Blessed to Be a Blessing: Passing Family Transformation On
Oct 26, 2026
Show notes
What happens when a parenting resource changes your family so deeply that you want every parent you know to experience it too? In this episode, guest host Chad Hayenga sits down with Joe Dewey, the new president of Connected Families, and Laura Way, manager of The Table, for a hope-filled look at what’s ahead.
Joe shares why he said yes to leading the ministry and offers a first glimpse of the new resources taking shape, including support for passing faith to the next generation, content for dads, and guidance for the questions today’s parents are facing. Laura shares the heart behind The Table, a growing community of families who have experienced transformation through this work and know they are blessed to be a blessing.
Whether you’re a longtime listener or just discovering Connected Families, this conversation invites you to see where the ministry is headed and how your family’s story might become part of another family’s transformation.
Key Takeaways:
Discover where Connected Families is headed next
Get a first look at upcoming parenting resources
Learn how monthly partners help transform families
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Joe Dewey is the new President of Connected Families and a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. He has a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and has served in full-time ministry with Cru in Leader Development and Human Resources since 2010. He has been a certified life coach since 2017. These experiences, and more, have molded him into a leader who leads with solutions. Whether in ministry or parenting, he finds clarity amid complexity, providing win-win solutions.
Laura Way felt like she was drowning as a young mom overseas. She thinks that God provided Connected Families for her when she needed it most. She’s thrilled to be on the team, offering hope & help to others! Laura and her husband live in Florida with their two elementary-aged daughters. In her free time, Laura loves to read in her hammock or have coffee with friends.
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Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
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This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
Christian Parenting, Small Wins, and Hope for What’s Next
Oct 19, 2026
Show notes
What does it look like when a family’s whole trajectory begins to change? For the Dewey family, it hasn’t looked like perfection. It has looked like grace, growth, and small wins worth celebrating. Joe and his wife, Courtney, have spent years practicing the Connected Families Framework™ in their busy, homeschooling, “beautifully messy” home. Now Joe is stepping in as the new president of Connected Families. In this episode, host Stacy Bellward joins Joe and founders Jim and Lynne Jackson for a personal conversation about Christian parenting, ministry, everyday faith, and the hope that how we love our kids today can shape our families for generations.
Key Takeaways:
Find hope in small wins by hearing how one busy family celebrates everyday moments of growth
Discover what it looks like to pass on a legacy with trust, humility, and grace, a model you can carry into your own family
Meet Joe Dewey and his family
Discover Joe’s vision for reaching more families with the Connected Families Framework and learn how to be part of what’s next
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Jim and Lynne Jackson are the Founders Emeritus of Connected Families in Plymouth, MN. With over 50 combined years of professionally helping families and a love for working in the church, Jim and Lynne have brought reliable, God-centered, research-based parenting resources to families since 2002.
Joe Dewey is the new President of Connected Families and a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. He has a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and has served in full-time ministry with Cru in Leader Development and Human Resources since 2010. He has been a certified life coach since 2017. These experiences, and more, have molded him into a leader who leads with solutions. Whether in ministry or parenting, he finds clarity amid complexity, providing win-win solutions.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
Parenting Stress: New Research on What Actually Lowers It
Oct 05, 2026
Show notes
For more than twenty years, Connected Families has heard countless stories: parenting stress decreased, the angry household that got gentler, the relationship that came back to life. Beautiful stories, all of them. But a problem remained: stories aren’t data.
In this episode, Stacy Bellward welcomes back Dr. Cindy Wilson, Connected Families Director of Education, Equipping and Research, to share results from the ministry’s first official research study on the Connected Families Framework™ and the Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course. Partnering with an independent research team at Florida State University, Cindy’s team asked 50 parents questions to uncover what actually changed intheir homes.
If you’re in a hard parenting season and wondering whether the inward-first work is worth it, this conversation offers both encouragement and evidence.
Key Takeaways:
Discover what 50 parents reported changed in their homes after completing the Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course
Learn the real difference between “research-informed” and “evidence-based” and why that distinction opens doors for Connected Families to reach more families
Why parents’ inward-first growth is the starting point for generational transformation
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Cindy Wilson is a CF-Certified Parent Coach and a Certified Family Life Educator with 20+ years in children & family ministry and academia. As Director of Education, Equipping, and Research for CF, she helps churches, schools, and other organizations use CF resources to equip and support families in their community. She is also helping collect data to show the impact of CF resources on parents and families. Cindy lives in Florida with her husband of over 30 years. She has three adult children, one son-in-law, four grandchildren, and a farm full of animals.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
Many parents begin with Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart, a course that introduces the Connected Families Framework and the foundation for everything that follows.
