HR is becoming less about administering employment and more about designing the conditions in which humans and machines work together well.

For years, the future-of-work conversation was dominated by a fairly predictable set of questions. Would people work from home? What did Gen Z want from employers? How could organisations attract scarce talent? And how much flexibility was too much flexibility?

Those questions haven’t disappeared, but they are being overtaken by a more consequential one: what happens when the technology changes at the same time as the workforce using it?

That is the challenge now facing HR and people leaders. AI is moving into recruitment, performance management, training, employee support and everyday workflows. Employers are beginning to expect AI literacy rather than merely encourage it. At the same time, a generation shaped by remote learning, social media, economic uncertainty and very different expectations of work is moving deeper into organisations. The result isn’t simply a new technology cycle or a generational shift. It is both at once.

My sense is that this changes the people agenda in a fundamental way. The organisations that navigate the next few years well won’t be those that automate the most HR processes or bend furthest to every new employee preference. They will be the ones that become much more deliberate about what machines should do, what humans still need to learn to do well, and what good leadership looks like when both are changing.

AI fluency is becoming part of employability

One of the clearest shifts in the research is how quickly AI capability is moving from an optional advantage to an expected workplace skill. The Wall Street Journal reported that Accenture had trained around 70% of its roughly 779,000 employees in generative AI fundamentals, with CEO Julie Sweet saying employees for whom reskilling was not viable would be exited. McKinsey & Company has begun considering how consultants make decisions with AI in performance reviews, KPMGassesses collaboration with AI in wider evaluations, and PwC has introduced AI training for new graduate hires.

That changes the psychology of AI adoption. For the first few years of generative AI, employees could reasonably treat tools such as ChatGPT as an experiment. Increasingly, that is no longer the case. LinkedIn job postings requiring AI literacy skills grew 70% in the 12 months to July 2025, according to data cited by the Journal. The emerging message from employers is not simply that AI may change your job. It is that your willingness and ability to work with AI may increasingly affect whether you get the job, how you are assessed once you have it and which opportunities come your way.

But there is an important trap here. Mandating AI use is much easier than building AI capability. The same Journal reporting noted that more than 40% of US workers who didn’t use AI said the main reason was that they didn’t believe it could help their work. The issue, in other words, isn’t always resistance to change. Sometimes people have been given a tool without a convincing use case.

For people leaders, this means AI literacy can’t be reduced to prompt training. Employees need permission to experiment, examples of where AI genuinely improves work, clarity about where it should not be trusted, and time to redesign workflows rather than simply bolt a chatbot onto the old ones. The skill that matters may be less ‘Can you use AI?’ and more ‘Can you make good decisions about when and how to use it?’

Recruitment is becoming an arms race

Nowhere is the tension clearer than hiring. Candidates are using AI to write CVs, tailor applications, prepare for interviews and, increasingly, assist them during interviews themselves. Recruiters are using AI to screen, rank and communicate with those candidates. In some parts of the market, it can feel as though the bots are applying to be interviewed by other bots.

There are real benefits. Axios reported SHRM data showing that 65% of HR professionals surveyed were using AI at work, compared with 45% of the broader workforce. Among HR professionals using AI, nine in ten were relying on it to generate job descriptions or screen applicants. Australian recruiters interviewed by the Sydney Morning Herald similarly described processes that once took days being completed in minutes.

There is also emerging evidence that AI can sometimes outperform traditional approaches. In research highlighted by The Wharton School professor Ethan Mollick, an experiment involving around 70,000 applicants for customer-service roles in the Philippines found an LLM voice recruiter produced 12% more job offers and 18% more starts, with one-month retention 17% higher. That is significant. But it doesn’t settle the question of whether machines should run recruitment.

The risks run in the opposite direction. Automated screening can struggle with unconventional career paths, transferable skills and people whose experience doesn’t happen to match the language in a job description. Australian reporting has also highlighted concerns about opacity and discrimination in automated hiring. And as candidates use more AI themselves, recruiters face a different problem: a polished application is becoming a weaker signal of actual capability.

That may produce an unexpected outcome. The more automated recruitment becomes, the more valuable genuinely human evidence may become. Employers will need better ways to see how someone thinks, communicates, responds to ambiguity, builds rapport and exercises judgement. The CV may become easier to produce. The human behind it may become harder, and therefore more important, to assess.

The next skills gap may be surprisingly human

This matters because some of the research on younger workers points to a second challenge. A 2026 report on workplace anxiety cited almost half of Gen Z respondents experiencing anxiety around workplace interactions such as meeting new people, making small talk and picking up the phone. A separate Wall Street Journal report described parents becoming involved in adult children’s job searches and workplace issues; in a Zety survey of more than 1,000 Gen Z respondents, 20% said a parent had attended a job interview with them.

It would be easy to turn those findings into another round of Gen Z bashing. That would miss the more useful point. Many younger workers spent formative years studying remotely, interviewing over Zoom and entering workplaces where face-to-face interaction was less frequent. At the same time, digital communication has made it possible to avoid many of the uncomfortable interpersonal moments through which previous generations developed confidence.

If that is even partly true, employers face a choice. They can interpret a lack of confidence as a character flaw, or they can recognise that some capabilities now need to be developed more deliberately. Giving difficult feedback. Handling disagreement. Speaking to a stranger. Reading a room. Asking for help. Recovering after an awkward conversation. These have always been workplace skills, but we rarely called them skills because people acquired so much practice almost by accident.

AI raises the stakes further. If a machine can draft the email, prepare the presentation, summarise the meeting and suggest the answer, employees may get fewer repetitions of the very tasks through which judgement is built. The leadership challenge is therefore not simply to make people more productive. It is to ensure productivity gains don’t quietly remove the experiences people need in order to become capable.

The office argument is becoming less binary

The same nuance is needed in the debate about where people work. The old argument tended to divide people into pro-office and pro-remote camps. The evidence is becoming messier. Employers are increasing pressure for attendance, sometimes through what the Wall Street Journal calls ‘hybrid creep’: linking visibility to advancement, improving attendance tracking and allowing unwritten expectations to do some of the work of formal mandates.

At the same time, younger workers aren’t uniformly demanding full-time remote work. Other research in the source material suggests Gen Z can place considerable value on being around colleagues, even while wanting flexibility and strong boundaries. That makes sense. The office can be inconvenient and socially demanding, but it is also where a great deal of tacit learning happens: overhearing how an experienced colleague handles a client, watching a manager navigate conflict, or being pulled into a conversation you didn’t know you needed.

The more useful question for leaders is therefore not ‘How many days should people be in?’ It is ‘What is worth coming in for?’ If the office simply recreates a day of individual video calls at a different desk, attendance will feel performative. If it provides access to coaching, collaboration, social connection, visibility and learning that are genuinely harder to reproduce remotely, its value becomes easier to understand.

