The Journey: PCA Parent Podcast

Guests: Gabe Boyd and Justin McAdams

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Important overview discussion about the Netflix series “Adolescence” that deals with the cultural issues of masculinity, parenting, violence, social media, pornography, education, and loneliness. We plan to dive deeper into each of these components for our summer series - so make sure that you come back to watch/listen to our future podcasts. Also, please like and share these episodes with friends and family who need to hear a Biblical perspective on these...

Guest: Erin Williams, PCA US Counselor, Plano campus

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

This is a continuation of our powerful discussion on the book Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up, which is the 2024 book from Abigail Shrier and came as a result of her revealing book a few years before that called Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters (2021) in which Shrier discovered how damaging and controlling public school counselors could be on this gender ideology. If you didn’t...

Guest: Erin Williams, PCA US Counselor, Plano campus

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

We had a powerful discussion on the book Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up, which is the 2024 book from Abigail Shrier and came as a result of her revealing book a few years before that called Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters (2021) in which Shrier discovered how damaging and controlling public school counselors could be on this gender ideology. The conversation with Erin Williams is spr...

Guest: Alycia Wood, Apologetics, Inc.

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Loved chatting with Alycia Wood about life and how to navigate the current cultural chaos with the truth of God’s Word. Alycia reminded us that we can use just about anything - movies, music, etc. to engage in meaningful conversations about spiritual and eternal things. C.S. Lewis in The Weight of Glory wrote about how “[t]here are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.”...

Guest: Jan Jeffcoat, PCA LS Principal, Plano campus

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

We had a great conversation with Jan Jeffcoat, PCA’s Lower School Principal, about her family’s journey to PCA and how God provided through the generosity of PCA families who financially supported PCA’s Sponsor-A-Lion program to help families afford Kingdom Education at PCA. As God called the Jeffcoats to PCA, countless families gave sacrificially which provided the necessary funds so their daughters Jennifer and Jillian could attend PCA. At th...

Guests: Eddie Jimenez (PCA Band Director, Plano campus), Eli Taylor (Class of ‘25, Plano campus), Tatum Samuels (Class of ‘25, Plano campus), Harper Glenn (Class of ‘27, North campus), David Madison (Class of ‘25, Plano campus), Shay Planas (Class of ‘26, Plano campus), Kaylee Smith (Class of ‘27, Plano campus)

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

In this episode, we have an opportunity to hear PCA faculty and students share some amazing stories of God at work in and through their lives from local missions to locations around the world! Minimeste...

Guest: Linda Paulk, President & CEO, Sky Ranch Christian camps

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

What a great conversation with Linda Paulk, President & CEO of Sky Ranch Christian camps - we talked about everything - their summer overnight camps and day camps, their family camps, their leadership training programs, their parent/child weekend get-aways, and much, much more! With locations in TX, OK, and CO, Sky Ranch is a ministry force training kids and families with a Biblical worldview and doing it with...

Guest: Kenzie Venus, Director of Development Events and Annual Funds

For questions about the Zig, you can email Kenzie at KVenus@prestonwoodchristian.org

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Parents, this year “The ZIG” (the Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Awards Banquet) will be at The Gaylord Texas on Sunday evening, April 27th. This venue is different from the past few years, so we wanted to make sure that you knew everything about where/when/why so that you can make plans now to a...

Guest: Ryan Bangert, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Special Counsel to the President for Alliance Defending Freedom

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Updates on a few important Free Speech/Freedom of Religion cases:

Guests: Carter Morris, President & CEO, and Drew Herndon, Distribution and Services Manager for GraceBridge

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

It is a privilege to let you know about the incredible work of GraceBridge and The Master Cares, two organizations dedicated to the ministry of the Gospel by serving the needs of their communities - as they say on their website: two missions, one vision. Here in the North Texas area, you’ll see GraceBridge serve with food banks and resale stores as well as a...