Screens On, Dishes Undone: A Grace-Based Parenting Role Play
Sep 28, 2026
Show notes
In part two of our conversation, Jim and Lynne Jackson sit down with Stacy Bellward and Chad Hayenga to name what they hope remains true about the grace-based parenting ministry, Connected Families, for decades to come.
Along the way, listen as they unpack why grace impacts a child’s heart, walk through a live role-play of a screens-and-chores moment most of us know too well, and show what it looks like to invite restoration. You don’t want to miss it!
Key Takeaways:
You’ll discover why grace changes a child’s heart
Gain practical shifts toward restorative consequences, rooted in the gospel pattern of making right what was made wrong
You’ll walk away with one reframed question that changes everyday interactions
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Jim and Lynne Jackson are the Co-Founders of Connected Families in Plymouth, MN. With over 50 combined years of professionally helping families and a love for working in the church, Jim and Lynne have brought reliable, God-centered, research-based parenting resources to families since 2002.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
Many parents begin with Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart, a course that introduces the Connected Families Framework and the foundation for everything that follows.
An occupational therapist and a youth worker walked into a basement with a few ideas about parenting and three kids willing to run the camera. Twenty-four years later, the Connected Families Framework™ has reached homes in 22 countries.
In this first episode of a two-part series, Stacy Bellward sits down with co-founders Jim and Lynne Jackson, along with Director of Development Chad Hayenga, to mark a significant season for Connected Families. After more than two years of prayerful succession planning, Jim and Lynne are stepping back from day-to-day responsibilities and moving into the role of founders emeritus. It is a handing off to the next generation, done with care.
They speak candidly about what it takes to release something you have poured your life into, share an honest update on Lynne’s health journey, and trace how a message born in a Minnesota basement started translating across cultures no one expected. You’ll also hear the essence of the Framework, in their own words.
Key Takeaways:
Discover why parenting change starts in your heart, not in a new technique.
Find relief if you’re tired of parenting advice that only adds to your to-do list.
Learn the one simple idea to hold onto when you can’t remember the whole Framework.
Take hope that God can use ordinary, unqualified people right where you are.
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Jim and Lynne Jackson are the Co-Founders of Connected Families in Plymouth, MN. With over 50 combined years of professionally helping families and a love for working in the church, Jim and Lynne have brought reliable, God-centered, research-based parenting resources to families since 2002.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
When Obedience Isn’t The Whole Answer for the Christian Parent
Sep 14, 2026
Show notes
What happens when the parenting approach you were told God requires doesn’t match the child God gave you?
It’s a question a lot of Christian parents inwardly carry, and it’s named out loud in this episode. Host Stacy Bellward sits down with Certified Parent Coaches Katie Johnson and Lyssa Stoyko to walk through the Connected Families Framework™ layer by layer. You’ll hear one family’s story of real change, plus two role-play scenarios that show what a different response sounds like in an ordinary moment at home.
Stay to the end. This episode closes with a tribute to Jim and Lynne Jackson as they step into their new roles as Founders Emeritus.
Key Takeaways:
Why obedience-first parenting leaves some families stuck, and where to go from there
What’s happening underneath your child’s anger, and how to respond to it
What the same hard moment sounds like before and after the Framework, through two role-plays
Practical tools from the Coach and Correct levels of the Connected Families Framework
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Lyssa Stoyko – As a foster and adoptive mom, Bible teacher, and Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, Lyssa Stoyko understands the beauty and complexity of raising children from hard places. She helps parents use a gospel-centered, brain and trauma-informed approach to strengthen connection and grow in grace-filled parenting. Lyssa also hosts the “Moms Take Ten” podcast, encouraging moms to know God more deeply in the midst of motherhood. She is passionate about helping moms discover that parenting is less about knowing it all and more about knowing Jesus. She lives in Illinois with her husband, three children, and puppy.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
Many parents begin with Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart, a course that introduces the Connected Families Framework and the foundation for everything that follows.
