Everyday Preborn Network helps mothers facing unexpected pregnancies discover hope through a free ultrasound
Dr. Jessica Peck: We would like to take a moment to thank our sponsor, PreBorn. When a mother meets her baby on ultrasound and hears their heartbeat, it's a divine connection. And the majority of the time she will choose life. But they can't do it without our help. Preborn needs us, the pro life community, to come alongside them. One ultrasound is just $28. To donate, dial pound250 and say the keyword baby or visit preborn.com/AFR this year, America celebrates its 250th birthday. Two and a half centuries of courage, innovation, faith and freedom. But what will the next 250 years hold? The next generation could hold the next Billy Graham, the next Rosa Parks, the next Ronald Reagan. The next child whose life will impact generations. But first, they must be given the chance to live it. I couldn't imagine my life without him because of them. He's here.
Dr. Jessica Peck: We're gonna get through it and it's gonna be okay. Everyday PreBorn Network clinics helps mothers facing unexpected pregnancies discover hope through a free ultrasound. When a mother sees her baby and hears that tiny heartbeat, her baby is twice as likely to be given the gift of life. What story will God write through America's next generation? In honor of America's 250th anniversary, we're asking friends to consider a special gift of $250. Your gift can help provide nearly nine life saving ultrasounds. Dial pound 250 and say the keyword baby. That's pound 250 BABY Or donate securely at preborn.com/AFR that's preborn.com/AFR Every gift is tax- deductible.
: Hello and welcome to the Dr. Nurse Mama show prescribing Hope for healthy families here on American Family Radio. Here's your host, professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, Dr. Jessica Peck.
Parents are raising children in a cultural moment unlike anything previous generations have experienced
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, hey there friends and welcome to my favorite time of day getting to spend time with you today Prescribing Hope for healthy families. And today we are talking about something I'm hearing about everywhere. We are raising children in a cultural moment really unlike anything previous generations have experienced. It is hard. We have a big generation divide because parents are raising kids in a world that seems completely foreign to them. We didn't have this kind of technology growing up and our kids are surrounded by more information, more, more opinions, more videos, more voices, more screens, more opportunities to construct an identity than ever before. They're being given, tools for image crafting on social media and yet many are desperately searching for solid answers. They're still asking Age old questions, even in what seems like a new age. Who am I? What is my purpose in life? From social media to entertainment to influencers to algorithms, young people are constantly being invited to ask those questions. What is true? Where do I belong? What should I believe? What gives my life meaning? And increasingly, the answer from culture is you decide. You're in charge of your life. You are, you live your truth. Be whoever you want to be. Follow your heart. Define yourself. If it feels right for you, do it. On the surface, it sounds kind of liberating. But what happens when a young person is expected to, to construct this identity for themselves that is marketable to the world before they've even had the opportunity to understand who they really are? And what happens when truth is subjective and something only for the seeker to find that is really hidden? Identity becomes something that we are continually manufacturing and belonging is dependent on whether other people affirm, that identity that you've now manufactured and constructed and marketed to the world and that can be accepted today and rejected tomorrow. And this is the struggle for parents, because we're not just trying to protect our kids from bad information. We are discipling them in a culture that is constantly teaching them what to believe about themselves, about truth, about the standards of morality, about relationships, and ultimately about God. And that drives a lot of fear for parents.
Verity Collective is a Christian media movement reaching Gen Z
But don't fear, because into this conversation comes a movement called Verity Collective. Now, this is founded by Rick and Naomi Anderson, and their stated mission is remarkably, blessedly simple. This generation doesn't need more noise. They need more clarity. They need hope, and they need the unchanging truth of Jesus Christ. Now, Verity describes itself as a Christian media movement reaching Gen Z through stories, conversations, street interviews, campus outreach, and digital content centered on truth, identity, purpose, faith and culture. Now, even this name is significant because Verity means truth. And their central question is one that may be increasingly countercultural. What is truth? And their their ministry asks us to consider something profound. What if truth isn't something that you just get to create? What if truth is actually a person? Now, today we're going to talk about what happens when we stop treating truth as something that is fluid and changing and starting pointing our children toward the one Jesus described in Jon 14:6 as the way, the truth, and the life.
Naomi Anderson is the founder of Verity Collective
Today I'm joined by Naomi Anderson, founder of Verity Collective. She is a parent. As ministry leaders, Naomi and her husband Rick, they have watched firsthand the pressures that are facing today's young people. And they founded Verity Collective because they saw generations searching for truth and Identity and purpose and belonging. And Verity Collective is not a church. It's a Christian media movement. As I said, their message is simple. Is simple. Culture shifts. Truth doesn't. Naomi, welcome. We're so glad to have you here. Thank you so much for spending some time with us today.
Jessica: Naomi, thank you so much for sharing your personal testimony
Naomi Anderson: Thank you so much for having me, Jessica. I'm super excited to be here. Just to talk about truth.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Exactly. Well, Naomi, take us back to the beginning of this. What. What is your personal story, your personal testimony? And what were you seeing happening in this generation that made you say, we need Verity Collective? How did that happen?
Naomi Anderson: Well, if I go back to my personal testimony, it's kind of what you were sharing in the beginning of the intro. I was raised in a Christian home. I got to high school and I just started hearing all those outside influences, the noise, they became louder and louder for me. And at 17, I actually, in my senior year, left home, moved out of the house, moved out of the foundation, the Christian foundation that I was raised in. And I spent the next five years just wandering, living my truth. I really did believe that freedom existed outside of, like, the world that I grew up in. and it was something that I could go and find myself, but it ended up, being just a spiral of chaos in my life. I, was able to hold down jobs and, make a good living. But on the inside, I was falling apart. I was walking further and further away from the truth. And I ended up. It's a long story, but I ended up, getting a DUI one night in Sacramento, California, and ended up in a jail cell, for 24 hours. And it really did, bring me back to just a humbling spot where I had to ask the Lord what is happening in my life and, what is truth? And so moving from that, I, came back to the Lord. I called my mom the next day and I just said, I'm tired of running. I just want peace in my life. And, it was a journey back to the Lord. I don't feel like when you do surrender back to the Lord that it just happens overnight. it takes some time, to kind of heal from the things that you had done when you walked away from the Lord.
Naomi Anderson: But, yeah, met my husband and we have spent the last. Well, he spent the last 30 years in ministry. We. I've spent the last 10 years in ministry, with a big church overseeing the volunteer ministry, which largely is young, ah, adults, the high school to college age. And about a year ago, the Lord Just really put it on my heart. first, this generation, we are parents of a gen zer. And so we are just seeing firsthand, the world that they're growing up with. And like you said, there's a lot of noise around them, thousands of voices telling them to go live their truth. And it's just created a lot of, uncertainty and chaos in their thinking. And we started Verity Collective just to bring the simple truth of Jesus Christ back into the world.
Dr. Jessica Peck: There's so many encouraging points that we can learn from your testimony. Naomi, thank you so much for sharing it so transparently and so authentically. I mean, to say some of the things that you've said. I think it gives people hope. It's going to give parents hope who are waiting on children to return on. On, children who, who have children right now who are wandering. It's going to give hope to people who have wandered, who've had some experiences like you to say, hey, I want that kind of freedom. I want that kind of journey back. And it gives you an authenticity of lived experience. One of the things I see in this generation is, you know, people will say, well, you can't understand. It's just different. And it is different. But, but all of the heart issues, the identity issues, the belonging issues are the same. You're describing what you experienced in a generation prior. And That's. Those stories are still the same. We're still hearing that exact same story. And you kept saying this phrase, and I said it too, about live your truth. That is the message that is really resonating with Gen Z. Why do you think that that phrase is such a. A moment of cultural inflection that young people are so drawn to that message?
Naomi Anderson: I mean, for myself and I believe for, for this generation, it just sounds freeing. when you're presented with the notion to go out and find your own identity, find your truth, live your truth in the moment, it sounds freeing because especially as a young person, you believe your identity has kind of been wrapped up in what your parents have raised you in, or if you've been raised in the church or if you haven't been raised in the church. But ultimately it's. It sounds freeing.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Yeah, but it's not. I mean, that. That's the whole point. It's not freeing.
Naomi says young people are seeking truth in today's world
And how are you seeing you. You talked about working in your church and volunteer ministry. How are you seeing Gen Z come to the church? What kind of questions are they having? What's the posture of their heart? What are they seeking?
Naomi Anderson: I think they are seeking truth. That's one thing, that I've realized in the last couple of years is they're actually hungry for truth. So I believe that they are coming to church. we, go through the Bible verse by verse, our church does. And they are hungry to hear the word, the word of God, because that is where the truth lies. And they do want, I know this word is used a lot, but they do want an authentic, version of what truth is. And ultimately it is only Jesus Christ. And I think that they're hungry for that. They just, need to be pointed in the right direction.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's right, because Verity uses that, ah, Scripture, Jon 14:6, when Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. What do you see change when people, when young people realize and they accept the truth, that truth is a person. And what do you, how do you see that changing their lives?