Employee experience is becoming observable data

Another shift deserves more attention: AI isn’t only helping employees do their jobs. It is increasingly watching, interpreting and coaching how those jobs are done.

Burger King, for example, has been developing an AI assistant called Patty that sits inside employee headsets. It can answer operational questions, draw on information across restaurant systems and assess whether customer interactions include markers of ‘friendliness’, such as saying please and thank you. The company describes it as a coaching tool. Meanwhile, Axios reported on HR platforms capable of joining meetings, taking notes, drawing on workplace data and nudging managers about goals and performance.

There is obvious potential here. A manager can’t observe every customer interaction or remember every commitment made in every meeting. AI can surface patterns that humans miss. But the line between coaching and surveillance can become thin very quickly. If employees know every interaction may become a data point, leaders need to be exceptionally clear about what is being collected, why it is being collected, who can see it and what decisions it can influence.

This may become one of HR’s defining governance responsibilities. The technical question is whether an AI system can measure something. The leadership question is whether it should.

Gen Z is also changing what employees can contribute

There is a tendency in conversations about younger workers to focus on what they lack. The research also points to capabilities organisations can use more intelligently.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Starbucks, Delta Air Lines and other employers are recruiting staff to create social-media content about life at work. Starbucks selected 53 baristas for its Green Apron Creators program, while Delta brought a group of frontline employees to its Atlanta headquarters to develop employee-generated content. What was once the kind of behaviour employers worried about is, in some organisations, becoming a recognised capability.

That is an instructive shift. Younger employees don’t merely arrive with different expectations. They arrive with different native skills, networks and cultural instincts. The challenge for leaders is to distinguish between behaviours that need development and capabilities that should be harnessed. Good people leadership has always involved both.

The bargain between employee and employer is being renegotiated

This brings us to perhaps the most important change. The psychological contract around work is shifting.

Deloitte’s 2025 global Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that long working hours and inadequate recognition were among the strongest contributors to workplace stress for younger employees. Randstad research in the source material found 44% of Gen Z workers said their current role didn’t align with their dream career, 37% regretted their sector choice and 54% regularly browsed for new roles. At the same time, three in five said they would take a job that didn’t align with their personal values if the pay and benefits were strong.

That last finding is worth noticing because it complicates the stereotype of Gen Z as purely purpose-driven. Economic pressure matters. Career opportunity matters. Recognition matters. Flexibility matters. Values matter too, but not in isolation. Younger workers are making trade-offs just as every generation has, only under a different set of economic and technological conditions.

This is why simplistic generational labels are such a poor management tool. Leaders need to understand cohort-level patterns without turning them into assumptions about individuals. A 24-year-old employee may want flexibility and more face-to-face mentoring. They may care about purpose and still take the better-paid job. They may be highly capable with AI and deeply uncomfortable making an unexpected phone call. Contradictions aren’t evidence that the research is wrong. They are evidence that people are complicated.

The job of HR is moving upstream

Taken together, these trends suggest that HR is becoming less about administering employment and more about designing the conditions in which humans and machines work together well.

Recruitment becomes a question of how to combine algorithmic efficiency with human judgement. Learning becomes a question of building AI capability without outsourcing thinking. Hybrid work becomes a question of designing environments where people actually learn and connect. Performance management becomes a question of deciding which new data is useful and which is intrusive. Generational leadership becomes less about accommodating preferences and more about developing capability while recognising that the workforce has changed.

None of this makes the human side of leadership less important. I suspect the opposite is true. As more of the mechanics of work become automated, the quality of judgement around those mechanics becomes more consequential. Leaders will need to be clearer about expectations, better at coaching, more thoughtful about development and more transparent about how technology is being used.

For a long time, HR technology promised to make people management more efficient. AI can certainly do that. But efficiency is only part of the brief. The bigger opportunity is to use this moment to become more intentional about the capabilities, experiences and relationships that make people valuable in the first place.

The workplace of the future won’t be built by choosing between technology and humanity. It will be built by getting much better at knowing where each belongs.

Article supplied with thanks to Michael McQueen.

About the Author: Michael is a trends forecaster, business strategist and award-winning conference speaker. His most recent book Mindstuck explores the psychology of stubbornness and how to change minds – including your own.

Feature image: canva.com

The good news is that being emotionally connected to your child isn’t about always being calm, perfectly patient or making kids happy all the time.

Most parents don’t wake up in the morning thinking, Today I’m going to emotionally disconnect from my children. Yet, maybe you grew up with emotionally unavailable parents. Maybe emotions weren’t talked about in your family system.

Maybe emotional expression was dismissed, ignored or seen as “too much”. Or maybe you’re simply exhausted, overstimulated and trying to survive another week of school lunches, tantrums and interrupted sleep.

The truth is, emotional availability isn’t about being always calm, perfectly patient or emotionally “on” 24/7. It’s about emotional presence. It’s about whether your child feels emotionally connected to you, even during ordinary everyday moments.

What Does Emotional Availability Actually Mean?

An emotionally available parent is someone who is emotionally present and responsive to their child’s emotional needs. That doesn’t mean fixing every feeling or making children happy all the time.

It means being able to notice your child’s emotions and respond instead of react (most of the time), and create emotional safety when they need support.

Sometimes emotional availability looks big and obvious, like comforting a child after a nightmare, but is incredibly ordinary most of the time. It’s:

• looking up when your child says, “Mum, watch this”
• noticing when they seem quieter than usual
• sitting beside them after a hard day
• listening without immediately correcting or dismissing
• apologising after losing your temper
• helping children understand big emotions instead of shaming them for having them
• observing them and noticing that they might be carrying something they don’t have the confidence to speak about
• anticipating the emotional longings of your child without them needing to say it all the time

These little moments shape attachment security over time. At a basic level, it could simply be asking yourself, “What did I need as a little girl in this moment?” and trying your best to be that for your child.

Why Emotional Connection Matters So Much

Children learn about relationships through their earliest experiences with parents and caregivers. Attachment researchshows that emotional availability plays a huge role in helping children develop secure attachment.

When children consistently feel emotionally safe, supported and understood, they’re more likely to build healthy relationships later in life. They begin developing beliefs like:

• “My feelings matter.”
• “I can ask for support.”
• “People are emotionally safe.”
• “I am worthy of love and connection.”

This becomes part of their inner world and emotional attachment patterns as they grow.

On the other hand, emotional unavailability can sometimes lead children to suppress emotions, disconnect from their emotional needs or develop insecure attachment styles in adult relationships.

But this is important: No parent gets this right all the time.

Good parenting isn’t about perfection. It’s about repair, consistency and emotional awareness over time.

