Kids are curious. Anyone who has spent time driving with a child knows how many questions they can ask and how quickly they can ask them.
Theologian Kaitlyn Schiess takes a special interest in kids’ questions and is using her podcast “Curiously, Kaitlyn” to further conversation. She notices many of us are curious about aspects of spiritual life but adults tend to get self-conscious about asking questions. “Fortunately,” she points out in her trailer video, “kids don’t have that problem.” She receives queries from children across the country and invites spiritual leaders to answer using understandable language.
Like Schiess, many of us wonder what our children are curious about. I reached out to several USMB children and youth ministry leaders to get a sense of what our kids and teenagers are asking about at church. The replies cover a wide variety of topics across age groups, primarily about the Bible, heaven, current culture and discipleship.
Many of our youngest community members are asking questions about the Bible. They want to know more about stories in Scripture as well as how to engage with the text in everyday situations. Groups have recently explored questions like: Is there a certain way I have to read the Bible? Why did Jonah disobey God? And one of the questions I have been hesitant to ask out loud, why does the Bible have so many pages?
Multiple leaders say they are having conversations with kids about heaven and the spiritual realm fueled by questions about what heaven is like and when the world will end. There are many things we can’t see or easily comprehend that our students want clarified: How do I know if God is even watching me? Why does Satan try to tempt us and why did he betray God? Do angels have big personalities? If so, why did God create us if he already had good company?
Our students are also asking questions about interpreting our culture and navigating spiritual commitments. Some of our teens are asking if Christianity is the only way to salvation and why we should try to persuade someone to become a Christian if they are happy with their lives. They are curious about sexuality and gender, preparing for a future career, as well as using technology with wisdom.
Young people in our churches are encountering conflict, whether that be drama at school or navigating stressful situations at home. They are seeking guidance from adult leaders and each other about how to be disciples of Jesus. They wonder how to avoid fights with siblings and how to deal with bullies at school. Groups are exploring ways to be peacemakers and thinking through “what if” scenarios to be better prepared for life’s challenges.
It is important for us in the church to realize that our young people are looking for others to share in their curiosity. Just as Jesus invites the presence—and undoubtedly questions—of children, we too can “let the little children come” and examine things together (Mark 10:14).
It is a privilege to ponder these questions and process spiritual topics together. We can provide a safe and loving environment for our kids to wonder and remind them that their questions are important to God and to us.
Caitlin Friesen is a native of Fresno, California, and a 2023 graduate of Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. She has a passion for Jesus and a heart for children, both of which has been put to use as a backpacking guide, camp counselor and as associate pastor of children and family ministries at North Fresno Church. In September 2017, she and her husband, Ben, moved to Topeka, Kansas, where Ben serves as lead pastor at Cornerstone Community Church.