Naomi Anderson: Well, in the beginning it's a small change because I do feel like for myself when I recognize that I no longer can live my truth, that that was causing myself chaos. And, and the people we talk to on the streets, it's the same way. I think that there's an element initially of shame, of where they have what they have done by living their own truth. But then the word that comes almost to every conversation when we sit down and people have come back to the Lord or have found the Lord is peace, they start experiencing a peace that really is beyond all understanding, like the scripture says. but that's one thing that they keep saying is they just feel peace.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And peace does seem elusive in this world that's going at the speed of a smartphone where global conflict, violence, just all of the doom scrolling comes immediately to our phones. I, I think that young people really are in search of peace. And to see just much like you've described in your own testimony, Naomi, that peace that comes like you, you tried to find it your way, but you didn't. And then you find freedom. And what the world would say is archaic is old fashioned, is, you know, constricting, but it really not, is not as freeing. But I think sometimes it can be hard to have this conversation because as older generations, we tend to, and I'm saying it, millennials are up. If we are, if we are post Gen Z, you know, self described Elder Millennials, Elder Gen X, that's me. You know, we lead with lecturing and we come, you know, to Gen Z and we're like, well, you know, that's wrong. And this is, this is what Is there how we start to present truth without lecturing, without leading with lecturing or turning into argument, holding firm to biblical truth, but also leaving room for empathy for where they are in this, in this generation?
Naomi Anderson: I think you just start by having conversations. it starts at home if there is two parents or one parent. because really truth is the foundation of everything. True truth, right? Jesus Christ. Identity, purpose, morals, and I think by just listening to where they're at in their journey and then, starting to have those deep conversations about truth. And what does that look like with your identity and your purpose? And where has God called you to be? but it just starts with listening. Listening for sure, is, is a key for parents and for teachers, youth pastors, Nam.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I believe this with all of my heart. I think that's why God gave us two ears and one mouth, that, we are to listen twice as much as we speak. But I think that listening can be a lost arc because we're so distracted as a society. And I've talked on the show before about a phenomenon that you can even study scientifically called phubbing, which is phone snubbing, where, you know, we're listening with our face and our phones and to give a young person the gift of listening with your face. I think that's why young people are being so drawn to grandparents. And you can see this popping up in popular culture, how they're really intrigued in things that are, quote unquote, vintage. And this hurts me a little, NAOMI M. Because I'm talking about things like record players and cassette tapes and actual digital cameras that aren't associated with a phone. So they feel like, you know, they can go out in nature and just have a camera, but not a phone. All of these things that we lived or we see even like, a grandmother couture, you know, I think that older people, they do have older generations, they do have great listening skills, and Gen Z wants to have conversation that is meaningful. And when we come back, Naomi, we're going to talk more about Gen Z's search for identity and belonging and the pressure to create yourself and what Verity Collective is doing to speak into that. And it really gives us, there's an important question here. What foundation are we giving our children for determining what is actually true? Because if truth changes every time culture changes, our kids have nothing solid to stand on. And I think that can be really anxiety inducing. But if truth is rooted in Jesus Christ, we aren't asking our children to invent a foundation. We're Just inviting them to build their lives on one that is trustworthy and already there. We'll be right back with more about Verity Collective. We'll see you after this break.
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Can't Steal My Joy by Josiah Queen and Brandon Lake : in the valley of the shadow I got a feeling it's season that'll make me grow I'm still breathing I got praise in my lungs in acquiring my soul can't steal my joy. Can't steal my joy. What do I couldn't give no, we can't take away Sorrow may come but it can. welcome back, friends.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That is Can't Steal My Joy by Josiah Queen and Brandon Lake. And that's what we're talking about today. How do we help a generation to feel confident that the enemy can't steal their joy? In a world with lots of conflicting cultural messages and telling them messages about identity and truth and belonging and things that are creating pressure on themselves to create that identity for themselves and to image, craft, and to present a marketable version of themselves to the world on based on standards that seem to be changing all of the time. We're talking today to somebody whose ministry is offering them a powerful alternative. We're talking to Naomi Anderson, who founded Verity Collective, a Christian media ministry with her husband Rick. She's here talking about this today, and she has given us her really powerful testimony that gives her a place of empathy for young people who are searching. And Naomi, we talked a lot about truth and the whole live your truth and let's talk about identity. Because really, truth and identity are inseparable in some ways. And our children are growing up in this, environment where identity is increasingly presented as something that they're responsible for constructing and curating and communicating. And social media gives the young people the ability to represent different versions of themselves. And we see this through social media. Like, you may have your main social media page, like, oh, this is my public facing, but here's my close friends, here's my ghost profile, my spam profile. Here's how I act when I just have this little group of people, or here's my close friend circle. Or we see that social media is responding to this because young people are Thinking, okay, it's exhausting. I can't be the perfect version of myself. I've got to find a forum where I can, you know, present different, different versions of myself. And algorithms in those different channels are, reinforcing different worldviews. You're being discipled by social media. And Christianity really is something very, very different. Because before children even create their online profile, before they even start to construct their identity in the world, they're given an identity created in the image of God. And one of the things that you are doing, Naomi, that I think is really interesting is you're doing street interviews. You're interviewing people like boots on the ground, like, just talking to kids who are around you in your community. What do you hear them saying about identity and truth and belonging?
Naomi Anderson: Well, it's funny you mentioned social media because that's one of the questions we actually ask on the streets is where do you believe our generation is finding their identity? And I would say 99.9 of the answers is social media.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Wow.
Naomi Anderson: Yeah, we rarely get another one. Sometimes they'll say, like, friends, they find their identity in friends, but it's always social media. and I just think that the social media is, bigger than it's ever been before because you really can, like you were saying, you could, you could be, you could have this profile and be this person and then you could come over here and have your work page and be this person. but you could live, you know, your identity really is the foundation of everything that you do. So having an identity rooted not in Jesus, it really does shape everything else in your life. And so, that's why the confusion is so hard right now with, Gen Z.
Dr. Jessica Peck: What do you see in young people feeling that pressure to create their identity instead of receiving their identity from God? What do you, how do you see that playing out in everyday life?
Naomi Anderson: Well, I think it's very exhausting. we do ask them after, as a follow up question, what does that make you feel like? You know, when your identity is rooted in social media and it's tiring. and I think it plays out in just pretty much everything. You can imagine it with your relationships, who you are at the work site, with your parents, you know, like I said, relationships, boyfriend, girlfriend. And then just even looking in the mirror and trying to figure out who am I. when you go on social media and you see all these images that you are confused by because should I be a cow, should I be a cat, should I be a female, should I Be a male. they're constantly asking themselves that on a daily basis because of this one outlet called social media.
Dr. Jessica Peck: What do you wish that parents knew about social media? That you feel like we're just kind of have our head in the sand? What, what do we need? What's our wake up call? What do we need to know?
Naomi Anderson: I mean, I think as a parent myself, that it's more than probably even. It starts probably really little, when we have our sit down conversations and we ask people their testimonies. every single one of the seven people that we have sat down with so far and had intimate conversations with. It all started with YouTube. Just parents being okay with the YouTube. Pinterest was another one. I, we gave our daughter Pinterest when she was younger because I just thought it was like crafting. But what we're finding is that these young girls are going on Pinterest and they're comparing themselves to the models that they're, they're looking at the clothes with. And I think it's, I think it creeps in very slowly that parents who really are trying to protect their children from the social media don't realize that it comes in all forms. It's not just Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat. It starts on things like YouTube, Pinterest, platforms like that. So I think not to be scared, you know, not to scare the parents, but just to be super aware that all platforms really can pull your child in at this point.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Yeah, I think that we just have to accept that reality. Not. There was a few years ago, I was doing a suicide, prevention event in the community and there were hundreds of kids and parents who came. And when the parents came in, I directed them to one side of the room and the kids I directed to the other side of the room. And they each had questions to answer. I gave each kid a post it note and I asked them, what do you see on social media that your parents don't know that you see? And I am telling you, Naomi, the parents were like, they were so ready to see this answer. I mean, I felt like it was like I was going to have to hold back a rope, you know, because they wanted to run over. And I think they had preconceived notions about what they were going to see. They thought they were going to see violence and explicit material and, you know, all of these kinds of things. But I was really shocked, honestly, Naomi, I really was. When I looked at that wall of post it notes and I saw much like you said 99.9% were, were that saying, social media. 99.9% said one variation of one word and that was perfection. It was some variation of the word perfect and feeling that pressure to be perfect. And I think that's why we continually also see this culture that is really obsess with escapism. They want to self medicate by scrolling. I mean you can just scroll and scroll and scroll and you numb your mind. We see trends like bed rotting where they just sit in their beds all day and just numb their minds and just binge watch shows. And you can see it in so many different ways. Like you talked about, not just mainstream social media, but also in gaming where you can adopt whatever kind of identity you want to be. You can be a superhero, you can be what you can be whatever you want and construct whatever kind of gaming. And then when you get into that world like you become that person. We see a rise in LARPing and live action role play. We see all kinds of ways that kids are trying to live out any identity except for their identity that is given to them and their identity in Christ.