Different Attachment Styles And What They Mean

Attachment styles are the patterns we develop around relationships, emotional connection and safety. They’re shaped largely through early childhood experiences. In simple terms, attachment styles influence things like:

• how safe we feel emotionally
• how we handle closeness
• how we react to conflict
• whether we trust other people
• how we behave in adult relationships

Most people fall into one of four main attachment patterns.

1. Secure Attachment

Secure attachment is considered the healthiest attachment style overall. Children usually develop secure attachment when parents are emotionally available, responsive, consistent and emotionally safe most of the time. Their emotional needs are generally acknowledged and supported.

As adults, people with secure attachment often:

• feel comfortable with emotional closeness
• communicate openly
• trust other people more easily
• regulate emotions relatively well
• maintain healthy relationships
• handle conflict without extreme fear or withdrawal

This doesn’t mean they never struggle emotionally. It simply means relationships usually feel safe rather than threatening.

How Secure Attachment Manifests:

• asking for support when needed
• feeling okay with both independence and closeness
• recovering from conflict without panic
• expressing emotions directly
• setting healthy boundaries

Why It’s Healthy:

Secure attachment creates emotional stability, resilience, emotional regulation and stronger adult relationships overall.

2. Anxious Attachment

Anxious attachment develops when emotional support feels inconsistent during childhood. A child may experience warmth and connection irregularly, for no real rhyme or reason, with parents who are very unpredictable.

As adults, this can lead to:

• fear of abandonment
• overthinking relationships
• needing constant reassurance
• emotional overwhelm
• people pleasing
• difficulty feeling secure in relationships

People with anxious attachment may become highly sensitive to changes in tone, distance or conflict, often fearing rejection or disconnection. While it can create unhealthy relationship patterns, anxious attachment can absolutely improve through emotional awareness, therapy and secure relationships.

3. Avoidant Attachment

Avoidant attachment develops when children learn their emotional needs are ignored, dismissed or unsafe to express. This is common with parents who are unable to be present or who haven’t emotionally matured to the level that their child needs.

Children may unconsciously learn:

• “I have to handle things alone.”
• “My emotions are too big to tell anyone.”

As adults, people with avoidant attachment often appear highly independent but struggle with emotional closeness. This can look like:

• shutting down emotionally
• avoiding vulnerability
• pulling away during conflict
• suppressing emotions
• struggling to rely on other people

Although avoidant attachment can create emotional distance in relationships, it’s usually a protective response developed early in life, not a lack of care or love.

4. Disorganised Attachment

Disorganised attachment often develops in childhood environments that feel frightening, chaotic, emotionally neglectful or deeply inconsistent. Children may crave emotional connection while also fearing it at the same time.

As adults, this can create confusing relationship patterns such as:

• wanting closeness but fearing intimacy
• emotional highs and lows
• difficulty trusting people
• fear of abandonment mixed with fear of dependence
• emotional dysregulation

Disorganised attachment can strongly affect mental health, self esteem and adult relationships, but healing is possible through emotional safety, therapy, attachment repair and secure relationships over time.

Signs Of Emotional Availability In Everyday Parenting

A lot of people hear terms like emotional availability or emotional connection and imagine deep therapeutic conversations happening constantly. Real life usually looks much messier than that.

An emotionally available parent might:

• comfort a crying child instead of saying “stop being dramatic”
• acknowledge feelings even while setting boundaries
• make time for connection during busy days
• stay emotionally present during difficult moments
• help children name emotions
• listen without immediately trying to “fix” everything

For example, when your child comes home upset after friendship issues at school, emotional availability doesn’t mean solving the problem perfectly. Sometimes it’s simply:

• “That sounds really hurtful.”
• “I can understand why you feel upset.”
• “Would you like some advice or do you just want me to listen?”

Those moments can help build emotional closeness and trust.

Emotional Availability Doesn’t Mean Unlimited Access

This is where lots of mums feel confused. Being emotionally available doesn’t mean your child has constant access to you every second of the day. Parents are human beings with emotional needs too. You are still allowed to:

• feel overwhelmed
• need space
• become dysregulated
• say “I need five minutes”
• set healthy boundaries
• make mistakes

In fact, children benefit from seeing healthy emotional regulation modelled in realistic ways. A child doesn’t need a permanently calm parent. They need a parent who repairs after hard moments and helps create emotional safety overall.

The Impact Of Emotionally Unavailable Parenting

Many adults are now reflecting on their own childhood experiences and recognising signs of emotionally unavailable parenting in their upbringing. Emotionally unavailable parents aren’t always intentionally neglectful or uncaring. Sometimes they were:

• emotionally immature parents
• struggling with mental health challenges
• overwhelmed by survival stress
• raised in families where emotions were ignored
• disconnected from their own emotional needs
• at a young age when they started parenting and lacked emotional maturity or wisdom

Some children grow up learning that emotions are inconvenient, dramatic, weak or punished. Over time, this emotional distance can affect:

• self-esteem
• emotional expression
• romantic relationships
• emotional regulation
• attachment style
• emotional closeness with other people

Being able to reflect on your own childhood with awareness rather than judgement can be incredibly powerful. It’s not about blaming yourself or your parents, but gently noticing the patterns, experiences and emotional wounds that may still affect you today.

That kind of self-awareness can support your own healing journey, help you parent more intentionally and highlight areas where new patterns, boundaries or changes may be needed.

Parenting While Breaking Old Patterns

One of the hardest parts of parenting is realising that your child’s emotions can trigger unresolved feelings from your own childhood. Maybe you experienced emotional neglect, so being emotionally present for your children doesn’t come naturally because nobody modelled it for you. Or maybe part of you deeply resents being expected to give your children the emotional support you never received yourself.

This is why these conversations matter so much. Many mums are trying to learn emotional availability from scratch while also healing their own attachment wounds at the same time.

You might notice yourself:

• shutting down during conflict
• struggling to tolerate strong emotions
• becoming defensive when children cry
• feeling emotionally exhausted easily
• wanting to “fix” feelings quickly
• avoiding emotional conversations altogether

That doesn’t make you a bad parent. You’re simply a human and you’re very likely trying to do your best. That’s why you’re reading this article.

Learning emotional availability is possible at any stage of life. Even if you didn’t have empathy modelled to you growing up, there is much scientific evidence proving that empathy is a learned behaviour (meaning you can learn it now).

Many people build healthier emotional attachment patterns through therapy, reflection, parenting support and greater self-awareness. Often, parenting itself becomes part of the healing process. With support and processing, you can rewrite your own story while helping to shape your little one’s life story.

Emotional Availability Is Often Found In Small Moments

When people picture “good parenting” they often imagine huge meaningful moments, but emotional presence is usually built through tiny repeated interactions. It’s:

• making eye contact during conversations
• laughing together over a meal
• comforting children after disappointment
• validating emotions without judgement
• staying connected after conflict
• showing interest in your child’s inner world

These moments help children develop attachment security and emotional confidence over time.

