*Some of the quotes in the following article have been edited slightly for context.
How Ben Bennett of the Resolution Movement is Reaching the Next Generation
An international movement rooted in brain science and biblical truth brings hope and healing through the love of Jesus
By: Kirk Hadden | Branding Case Studies Communications & Marketing Design featured Habits & Culture Ministry Branding
A Heart for Healing
Ben Bennett knew Jesus at a young age. But he would still call his childhood “dysfunctional.”
“My story of growing up, I met Jesus at a young age, but I was still struggling, dealing with my dad’s anger, his abusing alcohol, being bullied by my friends, just growing up in dysfunction.” For Ben, these factors led to even deeper personal struggles.
“I experienced trauma. I was hurting. I started developing mental health issues, anxiety, depression, OCD. I got addicted to porn—addicted to food,” he remembered. “I was just so deeply hurting and struggling. And my spiritual life was disconnected from my emotional life, relational life, and mental life. I had so many wounds.”
It was the disconnection between his struggles and his faith that inspired Ben to seek a solution. Was he destined to live a life seeping with pain and suffering, even while knowing a God full of love?
“So what came out of those wounds was a desire. Seeing how much brokenness there is all over the world, and the lack of solutions there are,” Ben said.
“How many people also are growing up hearing, ‘Just pray about it,’ and ‘Just memorize Scripture about it. Just stop it. Just repent and believe and, eventually, it will go away.’ But there are deeper realities.”
Ben’s passion for seeking healing in a broken world addressed a problem weighing heavily on the hearts of Millennials and Gen Z. So much so that he partnered with Josh McDowell Ministry—a Cru ministry—to create a movement built on helping young people overcome hurts and struggles while learning to thrive in life.
To re-solution people with biblically-based, research-informed
answers to their hurts and struggles.
“So that’s kind of the heartbeat … to re-solution people with biblically-based, research-informed answers to their hurts and struggles,” said Ben. “Covering anything from mental health, body image, porn addiction, shame, and how to have a relationship with Jesus.”
RELATED: Brain Science, Biblical Truth, and Learning to Thrive with Ben Bennett of Josh McDowell Ministry
The Wholeness Apologetic
But if Ben wanted to reach the next generation and meet them in the middle of their struggles, he knew he had to do more than present the gospel and walk away.
“A lot has shifted in the past couple of decades,” Ben explained. “Years ago, even 15 years ago, people were growing up with a Christian worldview in this country. Most people believed in God, they just didn’t know how to have a relationship with him.”
Today, Ben argues it’s a different story. “People are no longer asking, ‘How do I get to Heaven?’ Or, ‘How do I have a relationship with God?’ They’re asking, ‘What is Christianity about?’ ‘Is Christianity good?’ Or, ‘There’s so much evil and suffering, how does God exist?’
People are … asking, ‘What is Christianity about?’ ‘Is Christianity good?’
“And I think that’s something we’ve missed in the church in the past hundred years, that Jesus talked a lot about life here and now…
“What I love about Jesus’ ministry is he was, of course, saving people, telling people to come and follow him. But he was also healing people. He was helping them experience healing and freedom and a different life here and now. And that’s what we have to preach.”
Josh and Ben call it The Wholeness Apologetic model. And the concept was well-supported with research and biblical backing.
All that was left was to create a movement that went beyond the basics:
How could Josh, Ben, and their team form a lasting, thriving, life-changing source of truth that led people to genuine healing?
The Need for a New Ministry Model
Josh, Ben, and their team believed they had a new model for a life-altering message, along with the call to present it to an eager generation. But the old ways of positioning and presenting the gospel wouldn’t work. Plus, the available technology was changing rapidly.
This new message needed a new ministry model, one that highlighted the answers to the questions young people were asking about Christianity, about Jesus, and about their own struggles.
“We needed to speak on all of these things through the lens of theology, psychology, and neuroscience, to mainly young people, young adults. Just helping people find real solutions and a thriving life through it,” Ben explained.
“What we found is that when you deal with your problems, actually engage them, then you start thriving because so much of thriving is about good and meaningful relationships with God and others.”
“What
we found is that when you deal with your problems, actually engage them, then you start thriving because so much of thriving is about good and meaningful relationships with God and others.”
To create a lasting movement, Ben and his team knew they needed a strong, recognizable brand that fostered community, provided resources, and communicated a new take on a very old truth.
And they needed to utilize the ever changing technology leveraged by the next generation. That’s when they called ArtSpeak Creative.
A Lasting Movement
Josh and Ben had the vision: pairing brain science with biblical truth to give today’s youth hope to heal from their struggles.