Verity Collective is encouraging young people to have open conversations about Jesus
So where do you see Verity Collective trying to speak into this? Because I think you're right, Naomi. It makes parents fearful, makes us feel kind of defeatist. It makes us feel overwhelmed. Where do you find hope in the direction that Verity Collective is going? Where are you seeing lives transformed?
Naomi Anderson: I think the, the biggest takeaway what I have seen that has given me the most hope is that the kids that we're talking to are open to having conversations. They actually are hungry for truth. every conversation we've, we've talked to hundreds of kids on the streets and nobody has walked away from us. And I think because we approach it with just a really heart of humility, we're not there to argue with them or to cast any sort of shame. We really do want to listen to what they believe. and then we want to bring in Jesus into that conversation. And it's encouraging just to know that they're willing to listen. I think a lot of times we just we maybe don't even start that conversation with somebody because we just assume they're not going to listen to us. So we just don't, don't even ignite it, you know. So it's been encouraging to see that.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's super encouraging to hear that, that and it echoes what I've said because I find young people to be very open to conversations. They want deep conversations. And I think to some extent, you know, culture, we, we always tend to denigrate the generation behind us. You know, we always say of us, you know, because there's all kinds of jokes, you can look and see how, you know, younger people will be disrespectful towards Boomer. And even Boomer has become a word that is used as an insult. But now Gen X is coming up in there and that, you know, we're joining that. But then we see, you know, older generations calling Gen, Z snowflakes and they're weak and they, our world is in trouble. And I think we really need to come together with some old school wisdom and new world perspective. And what I see, Naomi, is two things that are, are really detrimental in those conversations. One is the need for control. We just want to tell them what to think. We're, afraid of their questions. We just want to like, just have control over their world. Like, we want it to be like ours because that feels more controllable. And so then that's when we come with lecture. Like, I don't want to listen to what you have to say because what you have to say is wrong. This is the right way. You just need to accept and say, you know what I have. And that second one is instant gratification. We, we want them to say like, oh, wise one, thank you so much. I, I appreciate that. Wow, I didn't realize that. Okay, problem solved. And then I don't have to worry about it anymore. We have no tolerance for long term struggles. But I remember so well a conversation I had with Lee Strobel about his book for teens, which I highly recommend by the way, called Is God Real? It's an Is God Real for teens and not being afraid of teens questions. It's normal at this developmental stage in their brains for them to have questions. And can you encourage, how are you using Verity Collective to, to encourage those questions to talk about them in a way that, that really pushes kids and, and encourages them, the guides them towards truth instead of pushing them away from it?
Naomi Anderson: I think like I said, you know, just a few minutes ago, you really do want to open up that the conversation and start it with just a mutual respect. Like you said, they, they kind of look at us like, you know, great. What are they going to say to us? but if you just come with just a heart of just asking the right questions, like, you know, what do you believe truth is and why do you believe that? And what do you, where do you find your identity? It really does. I think it Settles something in their heart that they don't feel like they have to be on guard, that they can really be vulnerable with their questions. and I think just listening and showing love and respect, well, staying obviously true to who you are and your convictions, but just coming with a
Dr. Jessica Peck: heart of love, that's the hardest balance and that's the question I hear the most.
Naomi Anderson teaches interviewing techniques to young people without compromising biblical truth
Can you tell us a little bit more about how you found ways to, to listen well and to invite questions, but also to hold firm to biblical truth without, you know, just arguing and lecturing and correcting every point. Living in that tension, I think is one of the most complicated things for, us as adults who want to guide children. Well, what other, what other advice do you have for living in that, that space of tension?
Naomi Anderson: Well, I think conviction tells us where we stand, but it doesn't need to shut down the conversation. And so when we start a conversation with somebody on the street and they start telling us about where they find their truth, you know, where they find their sexual identity, we listen and then we start bringing in the truth, Jesus Christ. And we'll just ask them, hey, can we tell you who we are? thank you for sharing a little bit about yourself. And they always say, yes, they always say, yeah, sure. And so that's where we start saying, well, we're very collective. our, our mission is, you know, our motto is John 14, 6. And that comes out of the Bible. We are Christians. And then the, the street interview, interviewers who are normally 18 to 20 years old, that's on our team, they just start sharing the gospel and the person just listens. I mean, you see it on camera and it really does invite, I think, the, the person that's hearing that, to just listen with a heart that we listened with, which is a heart of just, hey, I'm just coming into this conversation, they're willing to listen to me, I'm willing to listen to them. But then also tells our street interview team, stay true to who you are and be bold in your faith and go at it with love. And it, it's, so far it's working out great. Everyone seems to be really receiving of what, we're sharing about the gospel.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I think your real world experience here, Naomi, is just reflecting exactly what we've been talking about. Gen Z is hungry for truth and they are hungry for people who care about them and for, for that, that just feeling of, of connection. This is a, generation that has epidemic proportions of anxiety, depression. But one thing we don't Talk about as much that's equally present and that is being studied in scientific ways. The epidemic of loneliness. And so to have someone who cares, who is listening, I. I think there is a way that we can listen without compromising truth. And I always teach about that. And it comes from a professional tool that I use in clinical practice called motivational interviewing. But it really, if you think about it, it's based on biblical principles. Everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. If we can just carry that scripture with us, into conversations with young people and just really listen, I feel like that lowers their defenses and it creates a bridge because we recognize. Okay, I see where you are, and I don't know, Naomi, you're probably in my generation where, like, you remember before MapQuest and we would get lost and, like, you'd have to find a payphone or you. And you'd call somebody and say. And the first question they would ask you is, okay, where are you? Tell me the landmarks that are around you, and I can tell you how
Naomi Anderson: to get out from there.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's what we've got to, do with young people, is meet them where they are. And so often I think we're telling them, okay, well, you come to me and you come to my position, and then I'll take you the rest of the way. We gotta meet them where they are. But listen, listening is not the same as affirming everything that someone believes. But we can create homes where questions are welcome and conversations are honest. We're going to hear more about the work of Verity Collective. Here's some more specifics about that from founder Naomi Anderson when we return. See you right after this break. And my father, your great grandfather, fought in World War II. Really? He was a gunner on the big ship out in the Pacific Ocean. Wow. Your great grandmother did her part, too. Was she on a ship? Oh, no, she stayed back home. She and a lot of her friends worked really hard in a factory because the, men had gone off to war and they held scrap metal drives to help in the war effort. The folks back home were heroes.
Jeff Chamblee: Here at the American Family association, we consider you the heroes back home as you fulfill your responsibility of caring for your family day to day. Your partnership with us is crucial as we fight the enemies of freedom in America. Thank you for your commitment to the American Family Association. Grandpa, what's a scrap metal drive? Let's get some cookies and I'll tell you you all about it.
OKAY! by Forrest Frank: Lord, I'm just grateful that I got to Wake up today? You take my worries and hurries? And fade them to grey You have good plans for me? That's what you say? That's how I know everything is gonna be. I woke up, late and the house is a wreck? Couple bills on the counter I don't wanna check? The car needs gas in an oil change. I guess I'll get around to that next. Cause my son's doing front flips on the floor? And I'm supposed to be a silly dinosaur somewhere in the mess I look to you? And a new song starts to break through? Lord, I'm just grateful that I got to wake up today? You take my worries and hurries? And fade them to gray? You have good plans for me? That's what you say? That's how I know everything is going to be okay. Yeah, going to be okay. Yeah y okay yeah, going to be okay.
Dr. Nurse Mama speaks with Naomi Anderson about reaching Gen Z through Christian communication
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is OKAY! by Forrest Frank and no matter what you're going through, that is in control and you are going to be okay, even if your circumstances aren't. And this is a message that needs to go to Gen Z. We have Gen Z. Young people today who are increasingly searching for identity, for truth and belonging and his parents, his family. We need to learn how to live in that space where it's okay to ask questions. And yet we still hold firm to biblical truth. Because it's one thing to know what we believe, but it's another thing to communicate those beliefs, effectively with a heart of love and compassion for a generation that is really honestly skeptical of institutions that's highly, highly attuned to authenticity. They can sniff a fake like from way far away. And they're really accustomed to consuming information through short form digital content. No more do they like to sit and hear us opine for hours about what we think. They want to be listened to, but they want us to share truth. And we're work, we're talking to say, somebody who is working to accomplish just that. I'm speaking with Naomi Anderson, who is a founder along with her husband of a Christian ministry media, a Christian media ministry called Verity Collective. And it's not just producing Christian content. Their model includes real stories and real conversations and street interviews and social media content and a vision for campus outreach. And their goal is to create honest conversations about truth and truth being a person and that person being Jesus Christ, about identity rather than just broadcast answers at young people. And this is the question that families are wrestling with. How do we disciple children who are being discipled by culture Every day. And Naomi, I'm so grateful for your willingness to step into this to look at Gen Z language, to look at their communication, to look at effective ways to reach them. So tell us about some of the strategies of the communication behind Verity Collective about some of those stories. And you've already talked about street interviews. What strategies are you using?
