Equipping the Church
We desire to provide practical help to equip God's people—volunteer teams, youth leaders, Pastors, parents, and grandparents—to engage the heart of the next generation.
01
Anatomy of a Question
Description
What’s in a question? This workshop uses real questions we’ve received from students and guides participants in sharpening their skills in observing what is really being asked, identifying intrinsic values, and build bridges towards students as they bring the truth to bear in hard conversations.
Format
2 hour workshop for youth workers, volunteer teams, educators, parents, and church staffs.
Cost
Cost determined by group size and location, with generous grant opportunities available. Reach out!
02
Cultivating a Question-Safe Environment
Description
Before we can answer a student’s hard question, they need to feel safe to ask it. What does it take to create an environment where asking questions feels safe and normal? This workshops helps the culture-builders of a program evaluate the heart postures and small program shifts that allow this type of culture to thrive.
Format
1 hour workshop for culture-builders of a youth program (staff, volunteer teams, etc.)
Cost
Cost determined by group size and location, with generous grant opportunities available. Reach out!
Speaking
For ministry events, retreats, and conferences
Val O’Brien is an experienced speaker for students, women’s events, and missions conferences. She can speak on topics related to her work with Aspen, the 10,000 Questions project, contextualization as it relates to the next generation, or a topic that fits the needs of your event.
Consulting
One-on-One Consulting or Specialized Coaching
Feeling stuck or need an outside voice to help you assess next steps? With an MA in Organizational Leadership and 15 years student ministry experience, and 3 years experience coaching youth workers nationally, Val O’Brien loves coaching teams (and individuals) through challenges and change. Consulting or Coaching can be specialized for whatever is needed. Let’s build it together.
Ministry
Testimonials
Gen Z & Gen Alpha sometimes get a bad rap for being an overtly open and media addicted generation. I believe their openness gives them the unique ability to ask some of life’s most important questions at an early age. What makes me excited about Aspen is that Val is providing a revenant vehicle for their questions to be answered in their space and on their terms. It’s a blessing to be a part of such important work.
It’s rarer than it should be to find someone who truly understands, not just the needs of students in our current landscape, but also the deeper needs of the leaders who are giving themselves away to reach students. Val is one of those rare people who gets it. The Anatomy of a Question training was evidence of that and how it truly helped out leaders not just learn something new, but help them use it in their context as well.