Guest: Erin Williams, LPC, PCA US Counselor, Plano campus

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

This is week two of a great conversation with Erin Williams about the book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic - and What We Can Do About It by Jennifer Breheny Wallace. This book is a New York Times bestseller, but remember that it is written from the perspective of someone without a Biblical worldview. Wallace does raise some very profound and provocative questions that need to be a...

Guest: Erin Williams, LPC, PCA US Counselor, Plano campus

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Great conversation with Erin Williams about the book Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic - and What We Can Do About It by Jennifer Breheny Wallace. This book is a New York Times bestseller, but remember that it is written from the perspective of someone without a Biblical worldview. Wallace does raise some very profound and provocative questions that need to be answered, especially when the research says...

Guest: Dr. O.S. Hawkins, PhD, Chancellor, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, President Emeritus, GuideStone Financial Resources.

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

To learn more about Dr. Hawkins, you can visit his website at OSHawkins.com

What an honor to sit down to record with Dr. O.S. Hawkins, the 2025 Zig Ziglar Servant Leadership Award recipient. Pastor and author of more than 50 books, Dr. Hawkins has been serving the Lord in a variety of capacities for years. The proceeds and r...

Guest: The Honorable Matt Shaheen, Texas State Representative, District 66

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

We had the opportunity to sit down and catch up with State Representative Matt Shaheen after he returned from the oral arguments at the Supreme Court on his bill (HB 1181) that requires age verification to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate material on the Internet. The case involves some complex issues including digital privacy rights, states’ rights, the protection of minors, and the regulation of online content. To learn more a...

Guests: Sevyn Trogdon, Emerson Seal, and Elizabeth Teague, PCA sophomores at the Plano campus 

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

In this episode, we spend a little time talking about their journey toward wisdom during their sophomore year at PCA and the events and activities that help keep them on the right track! The girls talk about activities like Freedom Weekend, the Texas Stomp, Minimester, the Zig Ziglar Servant Award banquet, and their journey with their academics and athletics. The girls are also excit...

Guest: Amanda Henderson, LS Counselor

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Enjoy this conversation with Amanda Henderson as we contemplate the future of learning and education. Mrs. Henderson is a favorite of students and faculty alike in the Lower School with her warmth and gentleness coupled with her stuffed animal puppets that provide a sense of security and humor. Mrs. Henderson is optimistic about the future of learning because she is confident that God is on His throne and in control - so no m...

Guest: Angie Gray, Chief Enrollment and Marketing Officer for PCA

Re-enrollment opens January 15th and goes through the 31st for existing PCA families in good standing. After that time, available spots will be made available to students and families not currently enrolled at PCA for the following year.

The small percentage increase in tuition is passed on to support the pay increase for PCA’s incredible faculty and staff as tuition accounts for around 70% of the entire PCA budget. Also, parents please take the time to fill out the re-en...

Guests: Jason Spodnik, President and Head of School, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (Cuyahoga Falls, OH)

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Parents, here is some wisdom from a guy who has been in the private Christian education world for many years:

Guests: Amy Petrof, Kristin Dysart, and Gabe Boyd

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

We hope you enjoy this fun conversation with some PCA parents about their holiday traditions as they desire to keep Christ in the middle of Christmas!

Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

Guests: Dr. J’Aime Balogh, Jenitta Eskew, and Nena Graham

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Executive Functioning - are all of the cognitive skills necessary to regulate your thinking, feelings/emotions, and behaviors to reach a goal.

Executive Functioning skills are necessary for all of the other cognitive functions - these are the primary functions that make up what we call “executive functioning”:

Executive functioning skills inclu...

Guests: Stephen Bryant, Chris Housewright, Mike Thornberry

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

First of all, just a reminder that Gladiator II is Rated R, which means that you’ll want to proceed with caution - a great place to learn more about why movies receive their ratings is either PluggedInOnline (from Focus on the Family) or MovieGuide.