Naomi Anderson: Well our whole hope was to meet Gen Z where they're at and they're online. So it, like you said, the short form content is huge. we are wanting to also you know, bring the street interviews to kind of expose the problem and be able to share with people what we're hearing from Gen Z and then the sit down stories are allowing an opportunity for someone, a Gen Z or to share their testimony. we we believe that, that healing can kind of help when you're able to like speak your testimony. I know for myself when I share my testimony it's part of my healing and it also helps other people. but we really want to hear what young people actually believe and not just speak about them.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, one of the things that I see in this rise in media is that Gen Z is increasingly exposed to all kinds of influencers and they are exposed to a lot of Christian influencers and many of them may consume Christian content, even sometimes without identifying as Christian themselves. But there is a real lack of discipleship. And because kids and Gen Z are so accustomed to having these interactions that are really one sided, just it's me on this side of a screen and maybe I like or interact or engage in the comments. But that is not the same thing as walking in community with people, real people who love you, who are invested in your life, who are going to do life with you like a life group, who are going to, you know, show up when hard things happen and walk you through those things. One of the things I know you're trying to do with Verity Collective is not just give them the media. You're trying to point them towards biblical teaching and Christian community and connect them to a local church. Can you talk about that?
Naomi Anderson: Yeah. I mean like you said, it is so important for any of us to be plugged in, to be discipled, to have a group of people around us. but even more so when you're younger and your identity is, especially when you, you know, get to the, the high school age where your identity in Jesus has probably been wrapped up in your parents identity and when you start branching out on your own, it's just super important that you get plugged into A Bible believing church, one that you know, teaches out of the Bible, encourages you to bring the Bible, encourages you to be in the Word, and just surrounding yourself, whether it's at church or like a life group like you mentioned, it holds us accountable, in ways that we have, you know, we don't even know until we need that group. But it really does help mentor these like young kids especially as they go into college and they're hearing all sorts of untruth, if they're plugged into a church and they're going to college while they're while they're, if they're going to a good Bible believing church while they're going to college, it really is going to help them because they're able to kind of take what they're hearing in school and then match it against what the Word is saying on a Sunday or Wednesday.
Verity Collective is gathering stories from young people to share on street interviews
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well you talked a little bit about some of the things that kids are sharing with you in these street interviews. What about the stories you, you mentioned a handful of stories that you have and that are available on Verity Collective. What kind of stories are, are you hearing and featuring to share with other young people as a source of encouragement and hope?
Naomi Anderson: Well, we've sat down with I believe nine, gen zers now and their stories are all over the place. I mean they. Last week we released a story from a girl named Sarah. she at ah, four years old, was in an abusive situation at home with her other siblings. All five of them on Christmas Eve were taken into foster care. And she just kind of lived this road, of just not knowing who Jesus was the entire time until she kind of got to middle school when a youth pastor actually took her under his wing. And that's kind of how her first exposure to Jesus was. And then we talked to people where they We have a young girl, we haven't released her story yet but she lost her mom at 16 and neither her or her parents were Christians when that happened and she found Jesus after her mom's death. but we're hearing all sorts of stories, young men that are addicted, you know, were addicted to pornography that have been freed from that. but everyone that we have talked to is under the age of 24 years old. These are very young gen zers that we are talking to. And so we're hearing all, lots of different stories.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And how are you seeing God use those stories to provide hope and encouragement?
Naomi Anderson: We get a lot of dms from people just Thanking us for the transparency of, of, of what the people are saying. it was really sweet. The young girl that shared her testimony, Sarah, who had come out of foster, Foster care, she, was approached by somebody at church who had, ah, saw her story and said, I just want you to know I sent your story to a young girl I know that's in foster care right now. And I'm hoping that it helps her learn who Jesus is. And that really is what we're seeing, is that these stories are resonating with young people and, and they're really, I think they're really understanding that nobody is too far gone from the grace of God, that we all have a story. And I think when they hear, when they hear a young person talk about being freed from pornography or foster care or sexual abuse or new age, they realize, wow, they can be healed and renewed in Christ. I can also feel that way. So that's been a really encouraging thing, is that it is touching lives of young people.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, tell us a little bit about your website, Naomi. If people are going to your website, what can they expect to find? And I know we have a lot of grandparents listening who may like to share this with their grandkids. How can they talk to them about it and tell them what it is?
Naomi Anderson: Yeah, if they have grandkids or children that are that age, the Gen Z age, anywhere from like 15 to 29. I would point them to social media. We're at Verity Collective Co. We're on TikTok and YouTube and Instagram where they're at. And then our website, we have a blog, where we post, just some content of what's going on with Verity, where we're heading to next. And but the website does hold all the stories. So if you're interested in checking out the stories, we try to release a story every couple of weeks. but that's where you could probably point the people to, is just going to the stories and starting to listen into those.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And what is. You and Rick, you and your husband Rick started this. What is your hope for the future of this movement? Where do you see it going? What is your hope for what God will do in the future?
Naomi Anderson: Well, that's to be determined. We're putting, our faith in the Lord. But we really do hope that it does become kind of a household name, that people understand, who we are and that they are able to point their gen ears to, the content that we're sharing. And we really do want to get on campuses this fall and start talking to kids on campuses because we do believe that's where a lot of kids are learning their truth from after high school. so we're super excited about hitting the campuses this fall.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Naomi, you know, when you shared your, your story, your testimony in the beginning, I'm sure looking back at that 18, 19 year old Naomi, she never would have imagined that this is where your life would have ended up. That, okay, yeah, I may be here right now, but one God's going to give me a ministry to speak to other Gen Z. If you could go back and talk to that 18, 19 year old Naomi, and you know, many like you now that are having the same kinds of struggles and questions and searches, what would you, what would you say?
Naomi Anderson: I mean, I thought about this a lot. I think the one thing that I wish I could tell my 17 year old self is that not no matter how fast you run from truth and from God, his grace is way faster and it will always meet you at the end. and I just, it's encouraging to me that I am able to share my testimony because there is something redeeming in knowing that God's forgiveness is for everybody. And I do hope that any Gen Z that has walked any sort of life understands that God's grace is greater than anything that they've ever done. Done.
Dr. Jessica Peck: M. You know, when I hear you share your testimony, we talked about this a little bit, you and I just during the break about how that can be really hard when you first start sharing your testimony. I know that was certainly my experience, like, oh, I don't want to share those vulnerable parts. And I know that we have out there listening listeners with testimonies, just like you said, all over the place. Some people's testimony is, hey, I was raised in a Christian home. I never strayed from the Lord. I have always had confidence and his goodness. And that is a testimony of encouragement. There's other people who have been through things that are completely not faults of their own, who have experienced really significant tragedies. There are people who have made destructive choices out of trauma or hurt that they've had. There are, but there are testimonies. Those testimonies, those stories, they really are encouraging. What would you say to somebody who really has been feeling kind of maybe convicted, like maybe I need to share my testimony. This is a common question that I get. What would you say to them about the, the fears that they might have about being public with some of the things that they might have Been through?
Naomi Anderson: Yeah. I think even for me, I. I've wrestled with sharing my testimony for years. And, it was all about me because I just felt so insecure. I didn't think that it would actually make a difference. And so I think I would just encourage somebody. You don't know what your testimony can do when you're sharing it. And it really can affect lives. And I think just being, vulnerable, is the biggest thing, because I think when we share our testimony, you don't want it to even sound perfect because a lot of people just want to know your raw, honest testimony. And it really can save lives and help people. And I think just being open to whatever God wants to do with that.
Naomi Anderson is leading conversations with Gen Z about truth and identity
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Naomi, I just. Thank you so much for joining me today and for sharing, what, what has been on your heart and the work that you and your husband are doing to have conversations with Gen Z. And I love that. You know, truth is not a thing. It's not a statement. It's not a worldview. It is a person. And that is Jesus. And for parents who are listening, I want to leave you with this. That the reality we need to accept the reality that our children doesn't matter if they're very young or if they're older Gen Z, or if they're even older than that. We are all being discipled by culture, whether we realize it or not. Every screen, every influencer, every friend group, every entertainment choice, every cultural message is answering questions that we have about truth and identity and belonging in person. And we. It is not possible to eliminate all of those voices. But our job is to make sure that we know that our children know, that our family know the voice of truth, the voice of Jesus in our life, so that we can recognize the difference between his word and the word of culture. And Verity Collection Collective's name means truth. And I thank you so much, Naomi, for your mission to point a generation toward the unchanging truth of Christ. We need to be having more conversations in our home about what is true, asking our kids, what do you think is true? Who gets to decide what's true? Who tells you who you are? How do you know your worth? And the conversations may take some time and they may make you step out of your comfort zone, but God has equipped you for this moment. So discipleship has never been about one perfect conversation. It's faithfully walking with our children as we walk along the road, as we sit, as we lay down. Don't forget the truth of John 14:6. I am the way the truth and the life. And as you contemplate that truth and meet the truth that is Jesus, I pray as I always do, the Lord will bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you. I'll see you tomorrow.
