Forming a Healthy View of Christian Sexuality in Our Kids with Rachel Joy Welcher

Feeling unsure about how to talk to your kids about sex?

Many Christian parents want to raise their kids with a healthy understanding of sex, sexuality, and identity. But most don’t know where to start. Some are still working through their own experiences with shame or silence. Others are afraid of saying the wrong thing.

In this episode of The Teach Your Children Well Podcast, author, editor, and poet Rachel Joy Welcher joins Sarah Cowan Johnson to help parents move from a fear-based narrative about sex to a redemptive, biblical vision of sexuality. Drawing from her book Talking Back to Purity Culture, Rachel unpacks what the church got wrong about sex, how those messages impacted a generation of Christians, and how parents can do things differently with their own children.

Sarah and Rachel explore how to teach kids that sex is not merely about setting boundaries but about love of God and love of neighbor. They talk about giving our kids a theology of desire, the importance of honesty and nuance, and how to walk with children through big questions with compassion and hope.

Don’t let fear or shame lead the conversation. This episode will help you start honest, gospel-centered talks about sex, identity, and God’s good design with confidence and compassion.

Tune in now.

This episode highlights the following themes:

✅How purity culture shaped Christian views of sex and bodies
✅Practical ways to talk about sex without shame or fear
✅How to affirm your child’s dignity while teaching self-control, consent, and character

Links from the episode:

✅Learn more about Rachel Joy Welcher (racheljoywelcher.substack.com/)
✅Read Talking Back to Purity Culture (www.ivpress.com/talking-back-to-purity-culture) by Rachel Joy Welcher
✅Read Rachel Joy Welcher’s IVP Kids book, Charlie Can’t Sleep! (www.ivpress.com/charlie-can-t-sleep)
✅Read Rachel Joy Welcher’s poetry (racheljoywelcher.substack.com/s/poetry)
✅Learn more about Sarah Cowan Johnson (www.ivpress.com/sarah-cowan-johnson)
✅Read Teach Your Children Well (ivpress.com/teach-your-children-well) by Sarah Cowan Johnson
✅Read Redeeming Sex: Naked Conversations About Sexuality and Spirituality (www.ivpress.com/redeeming-sex) by Debra Hirsch
✅Learn more about Axis (axis.org/) and subscribe to their Culture Translator (axis.org/culture-translator/) emails
✅Learn more about Sarah’s recommended resources on sexuality here (docs.google.com/document/d/1tR7mirqrvJTWJq4tnHDxAN0R3sjMmK7LfyOJ12Ik82E/edit)
✅Read the transcript here (drive.google.com/file/d/1VeZTMlNIy71aLHu6JCnjldpB98YQR5a0/view)
✅Take the survey here (forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx)

Credits

✅Special offer: Visit ivpress.com (ivpress.com) and use the code IVPTEACH25 for 25% off and free US shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.
✅Producers: Kaitlin Borek, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton
✅Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts (honestpodcasts.com/)
✅Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne
✅Podcast Art: Kate Lillard
✅Theme Song: "Childlike Wonder" by Reveille

=== Time Stamps ===

00:00 – Introduction
02:56 – About Rachel Joy Welcher
06:24 – Comparing Secular & Christian Messages
11:48 – Where Secular & Biblical Narratives Overlap
18:16 – Discussing Faithful Christian Sexuality to Kids
22:31 – What Is Purity Culture?
30:25 – Purity Culture vs. Biblical Narrative
33:48 – Emphasizing the Biblical Narrative by Age
37:46 – The Importance of Self-Control and Conversations
44:23 – Parenting Question: How Do I Talk to My Kids About Sex While Carrying My Own Emotional Baggage?
47:21 – Steal This Idea: God Made Your Knees

Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

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