Members of the ArtSpeak team met with Ben and his team on-site to think, dream, and plan the future of a movement fueled by healing.
It started with a whiteboard and more than 15,000 name ideas. And after much work and a nationwide survey, they landed on the Resolution Movement—a direct call to “re-solution” the way we go about dealing with trauma, pain, and suffering.
With a name and heart for the movement in place, Ben and ArtSpeak worked on creating a brand and content that both supported the movement and cultivated community through it.
Then, it was time to create an online presence that their target audience could return to time and time again. Working with Ben, ArtSpeak launched their website to house resources, information, and next steps for a generation seeking hope.
Leaning into the growing world of podcasting was next. The team worked to create The Resolution Podcast, a space where Ben could dive deep into big topics like relationships, mental health, and addiction. Ben brought the expertise on the topics at hand, and ArtSpeak edited the podcast and helped promote it.
But Ben knew that the key to reaching the next generation with the hope of Jesus was in the resources the Resolution Movement could provide. He partnered with ArtSpeak to release and promote The Daily Wholeness Guide, a downloadable checklist that provides a framework for healthy living as a follower of Jesus and direction towards wholeness.
And then came a free email course called Journey to Wholeness, written by Ben. We helped promote the course through email, their social media audience, and social media ads. The four-week course is designed to help young people heal from past hurts and begin to thrive.
They also created the The Resolution video series for pastors, youth pastors, and leaders of the next generation.
FREE DOWNLOAD: How to Promote An Event: The ArtSpeak Guide
Impacting Lives through Re-solution
The world continues to change around Ben and his ministry, but with a solid strategy and brand foundation built to mobilize a 21st century apologetic, the Resolution Movement only grows.
“We’ve seen people being saved from suicide, people meeting Jesus, people getting set free from all kinds of things,” Ben said. “One that I heard about recently, a high schooler in Mexico. He came across the Resolution Movement and started listening to some of the podcasts, and he realized just how far he had gotten into depression and suicidal thoughts.
We’ve seen people being saved from suicide, people meeting Jesus, people getting set free from all kinds of things.
“So he started figuring out what was leading him to feel so depressed. There were unhealthy relationships, and he said goodbye to those and started investing in healthy relationships and a supportive community. And, of course, God was amidst all of it. And now he’s doing really well. A year later, I would actually say he’s thriving.”
The team helped launch Ben and Josh McDowell’s book, Free to Thrive, with online events and promotion and a book marketing strategy. They put together a podcast marketing strategy to highlight a space where Ben could dive deeper into issues like relationships, abuse, pornography, and addiction.
They strategized and drove engagement to the Resolution Movement’s online presence through social media, connecting Ben with the next generation and giving him a platform to share the truth about thriving after hurt, through Jesus.
Their online community and resources continue to grow. Since working with ArtSpeak, the Resolution Movement has experienced some exciting metrics:
- 16k+ downloads of The Resolution Podcast in 88 countries/territories
- 51,430 Facebook Ad link clicks for Free to Thrive book pre-orders at $0.29 per link click
- 1,206 email list sign-ups
- 147% increase in average Instagram Reels views (over the past three months)
- 258% increase in average Instagram post engagement (from first three posts to most recent three posts)
FREE DOWNLOAD: Making Sense of Your Online Numbers
A Future Filled with Hope
As the Resolution Movement expands its reach, produces resources, and cultivates community, hope continues to grow for a hurt generation to find peace in Jesus.
“Three years ago, before we started working with ArtSpeak, it was just a vision, a concept,” he recalled. “And now, to see it be a global movement, reaching millions of people, it’s been awesome.”
Ben and his team continue to work and put out resources for young people to explore a relationship with God and find solutions to their struggles. Through the book, the podcast, the social media community, and beyond, the Resolution Movement is rewiring the way followers of Jesus look at overcoming hardships.
And it’s giving them a hope that goes beyond their own abilities, encouraging them to rely on a God who loves them and wants to heal their pain.
It’s the future of Resolution that excites Ben, especially when he thinks of how far the movement has come. “Three years ago, before we started working with ArtSpeak, it was just a vision, a concept,” he recalled. “And now, to see it be a global movement, reaching millions of people, it’s been awesome.”
Ready to See Your Movement Thrive?
Great movements start with a focused vision and come to life through a well-implemented strategy.
If you’re ready to take your vision to the next level with branding for your ministry, strategic marketing, and promoting events online, our team at ArtSpeak Creative would love to meet with you and talk more about mobilizing your movement.
Fill out the form below for a free 30-minute consultation, and let’s position your unique and life-changing vision to reach people together.