Importantly, emotional availability doesn’t require expensive parenting courses, perfect routines or endless free time. Children don’t need perfection. They need connection.

Frequently Asked Questions About Emotional Availability And Parenting

Q: What Does It Mean To Be An Emotionally Available Parent?

An emotionally available parent is someone who is emotionally present, responsive and supportive of their child’s emotional needs. It doesn’t mean being perfect or calm all the time. It means helping children feel safe, understood and connected.

Q: Can You Be A Good Parent If You Didn’t Have Emotionally Available Parents?

Yes. Many people are learning emotional availability as adults because they didn’t experience it growing up. Parenting can actually become part of the healing journey as you build more self-awareness and healthier emotional patterns.

Q: What Are Emotionally Unavailable Parents?

Emotionally unavailable parents are caregivers who struggle to emotionally connect, validate feelings or respond consistently to a child’s emotional needs. This can happen for many reasons, including stress, trauma, mental health struggles or their own childhood experiences.

Q: How Does Emotional Unavailability Affect Children?

Children who experience emotional unavailability may struggle with emotional regulation, low self-esteem, emotional expression, attachment security or healthy relationships later in life. Some develop anxious, avoidant or insecure attachment styles.

Q: What Is Secure Attachment?

Secure attachment develops when children generally feel emotionally safe, supported, comforted and valued by their caregivers. It helps children build confidence, emotional resilience and healthier adult relationships.

Q: What Are Signs Of Emotional Availability In Parenting?

Emotional availability can look like:

• listening without judgement
• comforting children when upset
• acknowledging emotions
• apologising after mistakes
• being emotionally present during difficult moments
• helping children feel emotionally safe

Article supplied with thanks to Mum’s At The Table

About the Author: Adriana is Mums At The Table’s part-time digital content creator and writes from Kingscliff, Queensland.

Feature image: canva.com

Do you ever feel the weight of life? Sometimes, despite our best intentions to rest and maintain a good work-life balance, the day-to-day can feel heavy.

It’s not that anything horrible has happened, but the pressure to keep all the balls in the air feels overwhelming. 

We all have the normal stresses of life. Pressures with children and family, parents getting older, work stress, financial stress, and issues with health or various other things that can occur. Sometimes it feels like these things wear you down, and it’s one demand after another. 

I Don’t Want To Run Away From My Life

I don’t want to live a life where I have to run away from it. Every time I feel this way, I also feel like it’s all up to me. The plates are all spinning in the air, but they aren’t just mine. I am also trying to control the things my husband is responsible for (he didn’t ask me to do that) and trying to manage my older kids in an unhealthy way. I make unwise decisions at work trying to put out fires that don’t exist in my effort to control everything. 

Funnily enough the more I try to control my world, the more out of control it feels. The tighter I grip, the more things seem to fall into a hole. I am not the nicest person in the world when I am trying to control everyone and everything. 

Something else I have noticed when I fall into this pattern is that I often neglect my time with God. Spending time with God isn’t just something to tick off the list, another item on a list of priorities. When I make time for God in the morning, I am reminding myself that I don’t have to control it all. I don’t even have to carry life’s burdens. When I prioritise time with God, I am handing control to Him and reminding myself that I can trust Him. 

Matthew 11:28-30 is one of my favourite passages in the Bible. 

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

An Amazing Invitation 

What an incredible invitation to walk with Jesus. We find true rest when we bring our tired, weary selves to Him. In verse 29, it says to learn from him because he is gentle and humble of heart. I think it’s just a beautiful reminder for us that we can continue that relationship with Him. We can learn from Him, and he is gentle with us as we come to him again and again. 

If you are finding yourself struggling with the heaviness of life, try writing Matthew 11:28-30 on a card and sticking it on your mirror so you see it every morning. It’s when we let go of tightly held control that we can truly rest. 

Article supplied with thanks to Lorrene McClymont.

About the Author: Lorrene McClymont is a writer and photographer from Hope Images. On her blog ‘Moments to Rest’, she shares about rest, faith, and family.

Feature image: canva.com

How to really check in with your child.

“How was your day?”

“Fine.”

“Anything happen?”

“No.”

And that’s apparently the end of the conversation. You’ve had a more detailed update from the school lunchbox.

Getting past the one-word answers can be tricky. Particularly when you’re not just making conversation. You’re asking because something seems a little different, and you’re trying to work out whether your child is okay… but where to from here?

Clinical psychologist Asher Morrison gives practical suggestions parents can try to open up those conversations, what to look for and what to do when the answer isn’t a reassuring one.

Here’s five considerations for parents when something doesn’t feel quite right.

1. Is It Moodiness, Or Something More?

If moodiness alone meant something was wrong, plenty of parents would be concerned before breakfast.

Asher acknowledges that many of the things parents might worry about can also be part of an ordinary teenage day. Being tired, agitated, off their food or less interested in spending time with people can be difficult to interpret on their own.

The thing to notice is a change in what’s usual for your child.

Look at whether those behaviours are happening over a prolonged period of time or if there’s a sudden change towards some of those behaviors.

Have they stopped enjoying something they usually love? Are they withdrawing from friends? Has their sleep or appetite noticeably changed?

You don’t need to have worked out exactly what’s going on before you ask.

And if asking earns you an eye roll? That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done the wrong thing.

“I think a teenager might get annoyed at you,” Asher says. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.”

2. Ask About The Things You Know Matter

“How was your day?” is a fairly big question. There’s a lot of day to choose from.

Getting specific can help, particularly with younger children. Ask about lunch, a lesson or the friend they mentioned yesterday. If they’ve told you something is difficult, come back to it.

How did that conversation go? Was maths any better today? Who did you spend lunchtime with?

You’re not conducting an investigation. You’re showing that you listened, remembered and are still interested.

For a deeper check-in, Asher suggests:

“Is there anything that’s getting you down at the moment?”

Or:

“Anything that you haven’t told me yet you think it’d be good to let me know?”

The first question may not get much back. That doesn’t make it pointless.

“Don’t necessarily nag, but do persist with turning up and asking,” he advises.

3. Be Ready When They’re Ready

Unfortunately, your child’s preferred time for a meaningful conversation may not line up with yours.

You might be ready at afternoon tea. They might be ready when you’ve brushed your teeth, turned out the light and have absolutely nothing left.

Asher encourages parents to be open to those inconvenient moments. Sometimes that means propping yourself up on the pillows and listening to the child who has just appeared at the end of your bed.

It can also mean making use of the ordinary moments already in your day.

The drive to school. Something to eat together. Time side by side, without a device between you.

“You get into this rhythm with staring down the road and being side by side, and things just come out,” Asher says.

Not every important conversation needs a formal sit-down. Sometimes it needs a lift somewhere.