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: Hello and welcome to the Dr. Nurse Mama show prescribing Hope for healthy families here on American Family Radio. Here's your host, professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, Dr. Jessica Peck.
Parents are raising children in a cultural moment unlike anything previous generations have experienced
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, hey there friends and welcome to my favorite time of day getting to spend time with you today Prescribing Hope for healthy families. And today we are talking about something I'm hearing about everywhere. We are raising children in a cultural moment really unlike anything previous generations have experienced. It is hard. We have a big generation divide because parents are raising kids in a world that seems completely foreign to them. We didn't have this kind of technology growing up and our kids are surrounded by more information, more, more opinions, more videos, more voices, more screens, more opportunities to construct an identity than ever before. They're being given, tools for image crafting on social media and yet many are desperately searching for solid answers. They're still asking Age old questions, even in what seems like a new age. Who am I? What is my purpose in life? From social media to entertainment to influencers to algorithms, young people are constantly being invited to ask those questions. What is true? Where do I belong? What should I believe? What gives my life meaning? And increasingly, the answer from culture is you decide. You're in charge of your life. You are, you live your truth. Be whoever you want to be. Follow your heart. Define yourself. If it feels right for you, do it. On the surface, it sounds kind of liberating. But what happens when a young person is expected to, to construct this identity for themselves that is marketable to the world before they've even had the opportunity to understand who they really are? And what happens when truth is subjective and something only for the seeker to find that is really hidden? Identity becomes something that we are continually manufacturing and belonging is dependent on whether other people affirm, that identity that you've now manufactured and constructed and marketed to the world and that can be accepted today and rejected tomorrow. And this is the struggle for parents, because we're not just trying to protect our kids from bad information. We are discipling them in a culture that is constantly teaching them what to believe about themselves, about truth, about the standards of morality, about relationships, and ultimately about God. And that drives a lot of fear for parents.
Verity Collective is a Christian media movement reaching Gen Z
But don't fear, because into this conversation comes a movement called Verity Collective. Now, this is founded by Rick and Naomi Anderson, and their stated mission is remarkably, blessedly simple. This generation doesn't need more noise. They need more clarity. They need hope, and they need the unchanging truth of Jesus Christ. Now, Verity describes itself as a Christian media movement reaching Gen Z through stories, conversations, street interviews, campus outreach, and digital content centered on truth, identity, purpose, faith and culture. Now, even this name is significant because Verity means truth. And their central question is one that may be increasingly countercultural. What is truth? And their their ministry asks us to consider something profound. What if truth isn't something that you just get to create? What if truth is actually a person? Now, today we're going to talk about what happens when we stop treating truth as something that is fluid and changing and starting pointing our children toward the one Jesus described in Jon 14:6 as the way, the truth, and the life.
Naomi Anderson is the founder of Verity Collective
Today I'm joined by Naomi Anderson, founder of Verity Collective. She is a parent. As ministry leaders, Naomi and her husband Rick, they have watched firsthand the pressures that are facing today's young people. And they founded Verity Collective because they saw generations searching for truth and Identity and purpose and belonging. And Verity Collective is not a church. It's a Christian media movement. As I said, their message is simple. Is simple. Culture shifts. Truth doesn't. Naomi, welcome. We're so glad to have you here. Thank you so much for spending some time with us today.
Jessica: Naomi, thank you so much for sharing your personal testimony
Naomi Anderson: Thank you so much for having me, Jessica. I'm super excited to be here. Just to talk about truth.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Exactly. Well, Naomi, take us back to the beginning of this. What. What is your personal story, your personal testimony? And what were you seeing happening in this generation that made you say, we need Verity Collective? How did that happen?
Naomi Anderson: Well, if I go back to my personal testimony, it's kind of what you were sharing in the beginning of the intro. I was raised in a Christian home. I got to high school and I just started hearing all those outside influences, the noise, they became louder and louder for me. And at 17, I actually, in my senior year, left home, moved out of the house, moved out of the foundation, the Christian foundation that I was raised in. And I spent the next five years just wandering, living my truth. I really did believe that freedom existed outside of, like, the world that I grew up in. and it was something that I could go and find myself, but it ended up, being just a spiral of chaos in my life. I, was able to hold down jobs and, make a good living. But on the inside, I was falling apart. I was walking further and further away from the truth. And I ended up. It's a long story, but I ended up, getting a DUI one night in Sacramento, California, and ended up in a jail cell, for 24 hours. And it really did, bring me back to just a humbling spot where I had to ask the Lord what is happening in my life and, what is truth? And so moving from that, I, came back to the Lord. I called my mom the next day and I just said, I'm tired of running. I just want peace in my life. And, it was a journey back to the Lord. I don't feel like when you do surrender back to the Lord that it just happens overnight. it takes some time, to kind of heal from the things that you had done when you walked away from the Lord.
Naomi Anderson: But, yeah, met my husband and we have spent the last. Well, he spent the last 30 years in ministry. We. I've spent the last 10 years in ministry, with a big church overseeing the volunteer ministry, which largely is young, ah, adults, the high school to college age. And about a year ago, the Lord Just really put it on my heart. first, this generation, we are parents of a gen zer. And so we are just seeing firsthand, the world that they're growing up with. And like you said, there's a lot of noise around them, thousands of voices telling them to go live their truth. And it's just created a lot of, uncertainty and chaos in their thinking. And we started Verity Collective just to bring the simple truth of Jesus Christ back into the world.
Dr. Jessica Peck: There's so many encouraging points that we can learn from your testimony. Naomi, thank you so much for sharing it so transparently and so authentically. I mean, to say some of the things that you've said. I think it gives people hope. It's going to give parents hope who are waiting on children to return on. On, children who, who have children right now who are wandering. It's going to give hope to people who have wandered, who've had some experiences like you to say, hey, I want that kind of freedom. I want that kind of journey back. And it gives you an authenticity of lived experience. One of the things I see in this generation is, you know, people will say, well, you can't understand. It's just different. And it is different. But, but all of the heart issues, the identity issues, the belonging issues are the same. You're describing what you experienced in a generation prior. And That's. Those stories are still the same. We're still hearing that exact same story. And you kept saying this phrase, and I said it too, about live your truth. That is the message that is really resonating with Gen Z. Why do you think that that phrase is such a. A moment of cultural inflection that young people are so drawn to that message?
Naomi Anderson: I mean, for myself and I believe for, for this generation, it just sounds freeing. when you're presented with the notion to go out and find your own identity, find your truth, live your truth in the moment, it sounds freeing because especially as a young person, you believe your identity has kind of been wrapped up in what your parents have raised you in, or if you've been raised in the church or if you haven't been raised in the church. But ultimately it's. It sounds freeing.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Yeah, but it's not. I mean, that. That's the whole point. It's not freeing.
Naomi says young people are seeking truth in today's world
And how are you seeing you. You talked about working in your church and volunteer ministry. How are you seeing Gen Z come to the church? What kind of questions are they having? What's the posture of their heart? What are they seeking?
Naomi Anderson: I think they are seeking truth. That's one thing, that I've realized in the last couple of years is they're actually hungry for truth. So I believe that they are coming to church. we, go through the Bible verse by verse, our church does. And they are hungry to hear the word, the word of God, because that is where the truth lies. And they do want, I know this word is used a lot, but they do want an authentic, version of what truth is. And ultimately it is only Jesus Christ. And I think that they're hungry for that. They just, need to be pointed in the right direction.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's right, because Verity uses that, ah, Scripture, Jon 14:6, when Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. What do you see change when people, when young people realize and they accept the truth, that truth is a person. And what do you, how do you see that changing their lives?
Naomi Anderson: Well, in the beginning it's a small change because I do feel like for myself when I recognize that I no longer can live my truth, that that was causing myself chaos. And, and the people we talk to on the streets, it's the same way. I think that there's an element initially of shame, of where they have what they have done by living their own truth. But then the word that comes almost to every conversation when we sit down and people have come back to the Lord or have found the Lord is peace, they start experiencing a peace that really is beyond all understanding, like the scripture says. but that's one thing that they keep saying is they just feel peace.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And peace does seem elusive in this world that's going at the speed of a smartphone where global conflict, violence, just all of the doom scrolling comes immediately to our phones. I, I think that young people really are in search of peace. And to see just much like you've described in your own testimony, Naomi, that peace that comes like you, you tried to find it your way, but you didn't. And then you find freedom. And what the world would say is archaic is old fashioned, is, you know, constricting, but it really not, is not as freeing. But I think sometimes it can be hard to have this conversation because as older generations, we tend to, and I'm saying it, millennials are up. If we are, if we are post Gen Z, you know, self described Elder Millennials, Elder Gen X, that's me. You know, we lead with lecturing and we come, you know, to Gen Z and we're like, well, you know, that's wrong. And this is, this is what Is there how we start to present truth without lecturing, without leading with lecturing or turning into argument, holding firm to biblical truth, but also leaving room for empathy for where they are in this, in this generation?
