rule and The Common Rule Youth Edition.
June 30
Amy Julia Becker helps people reimagine the good life through her writing and speaking on disability, faith, and culture. She is the author of To Be Made Well, White Picket Fences, Small Talk, and A Good and Perfect Gift and the creator of the Reimagining Family Life with Disability workshop. She is a guest opinion writer for national publications and hosts the Reimagining the Good Life podcast.
July 7
Kevin Chapman is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder and director of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. He hosts The Sound Mind Show (YouTube), which focuses on managing emotions from a biblical perspective. Kevin is the author of Mastering Our Emotions.
July 14
Jamie Gordon is a licensed master’s level social worker. Jamie has worked in several different settings, with her work primarily serving youth and families. She has worked in residential treatment, an inpatient psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents, a domestic violence shelter, and a school setting. Jamie currently serves as the intake coordinator at Husch Blackwell’s human trafficking clinic, where pro bono legal aid and case management are provided for survivors of labor and sex trafficking. She also oversees the social work program at Screen Sanity.
July 21
Rob and Amy Dixon are coauthors of the IVP Kids title Penny Preaches. Rob is the author of Together in Ministry and has served on InterVarsity staff for more than twenty-six years. Amy is the author of three picture books—Maurice the Unbeastly, Sophie’s Animal Parade, and Marathon Mouse—as well as a middle grade novel.
July 28
Natasha Smith is a grief advocate, speaker, and podcast host. She is the author of Can You Just Sit with Me? and Black Woman Grief. Her work has appeared in Guideposts, Propel Women, Influence magazine, her.BIBLE, and elsewhere.
August 4
Jon Tyson is a New York City–based pastor and author. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the United States over two decades ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of multiple books, including The Burden Is Light, Beautiful Resistance, and The Intentional Father. He serves as the senior pastor at Church of the City New York.
August 11
Rachel Joy Welcher is the author of Talking Back to Purity Culture, three collections of poetry, and the forthcoming kids book, Charlie Can’t Sleep!. She works as a book editor.
August 18
Tracie Braylock is a holistic nurse educator, writer, and wellness consultant. As a former operating room nurse, she advocates for mind, body, spirit well-being, holistic wellness experiences, and liberating relaxation. Her work has been featured in the American Holistic Nurses Association New Beginnings magazine, Proverbs 31 Ministries, and Hallmark Mahogany. Tracie teaches workshops, leads retreats, and lectures on issues related to nursing, writing, self-care, and healing lifestyles. She is the author of Radical Relaxation.
August 25
Sarah Cowan Johnson wraps up the season with a recap of the discussions, shared wisdom, and encouragement for parents. Sarah is a ministry trainer, consultant, and coach who works with church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders across the United States. She leads seminars for parents on family discipleship to help their children walk in the way of Jesus. She is the cohost of The People of the Way podcast.
The Teach Your Children Well Podcast is one of the results of a $1.25 million grant awarded to IVP by the Lilly Endowment in connection to the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative. The initiative is part of the Lilly Endowment’s grantmaking that supports efforts to help individuals and families from diverse Christian communities draw more fully on the wisdom of Christian practices to live out their faith fully and to pass on a vibrant faith to a new generation.
The Teach Your Children Well Podcast will be available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast distributors. Check out the IVP YouTube page for a peek at the podcast trailer.
Contact: Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com