Next, it is wise to look for “lessons” from every source to use as teachable moments with your children so that they are no...

Guests: Amy Petrof, Kristin Dysart, and Gabe Boyd

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Parents, you'll want to get this valuable resource that will equip you to have meaningful and age appropriate conversations with your children on a variety of important topics including human dignity, abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, technology, and politics. Authors Andrew Walker and his wife Christian do a great job of presenting a brief, but very informative, overview on these issues then give you some general biblical principles that you can intr...

Guests: Audrey Letcher, Chandler McGaha, Landon Murphy, and Campbell Panetti

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

What makes PCA so special? Listen to four “lifers” (seniors who have been at PCA since Kindergarten, and before!) talk about their incredible years at PCA - from Kindergarten Circus to Boosterthon Fun Run, Let George Do It to HOCO and Minimester and AP classes! But PCA is more than just academics, it’s about relationships - with each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and with some really in...

Guest: Erin Williams, LPC, PCA Upper School Counselor, Plano campus

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Many of us were raised to ignore or stuff our emotions, but research today suggests that we learn how to better identify our emotions so that we can learn from them. We “name” them so that we can “tame” them - and not be prisoners of our own feelings.

In her book Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It, author Jenn...

Guests: Ron Kelley, Sharayah Colter, Audrey Sol Loyola, Scott Turner

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

What were the top issues that voters identified as important as they went to the polls and what can we learn from those issues and the outcome of the election? Listen to this informative and fast-paced conversation with several informed friends about how we, as Christians, should be thinking about the days ahead now that the election is behind us.

Special shout out to Jare...

Guests: Scott and Sharayah Colter, The Danbury Institute: A Coalition for Life and Liberty

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

This is the second of a two-week conversation with Scott and Sharayah Colter, founders of The Danbury Institute. This week we examine several of the current cultural issues, many of which have become important political issues as well. The Bible gives clear and effective principles that can be used as a frame/matrix by which to properly understand and evaluate these current cultural issu...

Guests: Scott and Sharayah Colter, The Danbury Institute: A Coalition for Life and Liberty

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

This will be a two-week conversation with Scott and Sharayah Colter, founders of The Danbury Institute. Week one will be a conversation about America’s Godly heritage - the influence of God’s Word on the Framers and the ideas that led to our Constitutional Republic. I asked Scott and Sharayah for additional resources that they would recommend for those wanting to take a deeper...

Guest: Scott Turner, Associate Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church, former NFL player

Reminder that early voting here in Texas begins October 21st and goes through November 1st and the General Election is Tuesday, November 5th.

Voting is a very important and special honor as citizens of this country - and as citizens of heaven we should engage in all aspects seeking first the Kingdom of God and to glorify Him in all that we say and do - which means that we must both carry ourselves in a way that is ci...

Guest: Scott Turner, Associate Pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church, former NFL player

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Loved our time with Scott Turner learning how God used his early humble beginnings to teach him the value of hard work and serving others well. Enjoy this episode with Scott listening to him share how God orchestrated so many people, places, and things in his life to draw Scott closer and to deepen Scott’s faith journey.

And, the good news is...

Guest: Pastor Jack Graham, Prestonwood Baptist Church

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Twenty-seven years ago, Prestonwood was approached about allowing a new private, Christian school to use the Prestonwood name. About three years after PCA was launched, the school was struggling financially and might not have survived if the church hadn’t stepped in to support and really adopt the school as their own!

Pastor Graham is also releasing a new book on November 5th called The Jesus Story...