Naomi Anderson: I think you just start by having conversations. it starts at home if there is two parents or one parent. because really truth is the foundation of everything. True truth, right? Jesus Christ. Identity, purpose, morals, and I think by just listening to where they're at in their journey and then, starting to have those deep conversations about truth. And what does that look like with your identity and your purpose? And where has God called you to be? but it just starts with listening. Listening for sure, is, is a key for parents and for teachers, youth pastors, Nam.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I believe this with all of my heart. I think that's why God gave us two ears and one mouth, that, we are to listen twice as much as we speak. But I think that listening can be a lost arc because we're so distracted as a society. And I've talked on the show before about a phenomenon that you can even study scientifically called phubbing, which is phone snubbing, where, you know, we're listening with our face and our phones and to give a young person the gift of listening with your face. I think that's why young people are being so drawn to grandparents. And you can see this popping up in popular culture, how they're really intrigued in things that are, quote unquote, vintage. And this hurts me a little, NAOMI M. Because I'm talking about things like record players and cassette tapes and actual digital cameras that aren't associated with a phone. So they feel like, you know, they can go out in nature and just have a camera, but not a phone. All of these things that we lived or we see even like, a grandmother couture, you know, I think that older people, they do have older generations, they do have great listening skills, and Gen Z wants to have conversation that is meaningful. And when we come back, Naomi, we're going to talk more about Gen Z's search for identity and belonging and the pressure to create yourself and what Verity Collective is doing to speak into that. And it really gives us, there's an important question here. What foundation are we giving our children for determining what is actually true? Because if truth changes every time culture changes, our kids have nothing solid to stand on. And I think that can be really anxiety inducing. But if truth is rooted in Jesus Christ, we aren't asking our children to invent a foundation. We're Just inviting them to build their lives on one that is trustworthy and already there. We'll be right back with more about Verity Collective. We'll see you after this break.
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Can't Steal My Joy by Josiah Queen and Brandon Lake : in the valley of the shadow I got a feeling it's season that'll make me grow I'm still breathing I got praise in my lungs in acquiring my soul can't steal my joy. Can't steal my joy. What do I couldn't give no, we can't take away Sorrow may come but it can. welcome back, friends.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That is Can't Steal My Joy by Josiah Queen and Brandon Lake. And that's what we're talking about today. How do we help a generation to feel confident that the enemy can't steal their joy? In a world with lots of conflicting cultural messages and telling them messages about identity and truth and belonging and things that are creating pressure on themselves to create that identity for themselves and to image, craft, and to present a marketable version of themselves to the world on based on standards that seem to be changing all of the time. We're talking today to somebody whose ministry is offering them a powerful alternative. We're talking to Naomi Anderson, who founded Verity Collective, a Christian media ministry with her husband Rick. She's here talking about this today, and she has given us her really powerful testimony that gives her a place of empathy for young people who are searching. And Naomi, we talked a lot about truth and the whole live your truth and let's talk about identity. Because really, truth and identity are inseparable in some ways. And our children are growing up in this, environment where identity is increasingly presented as something that they're responsible for constructing and curating and communicating. And social media gives the young people the ability to represent different versions of themselves. And we see this through social media. Like, you may have your main social media page, like, oh, this is my public facing, but here's my close friends, here's my ghost profile, my spam profile. Here's how I act when I just have this little group of people, or here's my close friend circle. Or we see that social media is responding to this because young people are Thinking, okay, it's exhausting. I can't be the perfect version of myself. I've got to find a forum where I can, you know, present different, different versions of myself. And algorithms in those different channels are, reinforcing different worldviews. You're being discipled by social media. And Christianity really is something very, very different. Because before children even create their online profile, before they even start to construct their identity in the world, they're given an identity created in the image of God. And one of the things that you are doing, Naomi, that I think is really interesting is you're doing street interviews. You're interviewing people like boots on the ground, like, just talking to kids who are around you in your community. What do you hear them saying about identity and truth and belonging?
Naomi Anderson: Well, it's funny you mentioned social media because that's one of the questions we actually ask on the streets is where do you believe our generation is finding their identity? And I would say 99.9 of the answers is social media.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Wow.
Naomi Anderson: Yeah, we rarely get another one. Sometimes they'll say, like, friends, they find their identity in friends, but it's always social media. and I just think that the social media is, bigger than it's ever been before because you really can, like you were saying, you could, you could be, you could have this profile and be this person and then you could come over here and have your work page and be this person. but you could live, you know, your identity really is the foundation of everything that you do. So having an identity rooted not in Jesus, it really does shape everything else in your life. And so, that's why the confusion is so hard right now with, Gen Z.
Dr. Jessica Peck: What do you see in young people feeling that pressure to create their identity instead of receiving their identity from God? What do you, how do you see that playing out in everyday life?
Naomi Anderson: Well, I think it's very exhausting. we do ask them after, as a follow up question, what does that make you feel like? You know, when your identity is rooted in social media and it's tiring. and I think it plays out in just pretty much everything. You can imagine it with your relationships, who you are at the work site, with your parents, you know, like I said, relationships, boyfriend, girlfriend. And then just even looking in the mirror and trying to figure out who am I. when you go on social media and you see all these images that you are confused by because should I be a cow, should I be a cat, should I be a female, should I Be a male. they're constantly asking themselves that on a daily basis because of this one outlet called social media.
Dr. Jessica Peck: What do you wish that parents knew about social media? That you feel like we're just kind of have our head in the sand? What, what do we need? What's our wake up call? What do we need to know?
Naomi Anderson: I mean, I think as a parent myself, that it's more than probably even. It starts probably really little, when we have our sit down conversations and we ask people their testimonies. every single one of the seven people that we have sat down with so far and had intimate conversations with. It all started with YouTube. Just parents being okay with the YouTube. Pinterest was another one. I, we gave our daughter Pinterest when she was younger because I just thought it was like crafting. But what we're finding is that these young girls are going on Pinterest and they're comparing themselves to the models that they're, they're looking at the clothes with. And I think it's, I think it creeps in very slowly that parents who really are trying to protect their children from the social media don't realize that it comes in all forms. It's not just Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat. It starts on things like YouTube, Pinterest, platforms like that. So I think not to be scared, you know, not to scare the parents, but just to be super aware that all platforms really can pull your child in at this point.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Yeah, I think that we just have to accept that reality. Not. There was a few years ago, I was doing a suicide, prevention event in the community and there were hundreds of kids and parents who came. And when the parents came in, I directed them to one side of the room and the kids I directed to the other side of the room. And they each had questions to answer. I gave each kid a post it note and I asked them, what do you see on social media that your parents don't know that you see? And I am telling you, Naomi, the parents were like, they were so ready to see this answer. I mean, I felt like it was like I was going to have to hold back a rope, you know, because they wanted to run over. And I think they had preconceived notions about what they were going to see. They thought they were going to see violence and explicit material and, you know, all of these kinds of things. But I was really shocked, honestly, Naomi, I really was. When I looked at that wall of post it notes and I saw much like you said 99.9% were, were that saying, social media. 99.9% said one variation of one word and that was perfection. It was some variation of the word perfect and feeling that pressure to be perfect. And I think that's why we continually also see this culture that is really obsess with escapism. They want to self medicate by scrolling. I mean you can just scroll and scroll and scroll and you numb your mind. We see trends like bed rotting where they just sit in their beds all day and just numb their minds and just binge watch shows. And you can see it in so many different ways. Like you talked about, not just mainstream social media, but also in gaming where you can adopt whatever kind of identity you want to be. You can be a superhero, you can be what you can be whatever you want and construct whatever kind of gaming. And then when you get into that world like you become that person. We see a rise in LARPing and live action role play. We see all kinds of ways that kids are trying to live out any identity except for their identity that is given to them and their identity in Christ.
Verity Collective is encouraging young people to have open conversations about Jesus
So where do you see Verity Collective trying to speak into this? Because I think you're right, Naomi. It makes parents fearful, makes us feel kind of defeatist. It makes us feel overwhelmed. Where do you find hope in the direction that Verity Collective is going? Where are you seeing lives transformed?
