Adolescence: Listening, Understanding, and Walking With Young People
Available Online After Easter
From HeartEdge Worship & Learning, this timely two-session discussion resource is designed to help churches engage with the powerful and thought-provoking Netflix drama Adolescence.
This drama offers a raw and honest portrayal of modern teenage life—covering themes such as identity, mental health, friendship, justice, and family.
Inspired by this narrative and grounded in Christian reflection, Adolescence: Listening, Understanding, and Walking With Young People invites your parish to explore how we as a church can listen more deeply, respond more wisely, and stand with the young people in our communities.
What’s Included
Session 1: Seeing the Struggle
Focuses on understanding the lived experiences of teenagers today, using clips and themes from the drama to reflect on mental health, identity, and family pressure.
Session 2: Being the Change
Helps your group move from reflection to response—exploring how churches can become safe, supportive, and hopeful spaces for young people.
Each session includes:
- Opening reflections and scripture
- Thoughtful, open-ended “I wonder…” questions
- Group discussion prompts
- Key statistics from The Good Childhood Report
- A guided spiritual response and prayer
- Optional resources for further support
Who It’s For
This course is ideal for:
- Parents and carers
- Youth leaders and volunteers
- Teachers, pastoral care teams, and school chaplains
- Clergy and lay ministers
- Any concerned church members
Why Now?
- Teen mental health is at a crisis point in the UK. With:
- 1 in 10 children reporting low well-being
- UK 15-year-olds ranked lowest in Europe for life satisfaction
- Major challenges like social media pressure, violence, and family breakdowns
- The church has a unique and urgent opportunity to be a place of healing, belonging, and hope.
This resource supports that mission—with gentle, thoughtful tools to open up difficult but necessary conversations and to empower your community to act with compassion.
Additional Materials
- Printable handouts
- Guide for parents and carers
- Mental health and faith-based resource list (including Youthscape, Mind and Soul Foundation)
- Ideas for Sunday intercessions, vigils, or youth-focused liturgies
Broader Reflections for Churches
Draws on insights from:
Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation
Steve Chalke’s Manifesto of Hope
HeartEdge’s theology of abundance, inclusion, and faithful presence at the edge
These perspectives provide a powerful framework for faith communities to understand, challenge, and transform the cultural forces shaping young lives.
Available free to all churches via the HeartEdge website after Easter 2025.
Let’s listen. Let’s learn. Let’s walk together.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:18
Updates and Alerts
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