“The most important thing is that adults stay in touch with young people. The good news when it comes to youth ministry is just about every teenager I know and have heard of is now less busy than they were before this.”
“This is actually a wonderful time [for youth leaders] to reach out by text, by video, maybe even by phone call and actually talk to a young person.”
“We have a five-step response that we encourage adults to take when they think a young person is dealing with anxiety.”
“Ask them, ‘How stressed are you on a scale of 1 to 10?’”
“Yesterday I heard more about the suicide of young people and had more questions about it than literally any other day of my life.”
“If you know anybody with a history of depression and suicidal ideation, this isolation is so likely to increase those feelings and those tendencies that that makes it all the more important to stay in touch.”
“We don’t want the church or families to be the one place that young people aren’t talking about their mental health.”
“I want every parent in whatever way feels natural to do what Dave and I did last night and actually talk with their kids about what you’re hearing about suicide.”
“Don’t believe the lie that we shouldn’t talk about suicide because you think it will only plant the thought in their heads.”
“I say to youth leaders all the time, ‘If you think you’re over your head when it comes to young people’s mental health, you probably are.’ And you might even be over your head and not realize it.”
“When it comes to this Covid-19 isolation that we’re in, it really is important to let young people feel the loss and acknowledge the loss.”
“The church has the ultimate hope for young people.”
Mentioned in the Show by Dr. Kara Powell
Brad Griffin
Faith in an Anxious World by Kara Powell
Fuller Youth Institute
Fuller Youth Institute Anxiety Resources
Prayer of Examen
“The Silicon Valley Suicides,” The Atlantic, by Hannah Rosin [Note: This article contains language some may find offensive.]
Check out Kara’s website
Follow Kara on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
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