The InFormed Parent with Suzanne Phillips

Episode Summary
For decades, the path after high school seemed obvious: graduate, go to college, get a degree.

But today, families are asking better questions.

In this refreshing and inspiring episode, Suzanne sits down with Jonathan Brush to explore a bold alternative to traditional college pathways. Jonathan brings nearly 25 years of experience helping young adults ask the right questions, take action, and build lives of meaning and purpose.

Unbound is not anti-college — it's pro-intentionality. It challenges the assumption that information equals formation and instead focuses on habits, mentorship, real-world experience, and a biblical worldview as the foundation for adult life.

As more parents reconsider what success looks like after graduation, this episode offers clarity, confidence, and a compelling alternative.

Because education is not one-size-fits-all — and formation matters as much as information.

Episode Highlights

✔️ Jonathan's background and journey into alternative higher education
✔️ What Unbound is — and how it works

✔️ Why questioning the traditional college model is healthy

✔️ How Unbound combines academics, mentorship, and real-world experience

✔️ Retention rates and student outcomes

✔️ What students consistently say about the experience

✔️ The most important takeaway students leave with

✔️ The overall vision: formation, not just credentialing

✔️ Class size and community culture

✔️ What parents and communities are noticing about Unbound graduates

✔️ Why this model works so effectively

✔️ Encouragement for hesitant parents considering a nontraditional path

Featured Resource: Unbound

A nontraditional, biblically grounded approach to post-high school education focused on formation, mentorship, and real-world learning.

👉 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/be.unbound/

👉 Website → https://beunbound.us


Call-to-Actions (CTAs)


📲 Connect with Unbound
Instagram: @be.unbound
Website: beunbound.us

📲 Stay Connected with Beacon Parent
Instagram → @suzannephillips_
Instagram → @beacon_parent
Website → www.beaconparent.com

✨ Join Parent Club

Ongoing support, biblical clarity, and practical guidance for parents navigating education and cultural conversations.

👉 Join here: www.beaconparent.com/parentclub

Identity Truth for the Family


Success is not defined by a diploma alone.

When parents prioritize formation, mentorship, character, and calling, young adults are prepared not just for careers — but for life.

In Closing

Parents — before you default to the expected path, ask better questions.

If this episode gave you fresh vision for your student's next step, share it with another family navigating post-graduation decisions.

Episode Summary
Sexual identity conversations are no longer rare or distant — they are happening in classrooms, friend groups, churches, youth ministries, and homes.

In this deeply thoughtful and compassionate episode, Suzanne is joined by Elizabeth Woning, Co-Executive Director of the CHANGED Movement — a community of individuals who once identified as LGBTQ+ and now testify to experiencing transformation through their faith in Jesus Christ.

Elizabeth shares her powerful personal story — from openly identifying as lesbian, advocating for LGBTQ affirmation in seminary and church spaces, to a life-altering encounter with Jesus that reshaped her theology, identity, and direction. Today, she works with pastors, parents, and church leaders to navigate one of the most emotionally charged and culturally dominant issues of our time.

This episode does not aim to inflame — it aims to equip.

With 26% of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQ+, many families feel blindsided and unprepared. Suzanne and Elizabeth discuss how believers can hold firm to biblical convictions while extending grace, patience, and love — especially when the conversation becomes personal.

This is an episode about truth without cruelty.

Love without compromise.

And hope for families walking through difficult identity conversations.



Episode Highlights
✔️ Elizabeth's personal story and transformation

✔️ The founding and mission of the CHANGED Movement

✔️ Why sexual identity conversations are accelerating among Gen Z

✔️ The spiritual and emotional layers beneath identity struggles

✔️ How schools and cultural messaging shape identity formation

✔️ The most pressing needs facing families navigating LGBTQ issues

✔️ Trends parents must be aware of in today's cultural climate

✔️ Supporting pastors, parents, and churches with compassion and clarity

✔️ Practical guidance for parents whose child identifies as LGBTQ+

✔️ Stories of transformation and reconciliation

✔️ The importance of holding truth and love together

🎧 Listen Now
 

Featured Resource: CHANGED Movement
A community of friends who once identified as LGBTQ+ and now celebrate the freedom and comfort found in Jesus Christ.

👉 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/changedmvmt

👉 Elizabeth → https://www.instagram.com/elizabethwoning

👉 Website → https://changedmovement.com

👉 Elizabeth's Website → https://elizabethwoning.com




Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
📲 Connect with Elizabeth Woning
@elizabethwoning
elizabethwoning.com
📲 Learn More About CHANGED Movement
@changedmvmt
changedmovement.com
📲 Stay Connected with Beacon Parent
Instagram → @suzannephillips_
Instagram → @beacon_parent
Website → www.beaconparent.com
✨ Join Parent Club

If you want ongoing support, biblical clarity, and a community of parents navigating cultural conversations together:

👉 Join here: www.beaconparent.com/parentclub




Identity Truth for the Family
Truth and love are not enemies.

