Answering Questions: The How, Who, What, When, Where, and Why? - GotQuestions.org Podcast Episode 17

The GotQuestions Q&A Workflow and Review Process

Welcome to the got questions podcast. On today's episode I have with me of Gwen and Jeff to got questions employees and today We're gonna be answering the question of how do we answer questions? Many of you know that got questions that are we have thousands of frequently asked question articles on the website.

But what you may not know is we actually do still answer real questions from real people. Let me describe that process to you here briefly so you can come to the website. There's a link that says ask us a question.

Someone asks us a question. The question is submitted to our Database and then one of our employees goes through all the questions we receive. Looks at them sees if we already have an answer that maybe the person missed.

And if there's not an answer, we then assign that to one of our members of our volunteer team. We currently have over 250 people who help us answer all the questions you receive so you could submit multiple questions to us over weeks months days and Possibly get a different answer every time but all of our question answers are thoroughly vetted or evaluated.

We want to make sure they both know the Lord love the Lord. Have a desire to help people to understand his word. So any answer you receive should come from someone with that perspective? Then when they answer the question actually comes back to our database and then one of our employees often one of these two Will review the answer to make sure it's an agreement or statement of faith to make sure it's expressed with the right attitude.

And most importantly to make sure it's a biblical answer that we can wholeheartedly endorse. So we'll talk a little bit more about the ins and outs of that process.

So.

Jeff Gwynn, welcome to the show. Thank you very much. What would you say is your favorite part of?

Why Answering Questions Is So Rewarding

Both.

Answering questions and then also Being at the editing process and what interesting part both Jeff and Gwynn as they started out as volunteers for the ministry. So at one point they were Answering questions as volunteers eventually both became employees and now they're still answering questions, but they're also Reviewing and approving the answers of others.

So to start with Jeff. Tell me what is your favorite part of the question answering process?

I think one of the things that I like best is having the opportunity to Respond to somebody who has a sincere question that you know That they really wanted a true answer for and knowing that there is an opportunity to actually give a good answer to that question it's very fulfilling to know that somebody's making a Sincere effort to learn something or to know something that they're really struggling with that.

It's an actual need that they're expressing and to be able to say yes I actually have a means to answer that question for you. And I think sometimes it's it's more fun and interesting when that is not connected to something like an article.

There's a lot of times where people will ask questions and we are able to answer the question because we have and that's something that's In an article on the site and we're just able to provide them with that Text but there's a lot of times where people will ask questions that are a little more obscure.

They might be a little more philosophical or emotional or personal or something else like that and it's very fulfilling to be able to say That's a really good question and not the kind of thing that many people would be thinking about and We actually do have a way to Respond to that.

So my favorite kinds of questions are the ones that you look at and say Wow, that's a good Question and here's the way that we would approach that.

Gwen same question to you.

Helping People With Gospel Misunderstandings and Personal Need

Yeah, and I think my response is similar. I really enjoy. The one-to-one that if someone is actually coming with a question and you get to just help them and have that personal connection. And I think that some of my favorite recently have been when people just have a Foundational misunderstanding of the gospel.

I mean, which is so sad to see but I feel like wow I can really Tell this person the truth and you know. Like they have all these questions and all these concerns and if I can just help them understand the basics.

And like what Jesus has done for them. It could really change their life. So seeing those kind of like that you get to have a meaningful impact on someone that really needs it is.

Yeah, that's my favorite part. I really identify with what you were talking about with with misconceptions and things like that because I sometimes people can get uncomfortable or they can even get Apostle a little when you're talking about something and they think that they grasp What they're asking and there's times where people will ask questions and the real problem that they're having isn't necessarily that they lack information.

It's just that they're assuming something about scripture or about God. It's not actually the case. So that resonates with me the idea that sometimes when somebody asks a question having the opportunity to say This thing that you're struggling with this thing that you're concerned about this thing that's giving you angst I totally understand why you feel the way you do and the really good news is That's not even what the Bible says.

That's not what God is. Like, you know, here's where you know your issue your concern is actually just coming from a misconception. I don't even have to tell you you're wrong about something or that you're thinking of it in the wrong way.

It's just you're right. That's a good question to ask. But here's the way that we solve this I I definitely feel where you're coming from on that.

Handling Hostile Questions and the Limits of Biblical Speculation

For me The it started very early it got questions seeing the difference between like Jeff was saying a genuine question the person is truly seeking for an answer and more hostile ones or the ones where they're just kind of either trolling us or maybe even Probing see I wonder what they're gonna say about this, but they're really not interested in the answer.

But meaning those people who especially when they write back and they're like, thank you so much I've wondered this question for a really long time and you've explained it to me the way I can understand.

So yeah, the thank yous are extremely powerful as we know people are grateful. So if you ever wonder should I send got questions to thank you for the answer that provided? Yes, please. Yes, please because we never get tired of hearing those but I'm kind of on the flip side of that first question.

What would you say is the most? Difficult type of question. What's the type of question you struggle the most with and let me answer that first. For me, it's the when they want us to give The Bible says blank on a question where the Bible doesn't say something, right?

