Hello friend,

Imagine 800 scantily-clad, underwear-donned teenagers with gothic face paint and blood-stained body art shivering to death on Sydney’s coldest day outside St Andrew’s Cathedral. My first impression, as a returned from my lunch break, was that the infamous Slut Walks movement had converged on Sydney’s iconic home of evangelicalism to battle the hordes of archaic fundamentalists. But the truth was hardly as exciting. Across the square at the Town Hall was to be Lady Gaga’s one and only show in Sydney. Before me was the congregation of lucky disciples, or ‘little monsters’, fortunate enough to have won tickets and who were now feverishly desperate to unite with their pop-star deity.  I really felt for them because, as I said, it was really cold and no one had a jacket. I said to myself as I entered the elevator, ‘I hope my daughter never ends up being that silly’... and then I shuddered!

Role models are an inescapable influence over our children. Good role modelling means good character; bad role modelling can lead to disasters too painful to contemplate. How often to you consider your children’s role models and influences? This month’s Growing Faith theme is role models and I hope it empowers you in your ongoing battle to shape your children’s character.

Marshall Ballantine-Jones Editor

Equipping parents, Exciting kids, Enriching families - The GFC

Our inaugural family conference is less than three weeks away and we’d love for you to join us.

Watch me

It’s a bold thing to say, ‘Watch me!’ We are often left thinking that our lives are going to need a lot more work before we’d offer such an invitation. The reality is that our children are imitating us anyway.

That wretched advertising

Have you noticed how inappropriate the commercials are during so-called G-rated time slots? It depresses me because I really work hard at minimising my children’s worldly exposure.

Gen Y need role models!

If you had asked the teenage me about role models, I probably would have replied that I didn’t have one. But as I reflect on the person I’ve become, I can see that God has used many people to influence and guide me.