Darren Schalk on Raising Kids Without Smartphones and Rebuilding Peerless Church

Darren Schalk, pastor of Peerless Church in Cleveland, Tennessee, joins Philip Cameron for a candid and practical conversation about two of the most pressing challenges facing Christian families and congregations today: protecting children from the dangers of smartphones and social media, and trusting God through the impossible work of church revitalization. Darren draws on his own family's experience raising three children without smartphones until high school, sharing the specific boundaries he and his wife Christy set — including a daily screen-free window from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. for the entire household. "I liken handing a phone to our children and leaving them alone as dropping them off into one of those rental stores, leaving them there for the night with no parental supervision whatsoever," he explains. He also points to a striking cultural shift: where grandparents were once the wisdom-holders of every generation, the digital age has inverted that dynamic and widened the generational gap in ways he calls "a tool of the enemy." Darren also shares the remarkable story of Peerless Church — one of the oldest Pentecostal congregations in existence, founded in 1906 by A.J. Tomlinson. When he stepped in as pastor in November 2023, the sanctuary had been gutted by a flood with no insurance payout and dwindling attendance. By December 2024, the church had completed a $1.1 million facility and owed less than $150,000. Learn more at peerlesschurch.org or visit darrenschalk.com for resources on technology and family.