Dale Francis offers some dos and don’ts for parents who experience the pain of seeing their adult children leave the church, sometimes to join another church or religious group.

Ralph F. Ranieri looks at how families can recover their equilibrium after it has been lost through conflict. He sees the parable of the Prodigal Son as a template for reconciliation within family life.

Carmel Wynne believes we should not underestimate the difficulties of parenting and the strain it can put on a relationship – hence the need for learning appropriate skills and for a solid family support system.

Carmel Wynne argues that we do children no favours when we try to protect them from the reality of death; we should, rather, prepare them in advance, in a manner appropriate to their age, for each of the events surrounding the death of someone they know.

Married for over 30 years, John Drane and Olive M. Drane trace the changing forms of family life and then present a practical theology of family where children can be nurtured, their parents sustained and old people valued and respected.