Relationships, not programs or institutional formulas for behavior or belief, are key to addressing the loneliness, social isolation, and stress so prevalent in the lives of young people today. Dr. Josh Packard, executive director of Springtide Research Institute, shared those and other insights with Holy Soup podcast host Thom Schultz
Listening to the voices of young people, we are reminded that a professional title, job description, or credential isn’t what gives an adult credibility in a young person’s life. Relationships do. And those relationships are built intentionally and over time. Gracie O’Rorke, a first-year student at Vanderbilt University, notes that effective leaders also encourage relationships among those they serve. I was
One of the most astonishing statistics from our report is that nearly 1/3 of young people say they have 1 or fewer adults in their life they feel they can turn to if they need to talk. This is heartbreaking and calls for immediate action. Adults continue to be the most important
About a decade ago, a friend of mine was hired as an associate rabbi of a large synagogue community. She was given a healthy portfolio of responsibilities—teach, preach, etc.—and also tasked with a new project devised by the elders of the community: build a young adult community exclusively for Millennials. Working on the
Coaches, faith leaders, teachers, and others in positions of authority, take note: it’s not what you know, but how you show you care that matters most in the lives of young people. “What makes community for me is the leader or the person who is running it,” says Ellie Disselkoen,