Making The Leap

If you're a parent, it's no secret the secular world is working overtime to drive a wedge in between you and members of your family. Chris and Julie Bennett have one of the most extraordinary stories of trying to listen and follow God's will for their lives while at the same time coming up against some of life's biggest challenges in their professional lives, in their health, and in their relationship with their kids. How do we as families hold it all together and keep "the main thing" the ma...

What can Christian school do for a child struggling with mental health challenges? Meet Janie Wilson - a young woman who convinced her parents before entering kindergarten she knew she needed Christian school. But it was not without challenges. Hear how she battled mentally, with parents somewhat new to walking in Christianity, and ultimately made a lifetime commitment to Christian education well into college and into adulthood.Follow Making the Leap on Facebook, Instagram, ...

Christine sits down with five recipients from last year's Teacher of the Year class to discuss where they are now twelve months after their honor and how their lives have changed since winning. Their stories continue to inspire, but also demonstrate that even when you're awarded Christian education's highest honor - God may not keep you in the same place for long.Follow Making the Leap on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. You can also sign-up for our newsletter or send us an email hello@ma...

The news of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last Saturday got the Stigalls thinking about the different national tragedies that have befallen the United States over the years and who are our kids spending time with when they happen? How can we discuss these tough events with our kids and shield them from the ugliness? In addition, news this week of the explosive growth in alternative post K-12 education caught their attention and the governor of California signs legislation that s...

Dr. Allison Lassiter is one of the more interesting examples of someone whose life in education is one full of change. She's a community college professor who also homeschools but has also placed some of her kids in a classical Christian school. She's also willing to revaluate if it appears her kids' needs in learning change. As we know, every child learns differently so why do we try to teach them all the same way? Dr. Lassiter understood from an early age why learning for her was a struggle...

Chris and Christine sit down with Jonathan Houpe and Nia Thompson Campbell, administrators of Harvest Christian School in Kansas City, Missouri. Jonathan and Nia discuss taking over leadership roles at an early age, as well as the trials and triumphs of working in Christian education.Follow Making the Leap on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. You can also sign-up for our newsletter or send us an email hello@makingtheleappodcast.com.To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFou...

We've never met a couple with a background quite like the Oettels. In one conversation, you'll hear how a young couple became public school teachers - while first home-schooling their kids. They then started their own classical Christian school, followed by entering seminary, becoming a youth pastor and eventually an associate pastor. Then back to public school while sending their own children to a classical Christian school. Why all the change? With so many different perspectives from so man...

We hope you enjoyed the previous episode featuring the Stigalls on the set of Brave Books new children's TV show "Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk." In this part-two episode you'll hear from another star of the show. She's a familiar name to many millions of kids who grew up watching Disney's Good Luck, Charlie - Leigh-Allyn Baker. Now, she shares with the Stigalls why she thinks Disney lost their way and why pouring her time into this new project with Brave Books is her professional passion...

The Stigalls head to College Station, Texas to get a behind-the-scenes tour of Brave Books' new children's TV show hosted by Kirk Cameron. In part one of this two-part episode, you'll join the Stigalls on set for a one-on-one with the star of "Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk." He discusses the importance of being a parent in a digital age and why, as successful entertainer and father of adult children who could be doing anything at this stage of his life instead works so hard to impact our ...

Here's a topic we've never tackled on the show. Can Christians, specifically Christian schools lean into rapidly developing technology like A.I. or is it a dangerous place that runs counter to Biblical teaching? Dr. Seann Dikkers is both a Christian and a self-proclaimed homeschool dad and "tech guy" who reaches some interesting conclusions on the subject as he leads the Stigalls through the minefield of culture, big tech, and faith. He's created an online, K-12 curriculum called "Portals" th...

What if your child asked "What is truth?" or "What does it mean to be human?" Those are deep questions and Elizabeth Urbanowicz - the founder of FoundationWorldview.com and host of "The Foundation Worldview" podcast says the answer is in her approach to helping parents instruct kids through Biblical strategies. For Christian parents, not only knowing what you believe but also knowing why you believe it is important. But it's also how you steer your kids to believe it as well in an increasingl...

Bob Vander Plaats is perhaps the state of Iowa's biggest political "influencer." As the President and CEO of The Family Leader, Bob is known as a cultural force for strengthening families and encouraging churches to get involved in government to impact real, legislative change. Together he and Governor Kim Reynolds launched a strategic mission to target recalcitrant members of the Iowa legislature on advancing school choice and they won. Today, Iowa is one of twelve states t...

The Stigalls often speak with folks who are on the ground floor of starting a new adventure in Christian education. But sometimes we forget - there are many who've been doing Christian school at a high level of excellence for decades. That is the focus of today's episode. For twenty-seven of Covenant Christian High School's thirty years in existence in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dr. Andy Goodwin has served as their principal. He also hosts his own podcast called "Transforming Lives."What has he l...

We love meeting out-of-the-box problem solvers who see a need for their families and others' educations and take action. Meet the Dunns, founders of Acts Academy. With a background in business and teaching who, like so many bailed on their kids' public school during the pandemic and struck out on their own, the Dunns' story is a fun ride.Their success was rapid. Their creativity and solutions to growth are lessons for anyone who's thinking of starting their own Christian school in their commu...

It's important from time to time to remember what your rights are as a taxpaying citizen in your public school district. If you're someone who's yet to "make the leap" to a different education for your kids, or you're just a concerned citizen about the direction of the schools in your community - this is your show. Ian Prior is a senior advisor at America First Legal and author of "Parents of the World Unite." In a world of school boards run amok, Ian reminds us that you hav...