In a magical kingdom, not so far away, there were dragons. But these weren’t your typical, fire-breathing beasts. These were sneaky dragons—hidden right among the villagers. Word had it that these dragons were so stealthy, that no one even noticed when they snuck into homes and slowly, almost imperceptibly, stole away the children.

It wasn’t a sudden disappearance. Oh no. It was slow, drawn-out. The children still appeared physically present, but over time, their emotional presence began to fade. At first, they were just a little absent-minded. Then they became absent altogether. Until one day, they simply vanished. The dragons had won.

As you can imagine, this sparked deep fear among the villagers. They banded together, desperate to protect their children from these cunning creatures. The worry was real. They feared there were more dragons now than ever before, and these new dragons were meaner and scarier than anything they’d faced in past generations.

But here’s the twist—some homes didn’t panic. They didn’t cower in fear. Instead, they taught their children how to arm themselves each day. They didn’t just hand over tools for the fight—they showed their kids how to use those tools effectively.

Now, I’m sure you’ve caught on that this isn’t just a fairy tale, right? It’s a story that hits closer to home than we might like to admit. The kingdom? That’s our homes, our neighbourhoods, our communities. And the dragons? Well, they represent the evils and challenges in the world.

As parents, we often want to shield our children from the dangers out there. And sure, it’s tempting to guard them from every possible threat. We hear news of the world getting scarier, tightening the reins, and trying to keep our kids closer than ever. But in doing so, we forget one important truth: God called our children to this time, this place, this battle.

Our kids are not here by accident. They’ve been chosen for this moment in history. And we’re not raising “dragon food”—we’re raising dragon slayers.

But here’s the thing: dragon slayers don’t just happen by accident. They need to be taught how to use their weapons—how to stand firm, how to fight back, and most importantly, how not to fear the dragons. The goal is not to cower or give in to temptation but to face the dragons head-on and defeat them.

This isn’t about protecting our kids from every misstep or hard lesson. They’ll make mistakes—that’s part of the process. They might not always slay dragons in the most orthodox ways. But we can’t save them from every difficult moment, no matter how dark the path may look. Sometimes, God leads our kids (and us) into the deepest, darkest forests—not to destroy them—but to refine them. It’s in those deep, challenging places that they will become who He has called them to be. Regardless of how close we hold these little warriors; we cannot protect them from their testimony.

[1] This phrase was used by Matt Beaudreau, from Apogee Strong

So, here’s my challenge for you—parents, grandparents, mentors, and anyone working with kids: Train up our dragon slayers. Teach them how to put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6). Show them how to wield the sword of the Spirit without hurting the “non-dragons” around them. Equip them to walk alongside fellow soldiers who will encourage and support them in the toughest battles.

We are raising warriors, not victims. Let’s make sure they are prepared to fight the dragons they will face—because those dragons don’t stand a chance against a child who knows how to wield their faith with courage.

For resources to help train up our dragon fighters, check our online resource wall.

[1] Brozozog, Jonathan. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cxr85MJRpIM, 2023

Kristen Cowman is the Children & Families Director at Parliament Community Church in Regina, SK, located near Harbour Landing. As a church, we offer programs for all ages, from children to youth, young adults to Seniors who are part of our Heritage groups. We are also diverse in cultural backgrounds but share a desire to grow as disciples of Christ together.