Helping Families Stay Grounded in Faith in a Digital World
Raising kids in today’s tech-saturated world is both a gift and a challenge. As Chrisitan parents, how can we guide our kids through the noise of screens, social media, and smartphone culture—while staying anchored in faith?
Presented by Tony & Kristin Bird, this engaging and practical session offers a Christ-centered approach to digital discipleship in the home. Tony and Kristin speak with honesty, humor, and hope while rawing from both Church wisdom and their own lived experience as parents of teens, and their years of working in high school ministry and secondary education.
Together we'll explore:
- What’s really shaping your teen’s worldview online (and how to talk about it)
- How to foster open, honest conversations around tech and faith
- Why your own relationship with Jesus is the most important parenting tool you have
- Strategies for setting boundaries and cultivating virtue without shame, fear, or power struggles
We’ll root our time together in Scripture, the wisdom of the Church, and the lived experiences of parents navigating this same journey. Come away encouraged, equipped, and reminded that you are not alone. Parents will leave with practical tools to monitor technology use, foster honest discussions, and help their teens develop healthy digital habits.
Perfect for parent nights, family faith formation events, school presentations, or other gatherings.
Book this presentation for your church, school, or group.
Additional resources and downloads are available below
Technology isn't the enemy. But technology that shapes us more than our relationships with God, family, and others deserves our attention.
Everything below was created to help families start meaningful conversations about technology.
Teen & Family Smartphone Contract (Editable) by Burning Hearts Disciples 
How to Talk to Your Teens at Life Teen by Kristin Bird 
Parenting in the Digital World at Life Teen by Kristin Bird
Monitoring & Accountability Tools We Recommend
The best monitoring tools are the ones you will use. You will likely need to use a mix of tools depending on your child's age, the expectations you've set up, and the different devices they have access to. Below is the "secret sauce" mix that we have used in our home.
- Start by making sure you have passwords and pin codes to all apps and devices for your child.
- Occasionally do spot checks of their devices.
- Bark Parental Controls (best for monitoring mobile device usage)
- Circle (best for setting limits and monitoring WiFi usage)
- Bark Phone or Gabb Phone (best devices)
- Device Specific Parental Control Features
Note: If you have a child or adult in your home who is actively using pornography, you will likely need additional tools. We recommend Covenant Eyes as an accountability software. In addition, there are some great resources available from Reclaim Sexual Health and Aggie Catholic.
Books, Podcasts & Videos
These books, podcasts, and films have shaped how we think about technology, attention, relationships, and raising teens in today's digital world.
The Anxious Generation
(Jonathan Haidt)
iGen: Why Today's Super Connected Kids...(Jean Twenge)
10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People (David Yeager)
The Digital Delusion (Dr. Jared Horvath)
The Social Dilemma on Netflix 
Adolescence on Netflix
Screenagers Movie Series
Smart Thinking Podcast (Ep 333): We Need to Talk to Our Kids about Uncomfortable Stuff
If you are interested in learning more about our Empowered Parenting events, contact us today.
