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Empowering educators to joyfully fulfill their God-given calling
Using Questions to Reach the Next Generation
with Valerie O'Brien of Aspen Ministries
Do you ever struggle to connect with this generation of students? If you feel more distant from them, you are not alone: the current generational gaps have grown wider than ever before. What strategies and insights can we use to reach students who are culturally so different from us? Val O'Brien shares how to engage the hearts of our Gen Z and Gen Alpha students with good questions and teaches us how to make our classrooms safe places for our students to ask their own deep questions.
The session was recorded live at 1:00pm EST on Saturday, October 18. Please click the button below to jump in the WebinarJam room and watch the replay:
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About Valerie O'Brien
Val is a native of Cleveland, OH and is passionate about seeing the next generation come to know and love Jesus. She has served in student ministry through the local church for over 15 years, and has counted it a true privilege to serve students, walk with families, and lead a team in that context. She holds a BA in Bible and Student Ministry from Moody Bible Institute, as well as an MA in Organizational Leadership from Regent University.
In 2020 Val transitioned to a parachurch organization where she trained and coached youth workers–both vocational and volunteer–in building disciple-making student ministries patterned after the ministry of Jesus. This role allowed her the privilege to hear the hearts and concerns of youth workers all over the US and all over the world. While her work in the local church was deep, her work coaching leaders was wide–giving her insight and passion which lead to the launch of Aspen Ministry in 2024.
When not in the office, Val can be found biking, running, hiking, and talking late into the evening with friends on her front porch. Always in search of fun with a touch of chaos, she also loves turning the first floor of her house into a ball pit for her 5 nephews.
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Loved the continual dependence on the Holy Spirit for guidance on how to Shepherd our students. 45 years in Christian education and kids do think differently because of what they have been exposed to, but their hearts still need love and Jesus. And Jesus is still the same! Such an inspiring session. Thank you.
I loved this session. I am always interested in going deeper than the surface with questions. And I’ve never considered the fact that this generation is under the belief of “I get to decide what is right” and it makes so much sense. Looking forward to using these tactics to take questions with my students further!
The concept of technology being what creates the cultural gap makes a lot of sense!
Heather, yes, I just think it’s so fascinating and makes so much sense! Like I mentioned, Jean Twinge’s book, “Generations” talks about this in the first chapter, and it’s worth the price of the book (although all of it is excellent).
Thank you! Loved the idea/encouragement to have a genuine curiosity about the questions being asked and to provide time/opportunity for discussion and questions and the question box activity and the 10,000 questions project!
Thanks Sally!!! And I saw you signed up for a box! Excited to get it to you.
An eye-opener as to why communication with the younger generation is different and our approach as teachers needs to align with these changes.
I liked when Val said that we have to give our students opportunities/open spaces to talk about things in the first place. I also liked the illustration about how Jesus asked 300+ and was asked about 180 questions, but He didn’t often give direct answers to the questions people asked him because he didn’t just want people to have knowledge, he wanted to engage their hearts.
One idea I just had from this session is to create a “discussion question (or 2) of the week” related to what we are learning about in our Old Testament 7th grade Bible class. Then, not only would I ask the questions in class, but I can share these questions with the parents of my students to follow up with them at home so the students are able to keep processing the questions outside of school as well.
I love those numbers too—I’ll never get over studying Jesus.
And what a great idea! Thanks for adding it!
Start by building on shared values. Questions open real conversations.
Finding ways to build on relationships especially with understanding their point of view is a great takeaway. I also want to help students that “don’t get it” start to formulate into a question.
My big takeaway was the concept of we want to shepherd not just teach. And we want to model ourselves after Christ. Here numbers about questions in the gospels were enlightening and I will never forget it. Thank you!
Thank you Patrick!! I love those numbers too!
This session reminded me that relationship begins with genuine curiosity. When we ask thoughtful questions, listen with empathy, and trust the Spirit’s timing, we reflect Jesus’ way of shepherding hearts rather than merely teaching minds.
Young people want answers to their questions. “Why will the church not answer my questions?” — very powerful statement of why we have to be willing to genuinely listen to the questions young people are asking. And not just that, be willing to engage in meaningful conversations to answer them.
I grabbed onto the idea of how to shepherd well: approach with genuine curiosity, build on share values first, and trust the spirit (have patience)
Great conversation, this is so necessary for students in today’s world. They need to know they matter and their questions are valid.
yes, I love the way you summarized that Ingrid!
I loved the history about the generations/eras. As teachers, we are big on answering questions with questions, but this made me think deeper about how to ask those questions.
I’m so glad Emily. I feel like I didn’t actually make progress on the practical stuff until I understood the historical piece—it just made so much more sense and made me far more compassionate.
Today’s culture says, “That may be true for you, but it is not true for me.” Yet we Christians know that there are some truths that were true 2000 years ago, are true today, and will be true in 2000 years. They are true on every continent and city. We must know that because the Bible tells us truth from 2000 years ago. God is truth.
Students have different learning styles, attention spans, learning priorities. They have different work ethics and interests. I think technology plays a big part, but busy life, helicopter parents, as well as hand-off parents also contribute.
Just as students are different, so are teachers. The same challenges we see in students show up in some of the young teachers.
“Listen with genuine curiosity” was my biggest takeaway. We use questions all the time to engage students in learning. How much more so with reaching the culture!!!
Such good, concise reminders about good conversation: genuine curiosity, build on shared values, trust the Spirit. Another great resource for ongoing discipleship questions with young people is https://axis.org/. Especially the weekly newsletter The Culture Translator. What’s happening in youth culture and how to ask questions to engage kids about it, building relationships, showing interest, and sometimes leading to faith discussions
Kim, I love Axis!!! I have a few friends over there and they are great people. I’m so glad you recommended them!