Dr. Arthur Satterwhite III: Outcomes 25 Highlight

Dr. Arthur Satterwite III Reveals the RELATE Project Findings

Tami Heim and Dr. Arthur Satterwhite III discussed Young Life’s new RELATE Project in the Winter edition of Outcomes magazine. We are eager to have Dr. Sattrwhite and his panel share in greater depth about the findings during his main stage presentation at The Outcomes Conference 2025 in Dallas.

A Strategic Thinker

Dr. Arthur L. Satterwhite III is a global voice on belonging, diversity, and leadership. His writings have appeared in publications like Christianity Today, Outcomes, and ChurchLeaders.com. Dr. Satterwhite has also appeared on platforms such as Q Ideas, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Joni & Friends, and the Christian Leadership Alliance’s Outcomes Conference.

He holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership, a Master’s in Religious Education, and a Bachelor’s in Business/Marketing. Dr. Satterwhite is a sought-after consultant and speaker who has helped communities and organizations worldwide through inspiration, training, and strategic, consultative support.

He also serves as an adjunct professor in Regent University’s Doctorate of Strategic Leadership program, where he helps prepare the next generation of kingdom leaders. Dr. Satterwhite also serves on several boards and advisory committees for local and global organizations.

A Focus on the Generation

Dr. Satterwhite currently serves as the Vice President of Strategy at Young Life, where he leads a team charged with enhancing strategic capacity, ensuring global alignment, and promoting organizational excellence to empower leaders to impact and transform lives.

Young Life is a Christian ministry that serves middle school, high school, and college students in all 50 States and more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.

Here is more about Dr. Satterwhite’s conversation with Christian Leadership Alliance president and CEO Tami Heim.

Can you tell us about Young Life’s new RELATE Project?

The RELATE Project is a research study focusing on today’s adolescents. It studied Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s relationships, sense of belonging, identity, self-confidence, motivation to make a difference in the world, and faith backgrounds and beliefs. The study allows us to learn more about teens and young adults ages 13-24 and how they can flourish.

The study surveyed 7,261 adolescents in eight countries and regions worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, India, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.

With these findings, we hope to move the narrative about Gen Z away from anxiety and overwhelm to one of resilience and potential. We desire to see all people invest in adolescents in a way that encourages their flourishing now and in the years to come.

Young Life has developed the Flourishing Model. Explain it, and who it helps.

Three constructs create a triangle: belonging, close relationships, and positive self-concept. Self-concept is at the top as the driver of flourishing. However, all three move in coordination, creating either a bigger or smaller “triangle of flourishing” as the constructs grow or shrink. These three constructs all have a substantial impact on flourishing and overall well-being.

Self-concept includes identity and agency. A high self-concept occurs when people believe they are worthy of love and can make a difference in this world.

Belonging and close relationships highly correlate with self-concept. Belonging involves being fully yourself with others, and close relationships include people you love and can talk to about things that matter.

When one of the three constructs increases, the other two will likewise increase. If one is negative, then others also decrease. An increase in belonging and close relationships can increase self-concept. And the stronger one’s self-concept, the stronger sense of flourishing Gen Z reports.

What are you most encouraged about in the next generation of Christian leaders?

Gen Z cares about issues concerning their communities, countries, and the world.

As I consider the adolescents in my life and reflect on this research, it encourages me to see that Gen Z teens and young adults are empathetic. In describing themselves, kindness—or some synonym of this—showed up consistently across demographics and countries. We see that peace and flourishing are important to adolescents. They want others to see them as loyal, responsible, and calm. There is much hopefulness in this! Older adults must encourage these qualities in Gen Zers and exhibit them in their own lives.

In thinking about the upcoming generation of Christian leaders, I see their potential for significant impact. Gen Z cares about issues concerning their communities, countries, and the world. Not only this, but this generation also believes they can make a difference in others’ lives and that their generation can make a meaningful impact on the world.

The data is resounding! Now that we know this information, we want to challenge caring adults across the country and the world to step into the lives of teens and young adults, encourage them in their beliefs that they can make an impact, and walk alongside them as friends and mentors to cultivate and support health and flourishing.

Ultimately, we are responsible for caring for and nurturing today’s adolescents so that they may someday be able to care for and show up for the younger generations.

We can’t wait to learn more and discover how to support this generation of future leaders effectively!

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