You raised your kids to know and love God. You prayed with them, took them to church, and taught them the Bible. But now your teen is questioning their faith, challenging what you’ve taught them, or telling you they don’t believe in God anymore.

And you’re scared. Not just because they’re pulling away from church, but because you’re afraid they’re walking away from Jesus. You want to say something that will bring them back. You want them to see what you know is true. But the more you try to convince them, the further away they seem to pull.

In Part 2 of my conversation with Abigail Stonestreet, Hillsdale College senior, and co-author of Summit Ministries’ State of the Rising Generation Report, we’re talking about why young people are leaving the church, what’s drawing them back, and the powerful role relationships play in both. But our conversation goes much deeper than church attendance or finding the right words to answer your teen’s questions.

Abigail shares what their research revealed about this generation’s search for meaning, belonging, truth, and beauty—and how understanding what draws our kids toward certain ideas, experiences, and beliefs can open doors to conversations we might otherwise miss.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why young people are walking away from church—and what may be drawing them back to faith in ways parents don’t always recognize.
• What your teen’s attraction to beauty, stories, and experiences might reveal about the deeper questions they’re asking about life and faith.
• The power of curious questions and honest conversations to help you build trust and stay connected when your teen challenges what you believe.
• How to hold on to hope when your child is questioning their faith and you can’t see what God is doing in their life.

If you’re navigating difficult conversations about faith with your teen, I want to help you stay connected, keep the conversations open, and build trust even when you don’t see eye to eye.

💌 Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider! Each week, I share personal stories, biblical encouragement, and practical communication tips to help you navigate the challenges of parenting teens and young adults with confidence.

👉 Become an Insider:

I pray this episode blesses you and your family.

~Terri

MORE RESOURCES

✨Ever wonder what’s really behind the anxiety, loneliness, identity struggles, and changing beliefs we’re seeing in today’s teens? This eye-opening report from Summit Ministries helps you better understand the world your teen is growing up in and the challenges shaping their generation.

👉Get your copy of the State of the Rising Generation Report

✨Summit Ministries Parent Resources

Explore helpful videos, articles, and other faith-based resources designed to equip you to navigate today’s parenting challenges and guide your teen with biblical wisdom and confidence.

👉Get the Resources here.

✨ Website: Free resources and practical support to help you build connection and trust with your teen.

👉https://connectwithyourteens.com

✨ Work 1:1 With Me: Get personalized communication coaching for your specific relationship and situation.

👉http://ConnectWithYourTeens.com/communication-coaching

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Your teen is anxious. They’re lonely, even when they’re constantly connected. They’re spending more time on their phone and less time with people—and you’re trying to figure out what’s really going on underneath what you’re seeing.

The statistics about today’s teens can be alarming, but your teen is not a statistic. In Part 1 of my conversation with Abigail Stonestreet, co-author of Summit Ministries’ State of the Rising Generation Report, and a college senior, we look beyond the headlines and research to what today’s teens are actually experiencing—and why understanding your teen’s individual story matters so much.

Abigail brings a unique perspective because she didn’t just research Gen Z—she’s part of it. Our conversation will help you approach parenting teens with greater curiosity and strengthen the communication skills that help you build connection and trust when your teen isn’t readily letting you into their world.

What You’ll Learn

• What’s underneath the growing anxiety, loneliness, and identity struggles we’re seeing in today’s teens
• Why a phone can represent much more than a screen-time problem—and what parents can miss when they focus only on the behavior
• What Abigail’s own parents did that made it safe for her to bring them difficult questions
• Why understanding your teen’s story can change the way you approach teen communication and connection

As Christian parents, we don’t have to let frightening statistics determine how we see our kids. We can stay anchored in Christ, listen with curiosity, and trust that God is at work in their individual story—even in the places we don’t fully understand yet.

Want practical help staying connected to your teen and having conversations that build trust?

💌 Join my email list and come be part of my free How to Connect With Your Teens Facebook group.

👉Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

👉 Weekly Insider Newsletter

I pray this episode blesses you and your family.

~Terri

MORE RESOURCES

✨State of the Rising Generation Report

Ever wonder what’s really behind the anxiety, loneliness, identity struggles, and changing beliefs we’re seeing in today’s teens? his eye-opening report from Summit Ministries helps you better understand the world your teen is growing up in and the challenges shaping their generation.

👉Get your copy of the State of the Rising Generation Report

✨Summit Ministries Parent Resources

Explore helpful videos, articles, and other faith-based resources designed to equip you to navigate today’s parenting challenges and guide your teen with biblical wisdom and confidence.

👉https://www.summit.org/parents/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

✨ Website: Free resources and practical support to help you build connection and trust with your teen.

👉https://connectwithyourteens.com

✨ Work With Me: Get personalized communication coaching for your specific relationship and situation.

👉http://ConnectWithYourTeens.com/communication-coaching

RELATED EPISODES

39 | When Your Teen Stops Believing: How to Keep the Door Open Instead of Pushing Them Away

70 | Teen Questioning Their Faith? How to Keep Them Talking with Kasey Leander (Part 1)

71 | Teen Pulling Away? Build Connection Without Compromising Truth with Kasey Leander (Part 2)

Your teen tells you something that makes your stomach drop. And within seconds, your mind is racing: How long has this been going on? Why didn’t I know? What do I say? What do I DO?

That’s the moment when listening gets hard—and fear can subtly take over the conversation.

Because when we’re worried about our teen’s choices, questions, or struggles, our instinct is often to jump in. Ask more questions. Give advice. Correct. Protect. Fix. But what if the pressure you’re feeling to make this turn out okay is causing you to miss something important—something God may already be doing?

In this episode of Connect With Your Teens, we’re talking about what happens when fear enters our conversations and what can help you stay connected to your teen when you can’t see where their story is going.

• What happens inside us when our teen shares something we weren’t prepared to hear—and why it can change the entire conversation
• What I learned walking through some hard seasons with my own kids—and what began to change as I learned to communicate differently
• Where to anchor your hope when what you’re seeing in your teen right now has you worried about what’s ahead

As Christian parents, we know something about redemption because we’ve lived it. The God who has patiently loved us, changed us, and met us in places we couldn’t change ourselves is still at work—and that changes how we can show up with our kids today.

Ready to build trust and connection in your relationships and stop second-guessing how to show up when conversations get hard?

Grab my FREE Quick Start Connected Convos Cheat Sheet with five simple shifts you can start using this week to slow down your reactions, listen with more intention, stay curious, and create conversations that build connection.

👉 QUICK START CONNECTED CONVOS

I pray this episode blesses you and your family.

~Terri

MORE RESOURCES

✨ Website: Free resources and practical support to help you build connection and trust with your teen.

👉https://connectwithyourteens.com

✨ Connect With Your Teen Roadmap: A step-by-step, Christ-centered path to stronger communication, trust, and connection.

👉https://connectwithyourteens.com/roadmap

✨ Work With Me: Get personalized communication coaching for your specific relationship and situation.

👉http://ConnectWithYourTeens.com/communication-coaching

✨ Join the Facebook Group: Connect with other moms and get practical encouragement for parenting and communicating with teens.

👉Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

RELATED EPISODES

17 — Struggling With Teen Lying? 3 Truths to Help You Build Trust Without Control

20 — How to Create Safe Spaces for Honest Conversation—Teenage Insights With Bre Lee (Part 1)

34 — Beyond the Lie: Unpacking the Fear That Shut Me Down—Honest Talk with Sharaya Maples (Part 1)

70 — Faith Questions Aren’t Rebellion with Kasey Leander