Gen Z Insights: A Generation in Pursuit of Wellbeing

Living better, not just living longer. That’s a defining priority for Gen Z. But in a world facing a youth mental health crisis, how can Christian communities respond? 

In this episode, Peter Dray, author of the IFES report Gen Z Insights for Global Student Ministry, prefaces our discussion with a brief look at a generation in pursuit of wellbeing.  

Afterwards, series host Annette Arulrajah, Associate General Secretary of IFES, is joined by a panel of guests from the IFES network of Christian student movements and beyond.  

These include:  

• Jacob York (Australia), a recent Gen Z graduate, now a high school teacher 

• Roula Abi Hanna, General Secretary of the IFES movement in Lebanon 

• Jessie Dezutter (Belgium), Associate Professor in Psychology at KU Leuven  

Join us to explore questions such as: How can we better understand student mental health? How can ministries respond with compassion and wisdom? And how can we help Gen Zers navigate the fine balance between self-care versus growth through challenge? 

Timestamps: 

• (00:00) - Standard intro to the Gen Z Insights podcast series 

• (00:20) - Host Annette Arulrajah introduces this episode  

• (02:35) - Peter Dray provides a brief orientation on a generation in pursuit of wellbeing 

• (08:15) - Panel discussion with Jacob York, Roula Abi Hanna, and Jessie DeZutter  

• (29:50) - Closing remarks by Annette Arulrajah 

*If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis, please seek immediate professional help.   

Episode links: 

• Visit the IFES Gen Z Insights webpage to explore more resources designed to help you reimagine ministry among this generation. These include the Gen Z Insights for Global Student Ministry report, Bible study guides, and other materials from across the IFES fellowship and beyond.  

• Watch Professor Jessie Dezutter’s plenary talk on mental health from IFES World Assembly 2023 here: https://www.youtube.com/wtch?vJEA1WBbyNBs&t=9s 

About IFES 

The Gen Z Insights podcast series is brought to you by IFES, the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. We are a movement of students sharing and living out the good news of Jesus Christ locally, nationally, and globally. We connect and nurture Christian student movements in more than 180 countries and territories. Our vision is to see students thriving together as communities of disciples, transformed by the gospel, and impacting the university, the church, and society for the glory of Christ. Visit ifesworld.org to find out more.  

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Disclaimer:  

The opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of IFES or its national movements.