Compassion and conviction are not opposites.

Parents who remain anchored in Christ can create homes where hard conversations are met with both grace and clarity.




In Closing
Parents — this is not a topic to avoid. It is a topic to approach thoughtfully.

If this episode brought perspective, courage, or language to a conversation you've been afraid to have, share it with a trusted friend, small group, or fellow parent.

🎧 Listen Now

Episode Summary
Can we raise children who are deeply rooted in the Kingdom of God and grateful for the country they live in?

In this important and thought-provoking episode, Suzanne sits down with Jill Simonian, Director of Outreach and co-creator of PragerU Kids. With over 20 years of experience in media, parenting commentary, and education advocacy, Jill brings clarity and courage to conversations surrounding merit-based education, patriotism, parenting trends, and digital culture.

Together, Suzanne and Jill unpack a bold question:

Can America survive with unpatriotic youth?

This conversation explores the tension parents often feel — wanting to raise children who serve God first while also teaching gratitude, civic responsibility, and love for the freedoms we've been given. From divisive policies in schools to the erosion of merit standards, from grit and self-reliance to digital overconsumption, this episode challenges parents to think clearly and lead intentionally.

Because what happens under our roof shapes what happens in our nation.

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Episode Highlights
✔️ The mission and "why" behind PragerU and PragerU Kids

✔️ Over 1,200 free pro-America resources for families and schools

✔️ What "merit-based education" really means — and why it matters

✔️ Why children cannot afford to "make zeros" academically or character-wise

✔️ How divisive school policies (DEI mandates, restorative discipline, gender ideology) impact students

✔️ Teaching capability, self-reliance, resilience, and grit at home

✔️ Digital consumption — where parents must draw lines

✔️ Can America survive with unpatriotic youth?

✔️ How PragerU Kids resources are being used in education (including Oklahoma)

✔️ What's next for PragerU Kids

🎧 Listen Now

⸻
Featured Resource: PragerU Kids
Over 1,200 pro-America videos, books, lesson plans, worksheets, and character-building resources — available FREE for families and schools.

Resources teach:
Values & character
U.S. & world history
Civics
Financial literacy
Cultural literacy
👉 Website: PragerUkids.com

⸻
Call-to-Action
📲 Connect with Jill Simonian
Instagram: instagram.com/jillsimonian
X: x.com/jillsimonian
 
📲 Explore PragerU Kids
Instagram: instagram.com/pragerukids
Website: PragerUkids.com
 
📲 Stay Connected with Beacon Parent
Instagram: @suzannephillips_
Instagram: @beacon_parent
Website: www.beaconparent.com
 
✨ Join Parent Club

Biblical clarity, cultural discernment, and practical leadership support for parents navigating today's world. 👉 Join here → https://community.beaconparent.com/offers/mLSFLoXT/checkout


🏫 Considering Alternative Education or Homeschool Pod?

Explore The Pod Packet — a step-by-step guide for creating simple, intentional learning communities for your family. 👉 https://www.thepodpacket.com


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Identity Truth for the Family
Gratitude for our nation does not compete with allegiance to God's Kingdom.

Children can be formed with humility before God and appreciation for the freedoms that allow them to live it out.

Parents who teach truth, history, gratitude, and responsibility raise leaders — not spectators
⸻
In Closing 
Parents — the future of our nation is shaped in living rooms long before it's shaped in legislatures.

If this episode encouraged you to think more intentionally about how you're forming your children, share it with another family, educator, or small group.

Episode Summary
Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than most parents can track — and it will shape our children's future far more than it will ever shape ours.

In this essential episode, Suzanne Phillips is joined by Ryan Findley — a Christian, husband, father of three, former teacher turned tech professional, and founder of Evergreen Faith. Having spent six years working in Silicon Valley, Ryan has seen firsthand how quickly AI capabilities are expanding and how easily they could follow the same dangerous trajectory as social media and smartphones if parents don't act now.

This conversation moves beyond fear or hype and equips parents with a biblically grounded framework for thinking clearly about AI. Together, Suzanne and Ryan explore how to prepare children for a world we haven't lived in — not just practically, but spiritually — by addressing the root issues of discernment, formation, and worldview.

If you feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or underprepared for the Age of AI, this episode will bring clarity, language, and direction.