4. What If They’re Not Okay?

The temptation can be to immediately take over. Make the appointment, contact the school, come up with the solution.

But Asher says that as children get older, involving them in the next steps becomes increasingly important.

“What do you think we could do about this?” he suggests asking. “Who could we talk to?”

Depending on what’s happening, that might mean approaching a trusted teacher together or seeking professional support.

And if they don’t want help, it doesn’t mean a parent has to do nothing. Asher encourages parents to acknowledge that getting help can be difficult, while making it clear that their concern isn’t going away.

The aim is to work with your child, while continuing to take their wellbeing seriously.

5. Keep The Conversation Going

Initiatives like R U OK? Day can be a helpful prompt. But family life carries on after the day is over, and so should the conversations.

It’s possible to know who needs picking up, what homework is due and what everyone wants for dinner, without really knowing how anyone is going.

Checking in takes some deliberate effort. It may be awkward. It may be inconvenient. It may not produce much of an answer the first time.

For parents who already know their child is struggling, Asher offers some hope.

“I think the most hopeless time is before you start doing anything about it.”

Change isn’t always easy or quick. But starting a conversation and taking a step towards support is better than sitting with it alone.

You don’t need a perfect opening line or an answer for everything they might tell you.

Start by asking. Make room to listen. And keep turning up.

Article supplied with thanks to Rhema 99.7.

About the Author: Chloe Ellenbacher is the co-host of The Fresh Start Morning Show on Rhema 99.7.

Feature image: canva.com

As someone who was training to become a champion fighter, I thought I was tough. But it’s not until something you deeply care about is nearly taken from you that you realise how easily you can break.

The Making of a Fighter 

I grew up with loving parents who would take me to church on weekends. My name is Jesh, or Jeshua, which is a name from the Old Testament that my dad chose. He always loved reading and studying the Bible, ever since I can remember. But like most people, there came a point where I had to decide for myself what I believed and how I wanted to live my life.

Growing up, my brother and I always wanted to do martial arts. But my dad, who had been a boxer and a motorcyclist in his younger days, said, “No, don’t do that.” Naturally, my brother and I decided we would pursue both.  

When I finished school, I started drinking, partying and going from one drug to the next, trying to find some kind of satisfaction but never getting what I was really looking for. From the outside, it might have looked like I was having fun, but on the inside I felt a deep, empty void. I put my family through a lot during that time and it wasn’t easy for them to watch me go down that path.   

Later when I got married, I realised I couldn’t keep living this way. I had to start being a real man. I had to take life more seriously. I didn’t want to bring addiction and substances into my home and my marriage. So I let go of the partying and focused more on martial arts. But I quickly became obsessed.

The moment results started showing, I had one goal: become a champion fighter.

While martial arts had helped me leave drugs and alcohol behind, I had simply replaced one addiction with another.

Instead of chasing the high that substances gave me, I chased the validation that came from winning competitions and medals.  

My desire to become a champion fighter was a selfish pursuit, but my wife was supportive of my decision, as were my parents (yes, even my dad). They respected the fact that I was an adult, and I think they knew they couldn’t control what I did. 

But the truth is, it was all about me, me, me. I loved hearing people say, “Oh look at that guy, he’s strong” and my internal dialogue at the time was very much, “Yeah, I am strong. I can handle anything.” Until I realised I couldn’t. 

The Day It All Changed

My wife was late in her pregnancy with our first child when we had to rush her to the hospital. After she’d been seen, the doctor came out and told me there was a 99 per cent chance my daughter wouldn’t survive. Not only that, but my wife’s life was also at serious risk. 

As a father, there are no words for what it feels like to stand in a hospital and be told you might lose the ones you love the most. My parents’ pastor came and prayed a final farewell over our daughter. Once everyone had left, I remember thinking, What can I even do? I found a private room in the hospital, knelt down and cried. I called out to God and said, “Can You help me? Can You help me?” I promised that if He saved them, I would give my life to Him. The next day the doctor came to me and said, “Your daughter and wife are fine. It’s a miracle that they both survived.”  

Thankfully, the three of us eventually came home healthy and well. But I didn’t change. Each time I looked down at my daughter, I would remember the promise I’d made to God and think, He did answer my prayers. Still, I did nothing about it. 

A Second Wake Up Call

Not long after this, my world was shaken again. I was at the gym with a friend when he had a heart attack. I tried to resuscitate him, but he didn’t make it. I lost a good friend that day. 

I went through a really dark season after this. For the first time in my life, I felt what it truly meant to suffer, and I felt a deep need for help. One night I picked up an old, dusty Bible I’d had stored away and started reading it, trying to understand who God is. I remember sitting in my daughter’s bedroom, reading about Jesus and how He died for me on the cross. Suddenly a feeling of peace and warmth flooded over my body.
I’d never experienced anything like it before. It’s hard to describe, but in a time where life felt so heavy and dark, it became light. I believe Jesus met me that night to show me that there is hope—that there is a God, a loving God, who has answers to life’s mess and pain.

Searching For Truth

From that point on, I really started questioning my life and tried to read the Bible with an open heart. I read it all the way through, from Genesis to Revelation, and there were so many eye-opening moments for me. The more I read, the more I thought, ‘Wow, this is really something’. I began to understand God’s character in a way I never had before. 

I questioned whether I was just reading the Bible because I had seen my parents do that growing up. So I started looking at other worldviews and exploring other religions. I dived into evolution, pantheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and I read the Qur’an and other spiritual texts. I wanted to know which god it was that had helped me and which one to give my life to.   

Christianity provided the best answers for me. It had the best evidence and made the most sense when I looked out at the world and what we humans long for. But as well as that, reading the Bible had truly changed my life, as did learning about and praying to Jesus. Eventually I went looking for a church to attend. I wanted to find a group of people who didn’t just follow tradition, but who truly followed Jesus and lived as He lived.  

Still Showing Up

Fast forward, my wife and I just celebrated our daughter’s tenth birthday. Every day, she is reminded that she’s a miracle, and I’m reminded of the blessing it is to have her in our lives. 

I’m no longer chasing championship titles, but I still show up at the gym most days. I used to be the guy who walked in worshipping himself, with nothing but winning in mind. My identity was tied up in titles and what other people thought of me. Now I work here as a coach and I see plenty of young men arriving with those same desires I once had—chasing titles, trying to prove themselves, looking for their identity in fighting and validation. I get it. I was them. 

Thankfully, my identity is no longer tied to any of that. The void I once tried to fill with drugs, then with validation, has been filled with Jesus. I talk to Him daily and it’s reshaped what matters to me. 

Now I’m here to lead by example—through my actions and my words. To get to know people, build real relationships and support them through whatever they’re navigating, both inside the gym and out. I’m not trying to force my views on anyone. I just want to show them there’s a better way to live. That there’s more to life than just fighting. 

