Links from the world of children’s and youth ministry:

• Scripture Union produces simplified Nativity story to avoid confusing children who don’t go to church: A spokeswoman said the change had been prompted by figures in recent years showing the scale of the lack of knowledge about the Christmas story among many children.
• New Healthy Media Habits For Young Kids: Now that screen time recommendations are more flexible, it’s time for new rules.
• “Lift Up Your Hearts” not “Your Phones To Take Pictures”: ‘It makes me very sad’: Pope Francis urges priests and bishops to not use their cellphones during Mass and to focus on God instead.
• Why we’‘re afraid to let young people lead- —and how to overcome it: In multigenerational church settings, it’s uncommon to see a young person in a prominent position of leadership.
• Making up the Numbers – the elephant in the room: Tania de St Croix continues our ongoing and necessary debate about the ramifications of the impact/outcomes/ measurement agenda upon a process-led open youth work.
• Brave vicar who was left infertile when she was raped TWICE at age 17 forgives attackers: Interview with with Revd Sonya Doragh, a team vicar in Liverpool Diocese, speaking of her experiences as a survivor of rape. Articles note that she says she has forgiven her attackers.