Naomi Anderson: I think the, the biggest takeaway what I have seen that has given me the most hope is that the kids that we're talking to are open to having conversations. They actually are hungry for truth. every conversation we've, we've talked to hundreds of kids on the streets and nobody has walked away from us. And I think because we approach it with just a really heart of humility, we're not there to argue with them or to cast any sort of shame. We really do want to listen to what they believe. and then we want to bring in Jesus into that conversation. And it's encouraging just to know that they're willing to listen. I think a lot of times we just we maybe don't even start that conversation with somebody because we just assume they're not going to listen to us. So we just don't, don't even ignite it, you know. So it's been encouraging to see that.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's super encouraging to hear that, that and it echoes what I've said because I find young people to be very open to conversations. They want deep conversations. And I think to some extent, you know, culture, we, we always tend to denigrate the generation behind us. You know, we always say of us, you know, because there's all kinds of jokes, you can look and see how, you know, younger people will be disrespectful towards Boomer. And even Boomer has become a word that is used as an insult. But now Gen X is coming up in there and that, you know, we're joining that. But then we see, you know, older generations calling Gen, Z snowflakes and they're weak and they, our world is in trouble. And I think we really need to come together with some old school wisdom and new world perspective. And what I see, Naomi, is two things that are, are really detrimental in those conversations. One is the need for control. We just want to tell them what to think. We're, afraid of their questions. We just want to like, just have control over their world. Like, we want it to be like ours because that feels more controllable. And so then that's when we come with lecture. Like, I don't want to listen to what you have to say because what you have to say is wrong. This is the right way. You just need to accept and say, you know what I have. And that second one is instant gratification. We, we want them to say like, oh, wise one, thank you so much. I, I appreciate that. Wow, I didn't realize that. Okay, problem solved. And then I don't have to worry about it anymore. We have no tolerance for long term struggles. But I remember so well a conversation I had with Lee Strobel about his book for teens, which I highly recommend by the way, called Is God Real? It's an Is God Real for teens and not being afraid of teens questions. It's normal at this developmental stage in their brains for them to have questions. And can you encourage, how are you using Verity Collective to, to encourage those questions to talk about them in a way that, that really pushes kids and, and encourages them, the guides them towards truth instead of pushing them away from it?
Naomi Anderson: I think like I said, you know, just a few minutes ago, you really do want to open up that the conversation and start it with just a mutual respect. Like you said, they, they kind of look at us like, you know, great. What are they going to say to us? but if you just come with just a heart of just asking the right questions, like, you know, what do you believe truth is and why do you believe that? And what do you, where do you find your identity? It really does. I think it Settles something in their heart that they don't feel like they have to be on guard, that they can really be vulnerable with their questions. and I think just listening and showing love and respect, well, staying obviously true to who you are and your convictions, but just coming with a
Dr. Jessica Peck: heart of love, that's the hardest balance and that's the question I hear the most.
Naomi Anderson teaches interviewing techniques to young people without compromising biblical truth
Can you tell us a little bit more about how you found ways to, to listen well and to invite questions, but also to hold firm to biblical truth without, you know, just arguing and lecturing and correcting every point. Living in that tension, I think is one of the most complicated things for, us as adults who want to guide children. Well, what other, what other advice do you have for living in that, that space of tension?
Naomi Anderson: Well, I think conviction tells us where we stand, but it doesn't need to shut down the conversation. And so when we start a conversation with somebody on the street and they start telling us about where they find their truth, you know, where they find their sexual identity, we listen and then we start bringing in the truth, Jesus Christ. And we'll just ask them, hey, can we tell you who we are? thank you for sharing a little bit about yourself. And they always say, yes, they always say, yeah, sure. And so that's where we start saying, well, we're very collective. our, our mission is, you know, our motto is John 14, 6. And that comes out of the Bible. We are Christians. And then the, the street interview, interviewers who are normally 18 to 20 years old, that's on our team, they just start sharing the gospel and the person just listens. I mean, you see it on camera and it really does invite, I think, the, the person that's hearing that, to just listen with a heart that we listened with, which is a heart of just, hey, I'm just coming into this conversation, they're willing to listen to me, I'm willing to listen to them. But then also tells our street interview team, stay true to who you are and be bold in your faith and go at it with love. And it, it's, so far it's working out great. Everyone seems to be really receiving of what, we're sharing about the gospel.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I think your real world experience here, Naomi, is just reflecting exactly what we've been talking about. Gen Z is hungry for truth and they are hungry for people who care about them and for, for that, that just feeling of, of connection. This is a, generation that has epidemic proportions of anxiety, depression. But one thing we don't Talk about as much that's equally present and that is being studied in scientific ways. The epidemic of loneliness. And so to have someone who cares, who is listening, I. I think there is a way that we can listen without compromising truth. And I always teach about that. And it comes from a professional tool that I use in clinical practice called motivational interviewing. But it really, if you think about it, it's based on biblical principles. Everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. If we can just carry that scripture with us, into conversations with young people and just really listen, I feel like that lowers their defenses and it creates a bridge because we recognize. Okay, I see where you are, and I don't know, Naomi, you're probably in my generation where, like, you remember before MapQuest and we would get lost and, like, you'd have to find a payphone or you. And you'd call somebody and say. And the first question they would ask you is, okay, where are you? Tell me the landmarks that are around you, and I can tell you how
Naomi Anderson: to get out from there.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's what we've got to, do with young people, is meet them where they are. And so often I think we're telling them, okay, well, you come to me and you come to my position, and then I'll take you the rest of the way. We gotta meet them where they are. But listen, listening is not the same as affirming everything that someone believes. But we can create homes where questions are welcome and conversations are honest. We're going to hear more about the work of Verity Collective. Here's some more specifics about that from founder Naomi Anderson when we return. See you right after this break. And my father, your great grandfather, fought in World War II. Really? He was a gunner on the big ship out in the Pacific Ocean. Wow. Your great grandmother did her part, too. Was she on a ship? Oh, no, she stayed back home. She and a lot of her friends worked really hard in a factory because the, men had gone off to war and they held scrap metal drives to help in the war effort. The folks back home were heroes.
Jeff Chamblee: Here at the American Family association, we consider you the heroes back home as you fulfill your responsibility of caring for your family day to day. Your partnership with us is crucial as we fight the enemies of freedom in America. Thank you for your commitment to the American Family Association. Grandpa, what's a scrap metal drive? Let's get some cookies and I'll tell you you all about it.
OKAY! by Forrest Frank: Lord, I'm just grateful that I got to Wake up today? You take my worries and hurries? And fade them to grey You have good plans for me? That's what you say? That's how I know everything is gonna be. I woke up, late and the house is a wreck? Couple bills on the counter I don't wanna check? The car needs gas in an oil change. I guess I'll get around to that next. Cause my son's doing front flips on the floor? And I'm supposed to be a silly dinosaur somewhere in the mess I look to you? And a new song starts to break through? Lord, I'm just grateful that I got to wake up today? You take my worries and hurries? And fade them to gray? You have good plans for me? That's what you say? That's how I know everything is going to be okay. Yeah, going to be okay. Yeah y okay yeah, going to be okay.
Dr. Nurse Mama speaks with Naomi Anderson about reaching Gen Z through Christian communication
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is OKAY! by Forrest Frank and no matter what you're going through, that is in control and you are going to be okay, even if your circumstances aren't. And this is a message that needs to go to Gen Z. We have Gen Z. Young people today who are increasingly searching for identity, for truth and belonging and his parents, his family. We need to learn how to live in that space where it's okay to ask questions. And yet we still hold firm to biblical truth. Because it's one thing to know what we believe, but it's another thing to communicate those beliefs, effectively with a heart of love and compassion for a generation that is really honestly skeptical of institutions that's highly, highly attuned to authenticity. They can sniff a fake like from way far away. And they're really accustomed to consuming information through short form digital content. No more do they like to sit and hear us opine for hours about what we think. They want to be listened to, but they want us to share truth. And we're work, we're talking to say, somebody who is working to accomplish just that. I'm speaking with Naomi Anderson, who is a founder along with her husband of a Christian ministry media, a Christian media ministry called Verity Collective. And it's not just producing Christian content. Their model includes real stories and real conversations and street interviews and social media content and a vision for campus outreach. And their goal is to create honest conversations about truth and truth being a person and that person being Jesus Christ, about identity rather than just broadcast answers at young people. And this is the question that families are wrestling with. How do we disciple children who are being discipled by culture Every day. And Naomi, I'm so grateful for your willingness to step into this to look at Gen Z language, to look at their communication, to look at effective ways to reach them. So tell us about some of the strategies of the communication behind Verity Collective about some of those stories. And you've already talked about street interviews. What strategies are you using?
Naomi Anderson: Well our whole hope was to meet Gen Z where they're at and they're online. So it, like you said, the short form content is huge. we are wanting to also you know, bring the street interviews to kind of expose the problem and be able to share with people what we're hearing from Gen Z and then the sit down stories are allowing an opportunity for someone, a Gen Z or to share their testimony. we we believe that, that healing can kind of help when you're able to like speak your testimony. I know for myself when I share my testimony it's part of my healing and it also helps other people. but we really want to hear what young people actually believe and not just speak about them.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, one of the things that I see in this rise in media is that Gen Z is increasingly exposed to all kinds of influencers and they are exposed to a lot of Christian influencers and many of them may consume Christian content, even sometimes without identifying as Christian themselves. But there is a real lack of discipleship. And because kids and Gen Z are so accustomed to having these interactions that are really one sided, just it's me on this side of a screen and maybe I like or interact or engage in the comments. But that is not the same thing as walking in community with people, real people who love you, who are invested in your life, who are going to do life with you like a life group, who are going to, you know, show up when hard things happen and walk you through those things. One of the things I know you're trying to do with Verity Collective is not just give them the media. You're trying to point them towards biblical teaching and Christian community and connect them to a local church. Can you talk about that?