And despite what people might think, there’s a real brotherhood here.

Jeshua McPhail is a martial arts coach and former professional fighter based in Sydney, Australia. He is passionate about building character, strengthening community and reflecting Jesus through coaching and service.

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New research quantifies community radio’s economic and cultural impact – but the deeper value goes beyond numbers.

A new report has put a number on what community radio contributes to Australia.

A landmark report from Monash University, Community Radio and Australian Music: Building the Music-Media Ecosystem Final Report May 2026, has for the first time quantified what community radio does for Australian music, and the findings are significant.

Australia’s community radio music stations generate an estimated $153 million in added value to the music industry every year, broadcasting more than double the volume of local music played by commercial networks.

Last year alone, 1.6 million Australians discovered a local or emerging artist through community radio. More than 1.3 million of those listeners went on to buy merchandise, music or gig tickets. More than one million Australians say community radio is the only broadcaster playing the music they actually want to hear.

These aren’t passive listeners. They are people who feel genuinely connected to what they’re hearing.

Understanding That Connection

For Christian radio stations, connection is the whole point.

As a Christian media ministry, every song played, every conversation broadcast, every piece of content created, flows from a belief that media can carry something deeper than entertainment. It can carry hope.

When someone tunes in on a hard morning and hears something that speaks to where they are, that moment has a value no report can quantify. But it’s real. And it matters.

The Spaces Streaming Can’t Fill

Monash University Associate Professor Shane Homan described community radio as “the vital infrastructure holding up the broader Australian music industries”.

As global streaming algorithms prioritise what’s popular over what’s meaningful, community radio remains one of the few spaces where local voices are genuinely heard, where artists at the start of their journey get a chance. It’s where listeners aren’t just fed what an algorithm decided they want.

That’s a gap Christian media ministries are called to fill, not just for music, but for faith, for community, and for the people who need to know they’re not alone.

The report also highlights the extraordinary contribution of volunteers to community radio, with 136,687 volunteer hours logged across the study’s case stations in an average year. That training is equivalent to the cost of a one-year Diploma qualification.

People give their time because they believe in the ministry. That’s not just an economic contribution. That’s faithfulness in action.

New National Survey Highlights The Real Impact Of Christian Radio

Recently, other research revealed “Christian radio makes a real difference”.

The 2025 Radio and You Survey, coordinated by CMAA and carried out with Compass Polling, brings together insights from listeners, as well as employees, volunteers and sponsors.

“Listeners are experiencing real impact in their faith, with many describing growth, deeper engagement and stronger spiritual habits. For others, the difference shows up in everyday life, with improved wellbeing, a greater sense of hope and more confidence in the decisions they make,” the survey states.

“There’s also a clear sense of connection. People are feeling part of something bigger, building relationships and responding in practical ways to what they hear on air.

“Christian radio continues to play an important role during challenging times as well, providing trusted information and a sense of reassurance when it’s needed most.

“Behind the scenes, the impact is just as strong. Employees and volunteers speak about increased confidence, new skills and a deeper sense of purpose through their involvement.

“For sponsors, the findings reinforce the value of Christian radio as a meaningful and effective way to connect with audiences and build relationships.”

More Than A Number

The research is a timely reminder that community radio isn’t background noise. It sustains artists, connects communities and serves the people that commercial media is leaving behind.

For Christian media ministries, that’s always been the mission. Not because a report said so, but because of a belief that God can use every platform to reach people where they are.

Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.

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There’s an art to building new friendships as a new mum, when the fog of endless feeding, changing, settling can dull your usual social skills.

But when you finally start venturing back into the world, there’s one big question: How do you actually make new friends now that you’re a mum?

Before we get into what to do, let’s cover a few classic mistakes—things that can make it a bit harder to connect with new people (and yes, we’ve all been guilty of at least one).

How not to make new mum friends

1. Be creepy

There’s friendly and then there’s too much. Saying, “That’s a really nice outfit” is lovely and can start a pleasant conversation. Saying, “I’ve been watching you for the last hour and I love how your outfit brings out your eyes that are blue like the ocean”, not so much. You’re trying to make new friends, not get yourself featured on a neighbourhood watch page.

A good friend will appreciate a sincere compliment. A potential friend will appreciate a little personal space. It’s important to know the difference and what is appropriate, and what might be taken as weird. If you’re in doubt, don’t say it. Instead, talk about the weather or something else that isn’t personal or could be sensitive.

2. Offer unsolicited advice

No-one loves a know-it-all—especially a tired mum who’s just trying to survive the day. Even if you know the “perfect” baby sleep routine, when every mum should be feeding her baby or how to pronounce quinoa, avoid correcting or advising unless you’re asked. The quickest way to lose potential friends is to make them feel judged.

If you really want to help, offer empathy instead. “Oh, I remember those nights. It’s tough!” That goes a lot further than “Have you tried . . .”

3. Stay at home

If you want a social life, you have to actually be social. Saying no to every invite is a guaranteed ticket to Lonely People Island. Even if you’re shy or stuck in your comfort zone, try to show up to at least one social activity now and then: a local playgroup, a book club, a mums’ brunch or a sports team meet-up.

You never know when a new friendship might spark. The first step to finding like-minded people is actually being where the people are.

4. Don’t help

A simple act of kindness goes a long way. Whether it’s holding a pram, offering a tissue or watching someone’s toddler for 30 seconds while they tie their shoe, helping others builds trust. A good thing about kindness is that it’s remembered.

Friendship, after all, is built on small, genuine moments—little things that show you care. You don’t have to do something huge and unrealistically impossible to help someone, like promise to cook a meal for their whole family and clean their entire house. Maybe you know your neighbour always forgets the bins because she’s told you before. Help for her could be sending a text saying that it’s recycling bin day tomorrow, with a smile saying that you nearly forgot too.

5. Talk. And talk. And talk.

We get it, you’ve spent the last 12 months talking mostly to your baby (or your dog). When you finally meet new people, it’s exciting to have an adult conversation again. But don’t let that excitement turn into a monologue.

Avoid dominating the chat with your personal information or every story since high school. Ask questions, listen and let your new friend shine too. The best friendships grow from meaningful conversations, not one-way speeches. If you really want to be interesting, be curious and ask questions. When people feel that you are genuinely interested in getting to know them, suddenly, they want to get to know you more.

How to make new mum friends

So now that we’ve covered what not to do, let’s look at how to genuinely connect with new people and grow your social circle.

1. Attend meet-ups and social activities

The easiest way to meet like-minded people is by showing up to things that interest you. Join a book club, try a mum-and-bub fitness class or attend a park walk/run with other parents. Look for new communities through local Facebook groups or social media, or join one of Mums At The Table’s local meet-up groups across Australia and New Zealand.

