September 2025 | LISLE, IL—InterVarsity Press (IVP) is excited to announce the launch of The Wholehearted Households Podcast, a new resource for everyday family discipleship. The podcast launches on Monday, October 13, with new episodes releasing each Monday through October 2026.
Between the endless tasks of family life and the frantic pace of modern life, parents and caregivers can find it hard to focus on what matters most. The Wholehearted Households Podcast provides a moment for parents and caregivers to breathe and connect with the breath-giver himself. Narrated by IVP staff, episodes will be accessible and short, able to be listened to on a drive to school pickup or in the midst of daily chores. Each ten- to fifteen-minute episode will give listeners a short break in the day to learn about God’s Word, receive practical tips for accessible family discipleship, and be guided through an in-the-moment spiritual practice designed to nurture their connection with God directly.
The Wholehearted Households Podcast is underwritten by the $1.25 million Lilly Endowment grant awarded to IVP in 2024 as part of Lilly’s Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative. Building on research that affirms the pivotal role parents, grandparents, and other caregivers play in the religious lives of children, the Lilly Endowment launched the initiative in 2022. Grants ranged from $240,000 to $1.25 million and have supported a variety of approaches that draw on cutting-edge research about child development and parenting to inform faith practices in the home.
Since receiving the grant, IVP has produced a variety of resources for families around the Lilly initiative, including a video course, in partnership with Seminary Now, based on the award-winning book Teach Your Children Well: A Step-by-Step Guide for Family Discipleship by Sarah Cowan Johnson. IVP has also developed audiobooks in English and Spanish, and a podcast based on Teach Your Children Well. The Wholehearted Households Podcast is the next step in providing content to help teach spiritual practices for family discipleship.
“The Wholehearted Households Podcast is a unique offering from InterVarsity Press,” said Helen Lee, Director of Strategic Initiatives at IVP. “It features trusted content from our books and authors, delivered in a winsome and accessible way that will minister to today’s busy parents and caregivers who are often on the go or have their hands full with the daily demands of family life.”
The Wholehearted Households Podcast will incorporate three recurring sections: a spotlight on a Scripture passage, a practical discipleship nugget that parents can bring to their families that week, and a spiritual practice that makes space for the parent to connect with God right then and there. The first ten episodes will focus on the books of Genesis through 1—2 Kings with subsequent episodes walking through more books of the Bible.
Lee said, “We based the structure of the show on the feedback we’ve received from many parents and caregivers who are looking for the tri-fold content that this podcast provides: biblical literacy, discipleship ideas, and a spiritual practice. We’re grateful to the Lilly Endowment for their generous support to make this resource available to this audience anytime and anywhere they listen to podcasts.”
The Wholehearted Households Podcast will be available through YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast distributors. Check out a sneak peek of the show on Tuesday, September 24, on any of these podcast players or on the IVP YouTube page.
Contact: Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com
