Connected Families Podcast

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

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Luke 15:1 

1 Thessalonians 2:8 

Ephesians 1:3 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 

Ephesians 3:20 

Galatians 5:16-25 

Ep. 320 – Jim and Lynne Jackson: 24 Years of Christ-Centered Parenting Ministry

4 Messages of the Connected Families Framework (Included in the Free Learning Library)

YouTube – Old People Acting Like Kids

Connected Families Blog

Grace and Truth for Moms online course

Sibling Conflict online course

Ebook – Transform Bedtime Struggles

Sensitive and Intense Kids online course

cf community 

The Table Monthly Giving Program

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.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families







Not sure where to start?



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.





Explore this course

Join us at our Celebration honoring Jim and Lynne Jackson at 7 pm (CST) on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. We’d love to have you with us!

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.

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Matthew 23:26 

Ephesians 1 

1 Thessalonians 2:8 

2 Corinthians 5:14 

1 Corinthians 1:27 

Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course 

Parent Coaching Certification Program 

Entitlement Fix online course 

cf community 

The Table Monthly Giving Program

Lynne’s CaringBridge page 

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.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families

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

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Connected Families Framework

Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart online course

cf community

Upcoming Events with Lyssa Stoyko

Leave a Review – Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Isaiah 42:3

Philippians 1:6

Ephesians 4:22-24

2 Corinthians 10:5

James 1:27

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.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families







Not sure where to start?



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.





Explore this course

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. 

Hear the growth in members’ own words 

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

cf community

Psalm 16:3

The Table Monthly Giving Program

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.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families





Join the cf community

New Course Now Available: Find Confidence in Crisis Today!

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

Mentioned in this Podcast: 

Confidence in Crisis online course NEW!

Connected Families Parent Coaching

ABC’s of Affirmation – Blog Post – Are You Unintentionally Encouraging Bad Behavior? Here’s How to Switch That

The Table Monthly Giving Program

Galatians 6:9

Psalm 46:1

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.

👉 Join the cf community today

Love the podcast? Leave a review to help other parents find shows like this one.

This podcast was made possible by members of The Table, whose monthly support creates a ripple effect of change for generations to come. We’d love to have you take a seat at The Table!

© 2026 Connected Families








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.






Get Equipped Today