April 01, 2025

98: Building a Culture of Question-Asking in Youth Ministry (Valerie O'Brien)

52 minutes

Teenagers are full of questions. The big question, is who are they discussing those questions with?! It can be a challenge to cultivate a ministry culture where students feel the freedom to ask their questions without being afraid of getting belittled or receiving cheap answers. In this conversation, Valerie O'Brien discusses her approach to inviting youth to ask their questions, and how she equips youth leaders to respond.

Could you share a little about Aspen, and especially about your 10,000 question project?

What are some of the most common questions you’ve received?

What can we learn about our students by listening carefully to the questions they’re asking?

What’s the anatomy of a good question? How can youth leaders start to ask better questions in order to open up meaningful conversations?

What do we risk by being so answer-driven that students don’t ask their questions?

How do we help students ask their questions and lead them to find answers without either spoon-feeding them or leading them into an endless cycle of question upon question?

Valerie O’Brien has over 12 years of experience in youth ministry, has trained youth workers through Sonlife Ministries, and now leads Aspen, a ministry that helps youth leaders engage the heart of the next generation.

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