Even if you don’t walk away with real friends right away, you’ll have shared a good time and some new experiences.

2. Involve food

Food has magical powers; it breaks the ice faster than any conversation starter. Whether it’s inviting another mum for a cuppa, hosting a casual friend brunch or packing extra snacks for the park, food makes everything more comfortable.

It’s not about being fancy; it’s about creating an easy space to connect. Plus, let’s be honest, who can resist homemade scones or banana bread?

3. Small, thoughtful gestures

You don’t have to go overboard; no need to gift-wrap friendship bracelets. But a little thoughtfulness goes a long way. Remember your friend’s favourite snack or send a text checking in when you know they’re having a hard time.

These meaningful connections come from consistency and care, not big gestures. That’s what turns new connections into great friends.

4. Make eye contact and pay attention

Body language says a lot. When you talk to someone, make eye contact and smile; it shows confidence and warmth. But remember, no staring.

The same goes for listening. Notice the important things they share—their child’s name, the new city they’ve moved to or a common interest like gardening or travel. Showing you remember details proves you’re invested in the new friendship.

5. Balance talking and listening

Good friends listen as much as they speak. Ask open-ended questions: “How’s your week been?” or “What do you love doing when you get a little ‘me-time’?” are great conversation starters.

When they open up, really listen. Make it a meaningful conversation, not just small talk. That’s how real-life friendships grow—from being seen and heard.

6. Keep showing up

Friendship takes time. Sometimes you’ll click right away; other times it takes a few meet-ups to feel comfortable. Don’t give up if it feels awkward at first. Building a friend group or a sense of community doesn’t happen overnight.

Keep reaching out, keep saying yes and keep showing genuine interest. Before long, those new relationships might turn into your closest friends. If they don’t, that’s perfectly okay too. If you keep being proactive about your social life, you’ll find your tribe sooner or later. 

The don’ts (One more time)

Let’s recap the top things not to do when making new friends:

• Don’t overshare your entire life story or dump too much personal information right away.
• Don’t stay glued to your phone or scroll social media while someone’s talking.
• Don’t flake on plans; respect people’s time.
• Don’t be overly critical or gossipy about old friends or friends of friends.
• Don’t expect every interaction to suddenly turn into a best friendship instantly.

Friendship isn’t instant coffee—it brews slowly.

Say hello

Making new friends as a mum can feel a little like dating again: nervous, hopeful and slightly awkward. But it’s also one of the best new experiences you can have. These real friends will celebrate your wins, laugh with you through the chaos and remind you that you’re not alone in this wild, wonderful thing called motherhood.

So, step out of your comfort zone, make that phone number exchange and don’t be afraid to smile first. Sometimes, all it takes is a kind word or a shared laugh to start something special.

Your next great friend might be sitting right beside you at playgroup, just waiting for you to say hello.

Article supplied with thanks to Mum’s At The Table

About the Author: Adriana is Mums At The Table’s part-time digital content creator and writes from Kingscliff, Queensland.

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A third of young people are now using an AI companion, according to new research.

The RELATE Project 2026, by Christian youth ministry Young Life, spoke to over 7,100 teenagers and young adults across 11 different countries including the US, UK, Argentina, Mexico, India and Nigeria.

Its study found that in 2025 the average young person had 4.4 close relationships, down from 5.3 in 2023.

When it comes to discussing the subjects that really matter to them, on average, young people said they only had two people in their lives who they trusted to do that.

Confidentiality Key To Helping Young People

Around 40% of young people said they were not fully confident that there was a single adult in their life who had a genuine interest in listening to them.

In order to build trust with such an adult, 73% said that confidentiality was the most important factor.

“Without confidentiality, people will shut down and go back to not talking about feelings,” one participant said.

Dr Kimberly Nollan, Director of Research and Practice at Young Life, said: “To walk alongside today’s young people, we have to put down our own distractions and show up in their world.”

“This starts with proving we are safe enough to listen – protecting their confidentiality and offering space for them without immediately trying to offer advice or judgement.”

40% Of Young People Don’t Feel Worthy

The study found close relationships to be a protective factor against challenges and hardships in life.

“In RELATE 2024, we found four in 10 young people were not confident they were worthy of being loved. This finding broke our hearts!” said *Young Life*.

“In RELATE 2026, we see a similar dynamic: 62% of Gen Z and Alpha rate their worthiness of being loved at an 8, 9, or 10 out of 10, leaving nearly four in 10 who report lower certainty.”

Those without a religious faith affiliation appear to be particularly vulnerable, with only half reporting confidence that they’re worthy of being loved.

Third Of Young People Use An AI “Friend”

The research found that while most young people prefer face to face communication with their friends (64% – up 10 points from 2023), the use of AI companions appears to becoming more prevalent, particularly with younger teenagers.

Over a third (35%) of young people reported using an AI companion, rising to 45% among those aged 13 to 15.

A majority (60%) of those who use an AI companion say they feel more comfortable sharing their problems with AI than with real-world friends and family.

“Young People Would Prefer Trusted Adults As Mentors”

But Newt Crenshaw, President and CEO of Young Life, explained that’s not what they really want.

“The RELATE Project tells us that while young people are constantly connected online, they are craving authentic, in-person community.”

“They don’t want perfect, frictionless screens.”

“They are looking for trusted, consistent adults who will step into their worlds, earn and keep their trust, and simply be there to listen.”

Young Africans Turning To AI “Friends”

The findings offer a particularly interesting picture for Africa where five countries were surveyed — Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Liberia and Ethiopia.

Millions of young Africans are coming online as the continent undergoes a rapid digital transformation.

Technology is increasingly filling gaps that already exist in their relationships.

“Very Few People Show Up For Me”

One of the clearest examples came from a Zimbabwean male participant who described himself as “being someone others turn to during difficult moments.”

“I’m the kind of person people go to when they’re going through things, but very few people show up for me,” he observed.

He said that after training his AI system to respond in ways he found useful, he sometimes turned to it when he was at his lowest to have deep conversations and work through his problems.

That experience helps explain why AI companionship is gaining traction among young people.

Loneliness Epidemic For Young People

The World Health Organization’s Commission On Social Connect reported in 2025 that about one in five adolescents and young adults experience loneliness.

The rate was higher in low-income countries, where 24.3% of people reported loneliness compared with 11.2% in high-income countries.

The commission said loneliness is shaped by social and economic conditions as well as technology.

A recent Kenya study involving 1,445 secondary school students found loneliness was central to a network of psychosocial factors affecting adolescents, including depression, anxiety, social support and well-being.