Changing for the Better: What 500 Parents Found
Sep 07, 2026
Show notes
Three months, nearly 500 parents! One space where the questions get honest fast. In this 11-minute celebration episode, Stacy Bellward sits down with Certified Parent Coach and cf community moderator Katie Johnson to share what has happened since the cf community opened in June. They walk through what’s inside and read real comments from members seeing their interactions with their kids change.
If you have been walking through Connected Families content on your own, join us inside the cf community. God grows people in community, and this is what that looks like in 2026.
Key Takeaways:
Learn about what’s inside the cf community
Discover why community changes what content alone cannot.
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
As a former teacher-turned-homeschool mom with a sensitive & intense child, Katie Johnson came to Connected Families at the end of her rope. As a CF coach and cf community moderator, she now helps struggling families adopt a whole-Bible, whole-brain approach for Christ-centered transformation. She loves providing practical tools to help families apply the CF framework to their unique situations. Katie lives in Madison, WI, with her husband, three young kids, a dog, and three chickens. Katie holds a Master’s in Education and has a special passion for supporting families with toddlers.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
If you have an angry child whose aggressive behaviors keep surfacing, it can be hard to know how to respond with both steadiness and care. In part two of this conversation, guest host Chad Hayenga is joined again by Connected Families coaches Lydia Rex and Katie Wetsell to offer practical support for parents navigating these kinds of behaviors.
They explore how a thoughtful plan can help you respond rather than react. This includes inviting trusted supporters into your family’s care, recognizing early signs of stress, and adjusting for the right level of engagement. You’ll hear why calming your child’s nervous system comes before teaching, why practicing skills during low-stress moments matters, and how celebrating small signs of growth builds hope over time.
If aggression is a frequent challenge in your home, the new Confidence in Crisis: Navigating Aggressive Behaviors mini-course was created to support you. For $28, Lydia and Katie guide you through a practical, faith-filled process that integrates the Connected Families Framework™, Trust-Based Relational Intervention®, and Nonviolent Resistance. You’ll create a personalized safety plan, learn research-informed strategies for difficult moments, and gain confidence that God can meet your family with grace and wisdom through hard things.
Key Takeaways:
Why inviting trusted supporters into your child’s growth can bring care, accountability, and connection
Learn about the four levels of engagement
Why practicing a plan in low-stress moments prepares your family for harder ones
How noticing and affirming even small steps of growth can strengthen new skills over time
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Lydia Rex is the Director of Family Support for Bien Aimé (bee-ehn eh-MAY) Farm, where she works with families who have adopted children. She is a registered nurse, Connected Families certified parent coach, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner, and co-hosted the Sensitive and Intense Kids online course with Lynne Jackson. No stranger to the challenges of the parenting journey, Lydia offers empathy, encouragement, and a deep commitment to walking alongside parents through the Connected Families Framework. It’s her joy to see God’s grace healing the hearts of parents and children. Lydia, her husband Kyle, and their two kids live in Minnesota, where they enjoy homeschooling, outdoor activities, and reading lots of books. You can learn more about Lydia’s work at Bien Aimé Farm and get in touch at bienaimefarm.org.
Katie Wetsell has always had a calling on her heart to care for children. She has worked as a pediatric oncology nurse and pediatric nurse practitioner. After experiencing the benefits of parent coaching through Connected Families, Katie later resigned from nursing and became a Certified Parent Coach. She and her husband have four children (three boys and a girl) through birth and adoption. Katie is also trained in SPACE, an adaptation of Nonviolent Resistance, that helps parents learn how to support their children struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. You can learn more about Katie at parentwithhope.org, and on Facebook @parentwithhopecoach and Instagram @parentwithhopecoach.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
When big behaviors feel scary, you have real hope.
In this mini-course, you’ll be equipped to handle aggressive behaviors with grace, confidence, and wisdom.
Using practical, evidence-based tools alongside the Connected Families Framework™, you’ll come away with a personalized safety plan and the deep reassurance that God has equipped you for this.
When a child’s aggressive behavior fills your home, it can stir up intense feelings in you, too. In this mini-episode, Stacy Bellward, and Certified Parent Coaches Katie Johnson and Amy Nyvall offer a grace-filled starting point for parents facing intense emotional moments at home.