⸻
Episode Highlights
✔️ Ryan's journey from education into the tech world

✔️ Why AI will impact our children more than any generation before them

✔️ How Christians should approach AI from a biblical worldview

✔️ A helpful framework for parents: shortcuts, supports, and superpowers

✔️ Why "doing nothing" is not a neutral option

✔️ How parents can begin setting boundaries and forming discernment now

✔️ What churches and schools must consider in the Age of AI

✔️ Practical steps families can take today — without panic

✔️ The shadow side of AI:
Stunted development & digital sloth
Siloed and severed lives
Substitution of AI for human growth
Superiority thinking & detachment from reality


🎧 Listen Now:

⸻
Featured Resources
AI Parenting Course

A comprehensive course equipping parents to navigate AI wisely and biblically.

👉 www.aiparentingcourse.com

💸 Use Code BEACON1 for $10 off


AI Self Defense (For Kids & Families)

Tools to help children understand, recognize, and respond to AI risks.

👉 www.aiselfdefense.kids

💸 Use Code BEACON1 for $5 off

Evergreen Faith

A hub for parents, churches, and schools seeking support in the Age of AI.

👉 Visit evergreen.faith online for guidance and resources

⸻
A Call-to-Action
📲 Learn More from Ryan Findley & Evergreen Faith

Explore resources that help families integrate AI safely and intentionally.

📲 Stay Connected with Beacon Parent
Instagram: @suzannephillips_
Instagram: @beacon_parent
Website: www.beaconparent.com
 
✨ Join Parent Club

Foundational discipleship, cultural clarity, and community support for parents navigating today's challenges. 👉 Join here → https://community.beaconparent.com/offers/mLSFLoXT/checkout


🏫 Considering Alternative Education or Homeschool Pod?

Explore The Pod Packet — a step-by-step guide for creating simple, intentional learning communities for your family. 👉 https://www.thepodpacket.com


⸻
Identity Truth for the Family
Technology will shape the future — but formation shapes discernment.

When parents lead with truth, wisdom, and intentional boundaries, children learn to engage innovation without losing their humanity or their faith.

⸻
In Closing
Parents, you were not called to raise children who simply keep up with the future — but children who can discern it.

If this episode helped you think more clearly about AI, share it with another parent, pastor, or educator who needs language and confidence for this conversation.

Episode Summary
Screens are not going away — but what our children consume on them matters more than ever.

In this timely and encouraging episode, Suzanne Phillips sits down with Brent Dusing, founder and CEO of TruPlay, a Christian entertainment platform created by parents, for parents. Brent shares his remarkable journey from venture capital and major tech exits to building a biblically grounded gaming platform that protects children while reinforcing faith, character, and joy.

At the same time, this conversation exposes the real battle happening behind the scenes: faith-based content being flagged, throttled, or banned — while sexually explicit, violent, and agenda-driven material is freely promoted to children through algorithms.

This episode offers parents both clear warning and practical direction — reminding families that while reducing screen time is wise, having aligned, trustworthy options is essential in a digital world children already inhabit.



Episode Highlights
✔️ Brent's entrepreneurial journey — and why TruPlay was born

✔️ Why "safer" entertainment isn't enough — alignment matters

✔️ What TruPlay Games actually is and how it works

✔️ The resistance faith-based platforms face from Big Tech

✔️ How algorithms push sexualized and violent content to kids

✔️ Three key ways parents can protect children in digital spaces

✔️ The hidden mental health cost of toxic screen exposure

✔️ Why faith-based entertainment reinforces discipleship at home

✔️ How gaming can nurture character instead of eroding it

✔️ Encouragement for parents who feel exhausted and behind

🎧 Listen Now!



Featured Resource: TruPlay
A safe, ad-free, biblically authentic entertainment platform where kids can play, learn, and grow in faith — without hidden agendas or chat rooms.

👉 Website → https://www.truplaygames.com

👉 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/truplaygames

👉 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/truplaygames

👉 YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCutwcoaalmdoIoxaZ2coQhA
 

Call-to-Action
📲 Connect with TruPlay:
@truplaygames
https://www.truplaygames.com

📲 Stay Connected with Beacon Parent:
Instagram → @suzannephillips_
Instagram → @beacon_parent
Website → https://www.beaconparent.com
✨ Parent Club (Monthly Membership)

Ongoing discipleship, teaching, community, and support for parents navigating culture, technology, and family formation with clarity and conviction. 👉 Join here → https://community.beaconparent.com/offers/mLSFLoXT/checkout

🏫 Considering Alternative Education or Homeschool Pod?

Explore The Pod Packet — a step-by-step guide for creating simple, intentional learning communities for your family. 👉 https://www.thepodpacket.com



Identity Truth for the Family
Entertainment shapes imagination — and imagination shapes belief.

When parents choose content that aligns with truth, beauty, and goodness, screens can become tools for reinforcement rather than erosion of faith.



In Closing
Parents, you don't have to choose between total screen shutdown and surrendering your children to digital chaos.

There are better options — and choosing them is an act of leadership.

If this episode encouraged or equipped you, share it with another parent who is navigating screens, gaming, and digital boundaries in their home.