Top Takeaways From Study

Young Life concludes the main takeaways of the latest survey are:

• Gen Z and Gen Alpha sincerely want relationships with us.
• They also have a lot to offer us, and the world.
• They’re willing to challenge bad precedents and call out empty promises.
• They’re optimistic, even if they feel anxious.
• They’re kind, emotionally attuned, and they want to help make the world a better place.
• It takes time and work to learn how to be human.
• Being human includes being embodied.
• It includes asking questions.
• It includes deep relationships with others.
• It includes faith in something even if it’s not God.

Article supplied with thanks to Vision Christian Media.

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Have you ever noticed how quickly your mood can change? You can be enjoying a wonderful day when, almost without warning, a single thought enters your mind. It might be about your finances, your health, your family or something happening at work.

Before long, that one thought has become several, and the peace you were enjoying has disappeared.

That happened to me only a few weeks ago.

I was driving to church on a Sunday afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and I was looking forward to catching up with everyone. I was in a great mood and thankful for all God had been doing in my life.

Then, out of nowhere, my thoughts turned to our finances.

Almost immediately my mind filled with questions. How are we going to pay these bills? Where is the money going to come from? What if things don’t improve?

Nothing around me had changed. I was still driving to church on the same beautiful afternoon. There hadn’t been a phone call with bad news or an unexpected bill arriving in the mail. The only thing that had changed was what I was thinking about.

Within a couple of minutes, I could feel the anxiety building. The joy I’d been experiencing was being replaced by worry, and I knew that if I allowed those thoughts to continue, they would rob me of the peace I’d started the day with.

Then the Lord gently brought a familiar passage of Scripture to mind.

Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Those verses weren’t new to me, but on that afternoon they became exactly what I needed.

Instead of continuing the conversation in my own head, I decided to have a conversation with God.

I prayed out loud as I drove.

“Lord, I’m not going to carry this by myself. You know exactly what we’re facing. You’ve always provided for us before, and I trust You to provide again. Thank You for Your faithfulness.”

Almost immediately, something changed.

The circumstances hadn’t altered, but my perspective had. The heaviness lifted, and instead of thinking about everything that could go wrong, I found myself remembering all the times God had faithfully looked after us in the past. My confidence returned because my focus had shifted from my problems to God’s faithfulness.

Looking back, that week turned out to be one of the best I’d had in a long time. Yet the greatest blessing wasn’t that everything worked out. It was being reminded that God’s peace doesn’t depend on our circumstances. It depends on where we place our trust.

Many of us underestimate the influence our thoughts have on our lives. We replay conversations, imagine worst-case scenarios and worry about things that haven’t even happened. We convince ourselves we’re preparing for the future when, in reality, we’re feeding our anxiety.

Paul doesn’t simply tell us to stop worrying. He gives us something better to do. He tells us to bring every concern to God in prayer and to do it with thanksgiving. While we’re telling God about today’s problem, we’re also remembering His faithfulness yesterday. Gratitude changes our perspective. It reminds us that the God who has carried us before will carry us again.

That doesn’t mean our problems instantly disappear. Bills still need to be paid. Health challenges don’t always vanish overnight. Relationships still need healing. But when we place those burdens into God’s hands, we no longer have to carry them alone.

Perhaps that’s exactly what you need to do today. Maybe there’s something that’s been occupying your thoughts for days or even weeks. You’ve replayed every possible outcome and tried to solve it from every angle, yet you’ve found very little peace.

Why not do what I did in the car that Sunday afternoon? 

Stop for a moment and talk to God. Tell Him exactly what’s on your heart. Thank Him for the ways He’s been faithful in the past, and trust Him with whatever lies ahead. You may not receive every answer immediately, but you can experience His peace today.

When anxious thoughts come knocking, don’t invite them to stay. Turn them into a prayer instead. As you do, you’ll discover that God’s peace is greater than your greatest worry, and His faithfulness is stronger than your deepest fear.

About the Author: Ken is the host of Sunday Mornings and The Week Ahead at Rhema 99.7 in Newcastle, NSW.

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Australians are being encouraged to join millions of people around the world in spending time in the Bible every day this November as part of Global Bible Month.

At the heart of Global Bible Month is a simple invitation: 30 days in God’s Word.

The 30-Day Bible Challenge encourages people to engage with Scripture every day throughout November, whether that means opening a printed Bible at home, listening on the commute or using a Bible app.

Nearly three million people around the world signed up for the challenge when it launched last year, and Australians were among its most enthusiastic participants.

In fact, Australian YouVersion users earned more badges for consistent Bible engagement during Global Bible Month 2025 than users in any other country.

Australians are continuing to open the Bible

The invitation comes at a time when Bible engagement through digital platforms remains strong in Australia.

Australia now ranks 15th in the world for daily use of YouVersion’s Family of Apps, with 8.5 million Australian installs recorded and another new install taking place on average every 48 seconds.

YouVersion Australia Director Dave Adamson says the figures point to something more significant than simply downloading an app.

“Every day, more Australians are choosing to open the Bible App, showing there is a real and sustained interest in Scripture,” Dave said.

“Last year, Australians led the world in consistent Bible engagement during Global Bible Month.”

YouVersion’s Australian search data also offers an insight into some of the themes people are bringing to Scripture. Anxiety, hope and healing are among the most searched terms this year, while Psalm 91, a Psalm centred on refuge, protection and trust in God, is the most-searched term in both Australia and worldwide.

For Dave, however, the most important part of the story is not the statistics.

“Behind every app open is a person,” he said. “People are opening the Bible for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes through curiosity, sometimes because they’re searching for answers, hope or meaning.”

Find an Australian Bible plan

Australians taking part in the 30-Day Bible Challenge can also choose from 31 locally created 30-day Bible plans in the Bible App, with contributions from churches, ministries and Christian media organisations around the country.

The plans explore a wide range of themes, from faith and discipleship to generosity, worship, anxiety, leadership and sharing your faith.

There are plenty of familiar Australian voices to choose from, including Christian Media & Arts Australia’s Real Encouragement From The Bible, Hope Media’s More Than Words – 30-Day Bible Challenge, The Salvation Army Australia’s The Way: Discipleship, Vision Christian Media’s The Treasury Project and Youth Alive Australia’s Walking With Jesus: 30 Days of Following in His Footsteps.

Dave Adamson has also contributed 30 Ancient Truths for Modern Life.

For Dave, the range of Australian plans is an encouraging sign that Global Bible Month can be more than a one-off campaign.

“The goal isn’t simply to get people to open the Bible for 30 days and stop,” he said. “It’s about helping people find a rhythm with Scripture that connects with their everyday life and hopefully continues well beyond November.”

Whether you choose an Australian reading plan, listen to Scripture on your way to work or simply open a printed Bible each day, Global Bible Month is an invitation to make space for God’s Word throughout November.

To join the 30-Day Bible Challenge and find out more, visit globalbiblemonth.com.

Article supplied with thanks to Jersey Road.

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