Wes Ellis Webinar Reflections

Wes Ellis joined our Faithful Futures webinar for a rich, hopeful conversation about teenagers, theology, and what it means to meet God in real life. He has now written a reflection that expands that thread: “Listening for God in the Being of Young People.”

Wes names a trap many ministries fall into: treating young people as “human becomings” who must advance through stages. He offers a different lens. Ministry begins with encounter—God’s initiative—and moves at the speed of attention.

That posture matches the heart of Faithful Futures: trust grows when people feel heard, not managed. Wes connects the theological why to the ministry how with a simple story about a student named Maggie. No formulas, just presence, patience, and space to belong.

Read Wes’s full piece here: Listening for God in the Being of Young People

Watch the full webinar here: Faithful Futures Webinar: Sacred Listening Tools for Emerging Generations

Try this week

• Ask one student, “Where did you feel seen or safe this week?”

• Trade one planned announcement for one open-ended question.

• Debrief with your team: “Where did we notice God in who students already are?”

  
  

Wes serves as a pastor and practical theologian. Learn more about his work at wesleywellis.com, and explore his books—Delighted (Eerdmans, 2020), Youth Beyond the Developmental Lens: Being Over Becoming (Fortress, 2024), and Abiding in Amen: Prayer in a Secular Age (Fortress, 2025).