Al
Menconi minstries - computer games reviewed
atkidz.com - 100,000 safe sites for kids
Bedtime stories - free to download
beritsbest.com - personally selected sites for children
blendedfamilyministry.com - Christian
site for stepfamilies
BNTL Freeway - British National Temperance
League resources on drugs and alcohol
Boredom busters - 10 online
things to do in the summer
CHILDlink - help/resources for parents
and teachers
e-licious - find online recipes and
build your own cookbook
Christian Viewpoint for Men
Cool2Read - fun site for kids, parents and
families
Disabled Parents Network - support,
advice and networking
Families need Fathers
Fathers - sites for dads
Fathers Direct - online resource
for dads
Flametree - help for women in balancing
their busy lives
Gingerbread - top site for single
parent families
Good News Family Care - family values
and a safety net for those under pressure
Grief - help for parents who have lost children
and loved ones
Harry Potter debate - Christians
for and against
Harry Potter – US writer James Watkins
argues the issues
Harry Potter - Gospelcom links
exploring and analysing a Christian response to the fantasy books
and films
Heart for Children - new CPAS
children's evangelism initiative
HomefiresHearth - US site for Christian
home-makers
Itsnotyourfault - helpful site for
children whose parents are divorcing
Kids Link - help for families of children
with special needs
Life for the World - help for families on
drug issues
Meals for You - surprise the family with
some new ideas
MMMitt.net - Finnish site which assesses
new films
Mothers Against Drug Dealers Internet Petition
Mothers Union - check out the work of this
major organisation
Parentalk - excellent site for parenting
skills with Christians at the helm
Pokemon - comment from London Bible
College
Positive Parenting Publications - course and
resource providers
Promise Keepers - over-hyped and over there?
You decide
screen-it - parental guidance on film,
DVD and video releases
Sling of David Association - family ministry
for Italy
Steps into Parenting - new Christian
site for step-parents
TroubledWith.com - Focus on the Family
site offering advice on family problems
True Love Waits - US-based abstinence
campaign for teens
We-blocker - free filtering programme
for safe surfing
Webmonkey - great guide for kids
on making websites
yahooligans.com - Yahoo's mega-site for
kids
- Need
some inspiration on the cooking front? Check out e-licious,
a new recipe based site which lets you set up your own online
cookbook. You can even add ingredients needed into an online
shopping list. Perfect for those of you who keep your PC in the
kitchen ...
- Parentalk needs
little introduction for those of you familiar with the work of
Steve Chalke's Oasis Trust. This excellent site has lots of help,
advice, interactive features and links. They also publish a fine
range of books via Hodder & Stoughton.
- Greg
and Nan Wright, whose only son, Steve, died at the age of 13,
reach out to others in grief situations with resources to offer
Christian comfort. Find daily devotions; web links; and the writings
of Elisabeth Elliot, John MacDuff, C H Spurgeon and others, including
personal notes of the Wrights and others in a similar journey
in grief. Find encouragement, comfort, hope and a treasury of
Christian truths in times of suffering. http://www.agapeindia.com/steve/thosewho.htm
- US
Christian columnist and humourist James Watkins is not known
as someone who shies away from controversy. In this unique piece
- Harry
Potter and the Cauldron of Controversy - he debates Harry
Potter with himself, and also provides a long list of useful
links for more material on HP.
- Focus
on the Family has launched a TroubledWith.com for
'hurting families and friends' to provide "immediate, credible
advice on everything from sexual abuse, pornography addiction
and alcoholism, to getting married, single parenting and working
mums."
- True
Love Waits is a massive international campaign that challenges
teenagers and college students to remain sexually abstinent
until marriage. Over one million teenagers have committed to
purity through True Love Waits, and you're invited to join
them in their decision. For parents and youth leaders, there's
plenty of information, Bible studies, and other tools for encouraging
teens and young people to remain sexually pure until marriage.
- Find
out more about the CPAS children's evangelism initiative at the
Heart for Children website: www.heartforchildren.com
Webmonkey for Kids, "the fun way to build Web sites," is an entertaining and thorough guide to Web page design and HTML, written with kids in mind, but anyone who needs a quick primer on Web design will find it useful.
- With
the latest Harry Potter film now hitting the nation's screens,
the whole phenomenon will be visited afresh by Christians in
the UK and beyond. Head for http://www.gospelcom.net/content/potter for
a stack of useful and thought-provoking analysis. Do the films
and books promote witchcraft and the occult? Is banning Potter
from your house a valid approach? These links will help you decide
...
