Workshop Video

This video presents the findings of the Your Story research project, a four-year national study in which 439 young Australians aged 16 to 20 were asked to share their own faith journeys in their own words. Led by Adrian Blinkensopp from the Converge community, the session is less a lecture and more a candid and sometimes confronting conversation about what has genuinely helped young people grow in faith, and what has quietly pushed them away. Through a rich collection of real quotes from real young people, the group explores eight different faith trajectories, from those actively embracing their Christian faith to those firmly walking away, and discovers that faith is not a simple yes or no but a complex, non-linear story shaped by a web of relationships, experiences, challenges, and choices. Perhaps the most striking finding is that not once across all 439 stories did a young person credit an amazing sermon or church program as the thing that made a difference. What did matter, overwhelmingly and consistently, was the quality of real human relationships.

Whether you are a grandparent, parent, youth leader, pastor, or anyone who cares about a young person’s spiritual life, this video offers something both practically grounding and quietly humbling. You will come away with a clearer picture of how faith actually develops across a young person’s life, why the age of 13 is more significant than many realise, and why the most powerful thing any of us can offer the young people around us is not a program or a perfectly crafted answer, but a genuine, patient, non-judgmental relationship built on trust. Those who watch will also find themselves invited to reflect honestly on their own faith journey, which the session consistently shows is the first and most important step toward understanding and walking well alongside the young people in your world.