Guests in order: Reid Thornberry (PCA North senior), Steve Lee (11th grade Bible and Apologetics teacher, Plano campus), Hayden Fox (PCA Plano junior), Fabian Chong (11th and 12th grade physics teacher, Plano campus), Noelle Brenning (11th grade, Plano campus), Audrey Sol Loyola (2015 alumni), Freddy Gattelaro (2019 alumni), and Parker Panetti (2019 alumni), Kristen Smith (PCA Plano senior), Nami Adenle (PCA Plano senior), Sam Hitchcock (Director of Spiritual Formation, Oklahoma Christian School), Madi Franquiz (MS Breakout Session), Noah Brierley (Mainstage and Breakout Speaker), Coleman Bales (PCA North senior), Tim Barnett (Mainstage Speaker)

If you’d like to watch thi...

Guests: Allen Parr, host of The Beat, and Jordan Sekulow, Executive Director for the American Center for Law and Justice

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Allen Parr and Jordan Sekulow join nearly a dozen other outstanding speakers, authors, and apologists, at the 2024 Biblical Worldview Conference held at Prestonwood Baptist Church September 22-24. To register visit prestonwoodworldview.org and don’t forget that the parent code for $10 off your registration is PCAParent24.

 To watch and listen to Allen Parr, visit hi...

Guests: Dan Panetti, PCA Director of Parent Engagement & Ministry (interviewed by PCA sophomore Sevyn Trogdon)

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Parents, we are celebrating 20 years of Biblical worldview training and transformation with this year’s Biblical Worldview Conference! From humble beginnings, the BWC has grown into the world’s largest and leading Biblical worldview conference for students. In this episode you’ll learn more about how the conference began and some interesting behind-the-scenes stories. But more than just the history and significance of BWC, th...

Guests: Megan Rogers, PCA Senior Director of Development & Stewardship, and Kenzie Venus, Director of Development Events

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

North Texas Giving Day (NTGD) has begun! From now until September 19, you can give to the PCA Fund that helps provide that margin of excellence funding specific projects that make our school even better! Funds designated for the North Campus will be used for North Campus projects and funds designated for the Plano Campus will be used for Plano Campus projects. The...

Guests: Maddie McDonald (PCA Plano senior), Kellen O’Brien (PCA Plano junior), Naomi Livings (PCA Plano sophomore), Madison Kirby-Birdwell (PCA Plano freshman), and Ryan Newsome, PCA Plano Spiritual Development Director

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Both the North and Plano campuses took their US students on retreat to Sky Ranch this past week. We had the opportunity to sit down with students from the Plano campus at their retreat as well as with the new Director of Spiritual Development Ryan Newsome to record...

Guests: Stephen Bryant (PCA dad, coach, SLi Director), Mike Thornberry (PCA North dad), Aaron Ulmer (PCA alumni, Class of 2007), Chris Housewright (PCA dad)

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

The Forge is the latest movie from the incredible Christian movie producers the Kendrick Brothers (Alex, Stephen, and Shannon), who brought Facing the Giants, Fireproof, Courageous, and War Room to the big screens. This new movie is about the process of making a man - and it’s a powerful story of prayer, forgiveness, redemp...

Guest: Dr. Mike Goddard, PCA Superintendent

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

This year’s theme comes out of the Book of Joshua, specifically Joshua 1:9, which reads:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

As Joshua was standing at the precipice of something new, exciting, and definitely nerve-racking, God reminded him to be strong and courageous...

Guests: Jillian Bryant, Plano US Dean of Students, and Erin Williams, Plano US Counselor

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

PCA’s New “Internet Enabled Device” Policy

Guests: Jillian Bryant, Plano US Dean of Students, and Erin Williams, Plano US Counselor

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Dress code

Modesty

Guests: Julie West, Senior Food Services Director, and Vinny Tellini, Executive Chef, with Sage Dining Services

If you’d like to watch this podcast, check out the PCA YouTube page.

Both Chef Julie West and Chef Vinny Tellini are “seasoned” veterans making the dining experience for PCA students something wonderful! Sage desires to be part of the PCA community  - a meal is a chance to connect with others and Sage does a great job of making the food service at PCA special, unique, healthy, and delicious!

Sage takes...