- Disabled
Parents Network is a UK organisation run by and for parents
and would-be parents with disabilities. Great for meeting others,
finding out about support, and helping shape future resources.
Roadshows planned for July-October 2003.
- HomefiresHearth invites
you to join a growing list of subscribers to "the weekly
zine for Christian homemaking." Along with inspiration and
encouragement, find cleaning and laundry tips, recipes, helpful
articles and advice, humour, recommended e-zines and websites,
and more.
HomefiresHearth (subscribe online): http://www.homefireshearth.com
Subscribe by e-mail: homefireshearth-subscribe@homefireshearth.net
- Al
Menconi ministries provides some thorough reviews of computer
games from a Christian perspective, and rates them for violent,
sexual, occult and profane content. Helpful in finding out
what's in a game your youngsters may be keen to get.
- CHILDlink is
a new helpline offered at the CARE website,
which aims to "help those helping children". It offers a listening
ear, practical help and specialist support to families, as well
as supporting Christian professionals and volunteers working
with children and young people. Check out the site, call 0845
601 1134 or e-mail cs@care.org.uk
- Lack
of time and the struggle to balance work, home, family, self
and all the 101 things that go towards keeping a busy household
on the straight and narrow provide a particular challenge for
any parent, but it's mums who often feel this most acutely. Flametree.co.uk has
some helpful tips, ideas, information and strategies for making
sure the important things come first. It's not a Christian site,
but has plenty of sound common sense to commend it.
- Upbeat
music and kid-attractive graphics welcome people of all ages
to Cool2Read.com, a fun
site created by Tyndale House Publishers. Kids will find devotional
stuff, games, links, homework help, message boards and more,
and there are useful articles for parents and teachers, too.
- Looking
for safe surfing options? Check out We-Blocker: Enables you to
restrict access to the types of websites that you feel may be
unsuitable for your family. Fully customizable and easy to use,
the We-Blocker software lets you set up accounts for each family
member and place restrictions on access to seven categories of
material. Free from: http://www.we-blocker.com
- Good
News Family Care is a Derbyshire-based ministry seeking
a return to Christian family values, andÊproviding a 'safety
net' for families in crisis. Site offers lots of resources,
sound advice and offers counselling
- The National
Children's Home (NCH) has a new website principally for
children of parents who are going through divorce. Entitled http://www.itsnotyourfault.co.uk/,
it offers a range of simple advice to help and reassure youngsters
at what is for many a very traumatic time. The site uses a
lively range of graphics to illustrate the points.
- Christian
charity, Life For The World, has launched a new website
(www.lftw.org) to enable drug
users and their families to access help and advice that can help
them deal with the problem.
- There's
a new Finnish site which assesses the moral contents of movies
under a range of different categories, marking them from 6.0
to 7.0. It gives impartial judgments which have been welcomed
by Christians. Head for http://www.MMMitt.net
-
Edward Douglas mailed to tell us about a new ministry aimed at meeting "the unique needs of couples and children in blended or stepfamilies". Check out www.blendedfamilyministry.com
- Positive
Parenting Publications lead the way with many parenting
resources, used very successfully in schools, churches, community
centres and many other places. Well produced and competitively
priced, they inform and encourage without making you feel you're
useless!
- For
many young people, alcohol is often the first drug they come
into contact with. Charity BNTL
Freeway has a stack of relevant resources for teachers and
parents to use in dealing with alcohol and drug abuse, and also
provides creative alternatives such as alcohol-free cocktail
kits and recipes, and training in running a no-alcohol bar. Check
out the site, mail them on bntl@compuserve.com or
call 0114 2679976.
- Gaille
McCann, founder of Glasgow's Cranhill Mothers Against Drugs group,
recently launchedthe Mothers
Against Drug Dealers Internet Petition . Supported by the
Townswomen's Guild and the WRVS, the petition calls for custodial
sentences for anyone who supplies children, or brings them into
contact, with illegal drugs. The petition's target is to secure
the support of the parents and relatives of 1 million children
by 3 January 2001.
- Still
hunting for a safe, ‘walled environment’ for your children
to surf on the Net? You could do worse than check out www.atkidz.com,
which offers 100,000 safe sites, games, quizzes, competitions
and ISP services. You could also look at www.beritsbest.com -
a safe place with games, education and more - or www.yahooligans.com,
which has loads of content and safe links to hundreds of sites. Let
us know any you recommend ...