Hear a hopeful perspective on what may be happening beneath a child’s anger. You’ll also find practical ways to prepare your own heart and body so you can bring greater calm, connection, and wisdom into difficult moments. Listen for practical encouragement rooted in God’s grace and the Connected Families Framework™.
Key Takeaways:
How to identify your own physical signs of stress
How empathy can build safety and connection before correction
Why small micro shifts in your response can shape a difficult moment
Encouragement for looking beneath your child’s aggressive anger
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Amy Nyvall is a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach who lives near Portland, Oregon, where she homeschools her kids ages 14,11, and 9 and leads a vibrant Charlotte Mason Education Community and Co-op. Contact Amy at amynyvall@gmail.com or learn more about her here. Amy is available for coaching and speaking on the Connected Families Framework. You can even find her contributing to events on the CF Community in Mighty so you can interact with her there too.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
When big behaviors feel scary, you have real hope.
In this mini-course, you’ll be equipped to handle aggressive behaviors with grace, confidence, and wisdom.
Using practical, evidence-based tools alongside the Connected Families Framework™, you’ll come away with a personalized safety plan and the deep reassurance that God has equipped you for this.
When your child hits you, kicks you, or says something that takes your breath away, and a single thought takes over: I have to make this stop. In this honest conversation, host Chad Hayenga sits down with coaches Lydia Rex and Katie Wetsell to explore what’s really happening beneath a child’s aggressive behavior, and why the goal isn’t to fix it magically, but to become the steady, faith-filled presence your child needs in their hardest moments. What they share might just change the way you show up on the car ride home.
If this conversation hits home for you, there’s a next step made for exactly this.
Lydia and Katie built a brand-new mini course, Confidence in the Crisis: Navigating Aggressive Behaviors, for parents who feel shaken by their child’s big behaviors. For just $28, they walk alongside you, weaving the Connected Families Framework™ together with Trust-Based Relational Intervention® and Nonviolent Resistance into one practical, faith-filled experience. You’ll leave with a personalized safety plan for your family, evidence-based strategies you can use right away, and deeper trust that God has equipped you for this very moment. With a plan, what once felt unsettling can become an opportunity to anchor your family in faith and grow closer through the hard things.
Key Takeaways:
What aggression really is, and the deeper emotions often driving it
The physical and brain-body factors parents often overlook: sleep, nutrition, neurodivergence, pain, and more
Why the Connected Families Framework still applies, even when bigger struggles are at play
How to move from “I have to make this behavior stop” to “God has equipped me for this moment”
Check out our website for more resources to support your parenting!
Guest Bio:
Lydia Rex is the Director of Family Support for Bien Aimé (bee-ehn eh-MAY) Farm, where she works with families who have adopted children. She is a registered nurse, Connected Families certified parent coach, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner, and co-hosted the Sensitive and Intense Kids online course with Lynne Jackson. No stranger to the challenges of the parenting journey, Lydia offers empathy, encouragement, and a deep commitment to walking alongside parents through the Connected Families Framework. It’s her joy to see God’s grace healing the hearts of parents and children. Lydia, her husband Kyle, and their two kids live in Minnesota, where they enjoy homeschooling, outdoor activities, and reading lots of books. You can learn more about Lydia’s work at Bien Aimé Farm and get in touch at bienaimefarm.org.
Katie Wetsell has always had a calling on her heart to care for children. She has worked as a pediatric oncology nurse and pediatric nurse practitioner. After experiencing the benefits of parent coaching through Connected Families, Katie later resigned from nursing and became a Certified Parent Coach. She and her husband have four children (three boys and a girl) through birth and adoption. Katie is also trained in SPACE, an adaptation of Non Violent Resistance, that helps parents learn how to support their children struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders. You can learn more about Katie at parentwithhope.org, and on Facebook @parentwithhopecoach and Instagram @parentwithhopecoach.
Want to keep this conversation going?
Join us inside the cf community — a faith-anchored, coach-supported space where parents grow together. Reflect on episodes like this one, ask hard questions, and celebrate the small wins alongside parents from around the world.
Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.
This podcast was made possible by members ofThe Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have youtake a seat at The Table!
When big behaviors feel scary, you have real hope.
In this mini-course, you’ll be equipped to handle aggressive behaviors with grace, confidence, and wisdom.
Using practical, evidence-based tools alongside the Connected Families Framework™, you’ll come away with a personalized safety plan and the deep reassurance that God has equipped you for this.
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