So for example, why did God allow and then insert some terrible life situations happen to them and I can't tell you why God allowed that particular thing in your life. I can I can speculate I can maybe even address here's how other people in the Bible Responded when something similar to that happened to them but I can't tell you God allowed a so that B would happen and so the people some of the get frustrated or not, you didn't tell me what the Bible says or I want a biblical answer when I Really can't I can give you Biblically informed speculation so to me those are the most frustrating and it's not that I don't want to answer the questions more of that.

I Really can't at least not to the extent that I'd like to so when what would you say? Are the most difficult questions that you see coming in?

I mean, I think for me it is what you were talking about before of those people who aren't genuine who are just Wanting to debate and that's I am NOT a debater. So That's difficult for me to know how to handle them and especially How to handle them with grace, so sometimes I just pass them on to someone else often to Jeff but sometimes I do treat that as a growing experience for myself of you know, like The Bible defends itself God is true.

And so even if this person is attacking it That's okay. Like God's truth can stand up to it. And so then it's a challenge for me of how do I respond in grace? How do I respond in a way that demonstrates God's love and his truth and Kind of says, you know, you don't need to be a troll.

There really are real answers here and we're gonna take you seriously and we can.

Grace, Truth, and the Need for Real Answers

Yeah, when I when I've gotten some of those questions I I do I Do find it difficult at times to respond to people where you you at least have a sense that there's not so much Sincerity behind what they're saying as there is some sort of a challenge or an attack or a criticism and Yes, the the other editors very often pass those things along to me to respond to people for and actually I that's that's not something That I take on because I find it to be some sort of hobby or you know Interest in that sense.

It's more that I appreciate the idea that even people who are a little hostile Still have honest questions. In other words, just because somebody's upset and angry and they're not really asking they're just attacking that's still a real person who's got a real need and Even though they're being maybe a little hostile maybe a little trolling maybe a little snide You can love that person by giving them a real answer.

Where it gets difficult is exactly what you said is in trying to strike that balance of being truthful being honest with the person but also not Compromising truth because you don't love somebody by saying well They're going to be unhappy if I say this or if I say that Well, I have to tell them the truth and sometimes that even includes telling the person listen.

The way that you are thinking about this is simply never going to work. It doesn't make sense. It's not fair. It's not rational it's not reasonable and That's a difficult thing to do a lot of times the questions that I really I see for me that I look at and say This is really hard.

Like I would be very intimidated About answering that question. That's one of the things that I'm really blessed to work with an organization like got questions when somebody has an issue that involves a life Experience that I really can't speak to I don't know what it's like to be a 75 year old woman Who's just lost her husband of 40 years?

That's a very difficult thing for somebody like me to speak to and if it was just me all alone Answering questions like that. I would feel very Overwhelmed. I would feel very intimidated. Can I really give this person an answer that's meaningful the Holy Spirit can do whatever he needs to do.

But those questions that I look at and I say, oh man, I don't know how I would give a real answer That's really gonna help this person. There's 200 and some odd other people that I'm able to look at and say I don't know if I could answer this.

But I do know somebody who can and that's a blessing and that's something I love too.

I mean our team is so diverse and just they love answering questions and are so skilled at it so there's always somebody for something if it's those heartbreak counseling situations or that Difficult apologetics question or that obscure church history.

There's somebody on the team that can answer it and not only can they but they love to. Like the volunteers just have so much joy in it. They'll email it. You know, can I please have another question or when I say, you know, like happy anniversary.

You've been serving with us for 12 years now. There's it's my joy and honor and privilege. I grow so much in this. I love it so much so that's something I consistently enjoy is the interaction between questioners and volunteers and those questioners who write back because the vast majority of our questioners really are sincere and Need help and receive it and just to watch that relationship happen.

Like as we're kind of the middlemen is really fun.

How Volunteers Grow Through Answering Questions

Yeah, I one of the things that I do like to see is that The volunteers especially I think in most cases They really have an understanding that if somebody's asking a question, even if it seems obvious.

To to somebody because that's that's that's true. Not just with the Bible or anything. There's a lot of topics that it's like that. If you're an auto mechanic and you know a lot about engines a question that somebody asks you may think well, that's easy.

That's obvious. Well, it is to you. But to the kindergarten teacher that may not necessarily be that obvious and it's nice to see how the Volunteers we will we will assign a question knowing, you know to this volunteer.

This might be as easy as pie and you get these gracious Open responses and that's where we get a lot of those. Thank yous from Questioners. Yeah and saying oh boy, you really put my mind at ease I felt like I could really ask them the question and you also see that development.

It is fun to watch writers over time and show you were bringing up the idea of us and the experiences that we've had. I got to see that in my own Perspective. It's been 17 years since I was able to start answering questions with got questions and I can look back at answers I gave.

You know almost two decades ago and see the growth and the change that you get because the ministry stretches you. It pulls you outside that comfort zone and and lets you see those.

Those sorts of things and I think for me part of being on staff has been Hugely growing because I'm not just receiving my one question a week. It's I'm reviewing and looking at other people's questions.