- CFN
members Matthew and Celia Gardiner have set up a website all
about step-parenting at http://www.stepsintoparenting.cwc.net
- Now
up and running is a new site for dads called Fathers
Direct. Backed by the likes of YMCA and
Care for the Family, it features celebrity dads, chat forums,
news, links, competitions and 'rant of the month'. It is aimed
at dads everywhere, so don't expect overt Christian content.
- To
say that Christians have differing opinions on the appropriateness
of Harry Potter is a bit like saying that Waterloo was a "slight
setback" for Napoleon - and the forthcoming Harry Potter
film is sure to re-ignite the debate. Connie Neal, author of
the new book "What's a Christian To Do With Harry Potter?",
offers advice and encouragement (without "taking sides")
for approaching the Harry Potter phenomenon from a balanced,
informed perspective. Check out her thoughtful interview with
Assist Ministries' Michael Ireland at http://www.assist-ministries.com/strategic/s0107022.htm
- Kids
- and adults - love them, and Christians are divided over them.
The Harry Potter books are big business, and a big topic of debate.
Post your views on the Bulletin
Board - and check out these sites for a range of views ...
Is Harry Potter harmful to children?
The trouble with Harry - Parents' Place, Focus on the Family -
Further reflections on the Harry Potter debate are available at the newly revamped Damaris website, with a study guide for Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Well worth a look.
-
Ten great ways to relieve holiday boredom: http://familyinternet.about.com/library/weekly/aa062900a.htm?terms=a1 Have you got good boredom busters for school holidays? Mail us or post your ideas on the Bulletin Board!
- Christian
family ministry is alive and well in Italy, of all places, thanks
to the Sling
of David Association, run by Antonio Amico. Check out their
developing website and pray for them in their vital work.
-
Here are some places to go for ideas, fun, cards and plenty more for Dads:
- http://www.fathersdirect.com (UK-based, but under construction when we last visited)
- http://www.fatherhood.org (US-based)
- http://familyinternet.about.com/msubfather.htm
And there's a tribute to dads and fatherhood, with child-made gift ideas, e-mail postcards, clipart and more at http://babyparenting.about.com/library/weekly/aa060199.htm
- I
would like to commend http://www.screenit.com/ which
is a parents' guide to films, videos and DVDs, writes CFN newsletter
reader Grant Addison. For those whose youngsters ask to go to
see films you know next to nothing about, it provides a review
and rating so you know what you are sanctioning! Although it
is American, it's pretty good in its rankings and gives comprehensive
assessments.
- Following
Bulletin Board chat on Pokemon, and news of David Tate's
substitute, Power Cards, London
Bible College have reminded us of their on-going series on "Dangerous
Games", which includes material about Pokemon and other
issues. You can go to the archive of articles about games directly
with:
http://www.londonbiblecollege.ac.uk/features/games/index.html
- Felicity
Hawke from Coventry recommends a visit to http://www.themothersunion.org -
well, she is action and outreach co-ordinator for the Coventry
diocese MU! She writes: "The MU has been concerned with children's
welfare and encouraging Christian family life for 124 years.
Our members are currently involved in support for families affected
by imprisonment, women's refuges, parenting courses, holidays
for needy families and many other projects".
- www.gingerbread.org.uk -
the top site for single parent families in England and Wales.
Easy to navigate, lots of information on local groups and support
networks
- Kids
Link - dial up a wide-ranging links page for parents of children
with special needs at http://sargon.mmu.ac.uk/welcome.htm
- Dads
... you could hardly find two more different sites than www.CVMen.org.uk -
Christian Viewpoint for Men (very British, very simple and understated)
and www.promisekeepers.org -
Promise Keepers (very American, very in-your-face). Both have
something offer, depending on your personal tastes ...
- Need
a bedtime story for your under 8s? You could do worse than check
out www.home-office-mall.com/bedtime-story
- Out
of ideas for dinner? Impress the family with something from the
highly comprehensive Meals for
You site. You'll be surprised at what you can rustle up with
the leftovers at the back of the cupboard!
- If
you're a dad who is separated or divorced, or going through the
pain of either, one site that could provide very helpful practical
information and guidance is Families
Need Fathers.
- back to top of this category
- back
to top