The start of fall means the start of the school year, which for many families means life will move at a breakneck pace until after Christmas. In addition to school and homework, many children and teens also take part in numerous extracurricular activities. In the midst of a densely scheduled life, it can be difficult to carve out time to disciple your kids and integrate them into the life of the church.
Jen Wilkin describes herself as an “advocate for women to love God with their minds through the faithful study of his Word.” She is the author of Women of the Word and writes regularly for The Gospel Coalition. Jen and her husband, Jeff, live in Flower Mound, Texas, and call The Village Church home. They have four children, two of whom are now in college.
The Wilkins have sought to put in place rules and principles that help their family thrive, while freely acknowledging different families need different rules. I talked with Jen about how to parent for the long term while navigating the demands of the school year. Special thanks to Betsy Childs Howard for her help in preparing the interview.
You can listen to the episode here.
Download your free Christmas playlist by TGC editor Brett McCracken!
It’s that time of year, when the world falls in love—with Christmas music! If you’re ready to immerse yourself in the sounds of the season, we’ve got a brand-new playlist for you. The Gospel Coalition’s free 2025 Christmas playlist is full of joyful, festive, and nostalgic songs to help you celebrate the sweetness of this sacred season.
The 75 songs on this playlist are all recordings from at least 20 years ago—most of them from further back in the 1950s and 1960s. Each song has been thoughtfully selected by TGC Arts & Culture Editor Brett McCracken to cultivate a fun but meaningful mix of vintage Christmas vibes.
To start listening to this free resource, simply click below to receive your link to the private playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
