At the D6 Asia Online Family Conference 2026 on May 16, Christian educator Dr. Timothy Paul Jones encouraged parents, pastors and ministry leaders to approach young people struggling with faith doubts through calm conversations, compassionate listening and intentional discipleship rather than fear or panic.
Jones, an American evangelical scholar of apologetics and family ministry, serves as the C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He spoke during a session on “Deconversion and Deconstruction” at the online conference, which focused on helping churches and families across Asia strengthen generational discipleship.
Addressing growing concerns over young people abandoning Christianity, Jones said many students today are wrestling with questions about faith much earlier than previous generations.
“We can all agree that if somebody turns away from their faith, they are lost and that matters,” Jones said.
Drawing from research conducted in American universities, he said approximately 40% of students who identify as Christians during their first year at secular universities no longer identify as Christians by graduation.
Jones also shared his own personal struggle with doubt during his first year of college. Raised in a highly conservative Christian environment where questioning Scripture was discouraged, he said he encountered intellectual and historical questions about Christianity in university that left him feeling betrayed and spiritually disoriented.
“I felt like people had hidden the truth from me,” he said.
During that period, Jones said he nearly walked away from Christianity before books such as C.S. Lewis’ “Surprised by Joy” helped him reconsider atheism and eventually rebuild his faith. The experience later shaped his passion for apologetics, youth ministry and family discipleship.
“I didn’t have anybody I felt comfortable talking to about the doubts I had,” he said.
Throughout the session, Jones emphasized that churches and families must create environments where young people feel safe asking difficult questions without fear of condemnation or panic.
“Don’t panic,” he repeatedly told participants. “God is still God even if somebody struggles with faith in Him.”
Jones focused much of the session on five questions he believes parents and ministry leaders should ask when young people say they are “deconstructing” their faith.
The first question, he said, is: “What do you mean by that?”
Jones explained that not all young people use the term “deconstruction” in the same way. Some may be selectively rejecting parts of Christianity they dislike, while others may simply be wrestling honestly with difficult questions as they seek to develop a more personal and mature faith.
“Some of them are not deconstructing,” Jones said. “They are reconstructing.”
He warned adults against reacting emotionally or assuming the worst when students express doubts, saying fear-driven responses often shut down meaningful conversations.
The second question Jones encouraged adults to ask is: “When did you start feeling this way?”
He stressed that doubts are often connected to emotional experiences, relationships or personal hurt rather than purely intellectual concerns. Experiences such as rejection, disappointment in church, loneliness or exposure to troubling online content can deeply shape how young people think about faith.
“If you can get them to tell their story, you can help them construct a better story,” Jones said.
The third question was: “What are your specific doubts?”
Jones noted that many young people feel overwhelmed by uncertainty but often struggle to clearly identify what they actually question. He encouraged parents and leaders to patiently help students articulate their concerns instead of dismissing them.
He also said the nature of faith doubts among younger generations has changed significantly over the years. While previous generations often questioned biblical miracles or scientific issues, many young people today are asking moral and ethical questions about God, sexuality, gender and biblical teachings.
“They are not asking first whether God’s Word is true,” Jones said. “They are asking whether God’s way is good.”
The fourth question Jones encouraged adults to ask was: “Who are you listening to?”
He emphasized the powerful influence of social media, online videos and digital personalities in shaping young people’s beliefs and worldview. Rather than immediately condemning outside influences, Jones urged parents and ministry leaders to engage thoughtfully with the content students are consuming.
“Talk about what they are listening to,” he said. “Keep the conversation going.”
At the same time, he encouraged parents to take responsibility for setting healthy boundaries around internet access and digital consumption.
The fifth and final question Jones recommended asking students was: “Do you want to believe?”
According to Jones, the answer to that question often reveals whether a student is searching sincerely for answers or has already emotionally disconnected from faith.
For students who still desire to believe but are struggling with doubt, Jones encouraged adults to walk alongside them patiently through prayer, honest conversations and spiritual guidance.
“Can we pray and seek answers together?” he suggested adults ask students.
Toward the end of the session, Jones urged churches to prepare for what he described as “a generation of prodigals” who may eventually return to faith after periods of doubt, confusion or spiritual wandering.
“I believe prodigals are going to come home,” he said.
He challenged churches to become places where struggling people can return honestly, find grace and be guided back toward spiritual restoration.
“I pray that when students say they’re deconstructing, you’ll help us respond with a calm spirit and a spirit full of love,” Jones said in closing prayer.
The D6 Family movement, based on Deuteronomy 6, seeks to equip churches and families for generational discipleship by connecting church and home. Supported by the Asia Evangelical Alliance Family & Children Commission, D6 Asia conferences encourage families and churches across Asia to work together in passing on faith to the next generation amid growing concerns over generational faith decline.