Naomi Anderson: Yeah. I mean like you said, it is so important for any of us to be plugged in, to be discipled, to have a group of people around us. but even more so when you're younger and your identity is, especially when you, you know, get to the, the high school age where your identity in Jesus has probably been wrapped up in your parents identity and when you start branching out on your own, it's just super important that you get plugged into A Bible believing church, one that you know, teaches out of the Bible, encourages you to bring the Bible, encourages you to be in the Word, and just surrounding yourself, whether it's at church or like a life group like you mentioned, it holds us accountable, in ways that we have, you know, we don't even know until we need that group. But it really does help mentor these like young kids especially as they go into college and they're hearing all sorts of untruth, if they're plugged into a church and they're going to college while they're while they're, if they're going to a good Bible believing church while they're going to college, it really is going to help them because they're able to kind of take what they're hearing in school and then match it against what the Word is saying on a Sunday or Wednesday.
Verity Collective is gathering stories from young people to share on street interviews
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well you talked a little bit about some of the things that kids are sharing with you in these street interviews. What about the stories you, you mentioned a handful of stories that you have and that are available on Verity Collective. What kind of stories are, are you hearing and featuring to share with other young people as a source of encouragement and hope?
Naomi Anderson: Well, we've sat down with I believe nine, gen zers now and their stories are all over the place. I mean they. Last week we released a story from a girl named Sarah. she at ah, four years old, was in an abusive situation at home with her other siblings. All five of them on Christmas Eve were taken into foster care. And she just kind of lived this road, of just not knowing who Jesus was the entire time until she kind of got to middle school when a youth pastor actually took her under his wing. And that's kind of how her first exposure to Jesus was. And then we talked to people where they We have a young girl, we haven't released her story yet but she lost her mom at 16 and neither her or her parents were Christians when that happened and she found Jesus after her mom's death. but we're hearing all sorts of stories, young men that are addicted, you know, were addicted to pornography that have been freed from that. but everyone that we have talked to is under the age of 24 years old. These are very young gen zers that we are talking to. And so we're hearing all, lots of different stories.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And how are you seeing God use those stories to provide hope and encouragement?
Naomi Anderson: We get a lot of dms from people just Thanking us for the transparency of, of, of what the people are saying. it was really sweet. The young girl that shared her testimony, Sarah, who had come out of foster, Foster care, she, was approached by somebody at church who had, ah, saw her story and said, I just want you to know I sent your story to a young girl I know that's in foster care right now. And I'm hoping that it helps her learn who Jesus is. And that really is what we're seeing, is that these stories are resonating with young people and, and they're really, I think they're really understanding that nobody is too far gone from the grace of God, that we all have a story. And I think when they hear, when they hear a young person talk about being freed from pornography or foster care or sexual abuse or new age, they realize, wow, they can be healed and renewed in Christ. I can also feel that way. So that's been a really encouraging thing, is that it is touching lives of young people.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, tell us a little bit about your website, Naomi. If people are going to your website, what can they expect to find? And I know we have a lot of grandparents listening who may like to share this with their grandkids. How can they talk to them about it and tell them what it is?
Naomi Anderson: Yeah, if they have grandkids or children that are that age, the Gen Z age, anywhere from like 15 to 29. I would point them to social media. We're at Verity Collective Co. We're on TikTok and YouTube and Instagram where they're at. And then our website, we have a blog, where we post, just some content of what's going on with Verity, where we're heading to next. And but the website does hold all the stories. So if you're interested in checking out the stories, we try to release a story every couple of weeks. but that's where you could probably point the people to, is just going to the stories and starting to listen into those.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And what is. You and Rick, you and your husband Rick started this. What is your hope for the future of this movement? Where do you see it going? What is your hope for what God will do in the future?
Naomi Anderson: Well, that's to be determined. We're putting, our faith in the Lord. But we really do hope that it does become kind of a household name, that people understand, who we are and that they are able to point their gen ears to, the content that we're sharing. And we really do want to get on campuses this fall and start talking to kids on campuses because we do believe that's where a lot of kids are learning their truth from after high school. so we're super excited about hitting the campuses this fall.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Naomi, you know, when you shared your, your story, your testimony in the beginning, I'm sure looking back at that 18, 19 year old Naomi, she never would have imagined that this is where your life would have ended up. That, okay, yeah, I may be here right now, but one God's going to give me a ministry to speak to other Gen Z. If you could go back and talk to that 18, 19 year old Naomi, and you know, many like you now that are having the same kinds of struggles and questions and searches, what would you, what would you say?
Naomi Anderson: I mean, I thought about this a lot. I think the one thing that I wish I could tell my 17 year old self is that not no matter how fast you run from truth and from God, his grace is way faster and it will always meet you at the end. and I just, it's encouraging to me that I am able to share my testimony because there is something redeeming in knowing that God's forgiveness is for everybody. And I do hope that any Gen Z that has walked any sort of life understands that God's grace is greater than anything that they've ever done. Done.
Dr. Jessica Peck: M. You know, when I hear you share your testimony, we talked about this a little bit, you and I just during the break about how that can be really hard when you first start sharing your testimony. I know that was certainly my experience, like, oh, I don't want to share those vulnerable parts. And I know that we have out there listening listeners with testimonies, just like you said, all over the place. Some people's testimony is, hey, I was raised in a Christian home. I never strayed from the Lord. I have always had confidence and his goodness. And that is a testimony of encouragement. There's other people who have been through things that are completely not faults of their own, who have experienced really significant tragedies. There are people who have made destructive choices out of trauma or hurt that they've had. There are, but there are testimonies. Those testimonies, those stories, they really are encouraging. What would you say to somebody who really has been feeling kind of maybe convicted, like maybe I need to share my testimony. This is a common question that I get. What would you say to them about the, the fears that they might have about being public with some of the things that they might have Been through?
Naomi Anderson: Yeah. I think even for me, I. I've wrestled with sharing my testimony for years. And, it was all about me because I just felt so insecure. I didn't think that it would actually make a difference. And so I think I would just encourage somebody. You don't know what your testimony can do when you're sharing it. And it really can affect lives. And I think just being, vulnerable, is the biggest thing, because I think when we share our testimony, you don't want it to even sound perfect because a lot of people just want to know your raw, honest testimony. And it really can save lives and help people. And I think just being open to whatever God wants to do with that.
Naomi Anderson is leading conversations with Gen Z about truth and identity
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, Naomi, I just. Thank you so much for joining me today and for sharing, what, what has been on your heart and the work that you and your husband are doing to have conversations with Gen Z. And I love that. You know, truth is not a thing. It's not a statement. It's not a worldview. It is a person. And that is Jesus. And for parents who are listening, I want to leave you with this. That the reality we need to accept the reality that our children doesn't matter if they're very young or if they're older Gen Z, or if they're even older than that. We are all being discipled by culture, whether we realize it or not. Every screen, every influencer, every friend group, every entertainment choice, every cultural message is answering questions that we have about truth and identity and belonging in person. And we. It is not possible to eliminate all of those voices. But our job is to make sure that we know that our children know, that our family know the voice of truth, the voice of Jesus in our life, so that we can recognize the difference between his word and the word of culture. And Verity Collection Collective's name means truth. And I thank you so much, Naomi, for your mission to point a generation toward the unchanging truth of Christ. We need to be having more conversations in our home about what is true, asking our kids, what do you think is true? Who gets to decide what's true? Who tells you who you are? How do you know your worth? And the conversations may take some time and they may make you step out of your comfort zone, but God has equipped you for this moment. So discipleship has never been about one perfect conversation. It's faithfully walking with our children as we walk along the road, as we sit, as we lay down. Don't forget the truth of John 14:6. I am the way the truth and the life. And as you contemplate that truth and meet the truth that is Jesus, I pray as I always do, the Lord will bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you. I'll see you tomorrow.
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Jeff Chamblee: opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
Verity Collective co-founder Naomi Anderson talks with Jessica about helping a generation find truth in a culture of confusion.
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Chapters:
(00:00) Everyday Preborn Network helps mothers facing unexpected pregnancies discover hope through a free ultrasound
(01:51) Parents are raising children in a cultural moment unlike anything previous generations have experienced
(04:22) Verity Collective is a Christian media movement reaching Gen Z
(05:34) Naomi Anderson is the founder of Verity Collective
(06:08) Jessica: Naomi, thank you so much for sharing your personal testimony
(10:50) Naomi says young people are seeking truth in today's world
(16:34) Without people like you, this podcast would not exist
(25:54) Verity Collective is encouraging young people to have open conversations about Jesus
(30:06) Naomi Anderson teaches interviewing techniques to young people without compromising biblical truth
(36:18) Dr. Nurse Mama speaks with Naomi Anderson about reaching Gen Z through Christian communication
(41:43) Verity Collective is gathering stories from young people to share on street interviews
(49:07) Naomi Anderson is leading conversations with Gen Z about truth and identity
(51:05) Preborn has rescued over 400,000 babies from abortion
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