And I mean I learned from how the volunteers answer because sometimes I have no idea the answer to the question and then when I approve it It's like ah and I also Sort of growth on the other side growth of questioners.

We do have some frequent questioners and sometimes you can even see that they're growing. And I love it when the volunteers take The opportunity to help someone so for instance when it's what does this Bible verse mean?

They don't just tell the questioner. They sometimes will say like well, here's how you study the Bible. So they're answering the question and also like giving some developmental tools. And I think that's a fun thing to watch.

Counseling Questions, Anonymity, and the Limits of Text-Based Help

That's that's definitely an important goal that I know all of us share with the Q &A system. Obviously when you're answering a question with an article There's an intent to present a certain idea or a certain perspective and with the Q &A.

We really are looking to have a more personal Interaction you're never just answering a question, especially in the Q &A system. You're always answering a person and it is very in Uplifting I guess is the way to say it when you're you take in a question and you see there's a need and you give That to a volunteer and they pray about it.

Think about it give back an answer that actually addresses what the person Needs. It isn't just some dry academic issue and sometimes what we know writers will sometimes respond by saying, you know I see that you asked about this.

But I've talked to a lot of people about this particular issue. So here's the general idea. But what about this what about and we'll have people who will write back and say you know what that really that really helped me.

You know, and I know that's what we're trying to do with the Q &A is if it was just about giving dry answers. We'll just write more articles. But being able to connect with people and answer them right where they are.

That's a positive thing. Now. I know that you Gwen you're not as as Comfortable with people who are a little more Aggressively, you know, yes. Well, we sometimes do have people who want to be a little more Obstinate about things not really asking questions.

Shay, I obviously am coming at this from the perspective. I'm somebody who went from volunteer into the process here. So I'm looking at everything.

Backwards.

To what level did you see early on people who were being a little more hostile? Do you think that's something that's been? Do you see more people now who are asking questions in a challenging sense? Then there were in the past or is that something that's tapered.

So I think we actually have it on our list for a future podcast to discuss kind of. How have questions changed over the 20-year history? I've got questions, but one thing I've noticed it's not necessarily the.

What whether they're challenging but really what they're challenging us about. I'd say even 20 years ago We got a lot less questions that.

Required.

Really hardcore apologetics. Defending the core doctrines of the faith that does God exist last 20 years new atheism has become more prominent more attacks against Even the existence of Jesus and those sort of things become so much more common that we're getting those more now.

Counseling related stuff which is kind of Gwen's area of expertise. I never in a million years that I envision got questions being a counseling ministry and we're not because we really. There's only so much you can do with a text-based answer sent in an email or article on a website.

We all someone asks us the counseling related question. We're like, okay. Here's what the Bible says. Here's what? Please I can give you basically as advice as a friend, but you always please speak with the Christian counselor Psychologist or someone who can help you with some of these more deep-seated type of issues because the last thing we want to do is They're giving us incomplete information and we're trying to essentially diagnose something and that's something.

We want to want to stay as far away from as possible. So Gwen that being your area of expertise. What are the Main strengths and weaknesses of trying to do. On a limited basis some counseling as part of answering questions for people.

How Email Counseling Can Encourage People Toward Further Help

Yeah.

Well, I think it is like you said email is limited. I mean you're gonna miss tone of voice you miss. Like that automatic time, you know, you have to wait a few days for your answer. You're missing the body language.

You're missing just that. Presence of people but I think that sometimes for people. It's a really helpful first step. Like you might be too Afraid to share that problem with someone else so you can just type it up in an email.

Then you receive a loving response that says hey have you talked to people at your local church? Are you even part of a local church where you can have that in-person community? Have you talked to a Christian counselor?

Have you seen a doctor and it just.

Maybe.

Turns on in their mind. Oh, this is a normal problem and There is help to be had. Like I'm not crazy. Yeah, and I think too sometimes there are things that really can be Answered in email, you know, it's a kind of one of those common problems and the person just needs a reassurance.

Oh, this is normal. This is a validated. My problem has been validated and then. Just those basics. Oh, I just needed that reminder or I just needed that Nugget of truth or to remember that. Oh, that's right.

I can call my friend and get prayer right now. I'm not in this alone. So I think it can be a really helpful. Either encouraging people on to the further help that they need or just it really is that enough little stuff gap for that particular thing.

One issue you raised and many people commented to me is so the anonymity of it That we don't know who they are. They don't know who we are Really frees them up to answer the questions that maybe for whatever reason they were Too embarrassed to ask their pastor or a trusted Christian friend, but again because of this anonymous They feel completely free to ask some questions and believe me.

There's Some questions we've received that I did not need to know that. I really don't want to think about that. But yeah, hey, we said ask us your questions. So you're asking us your questions. We're not gonna complain about it.

So that's Something that surprised me. I think in many of these we'd really rather have them talking to a a Pastor I'm someone in the real world. But if they're not going to do that, we're going to provide them with the best answer we possibly can.

We've answered in the nearly 20 years. I mean 650 ,000 questions have been submitted to us. That's a lot of questions. Obviously those include repeat questions, but Every question you could possibly imagine people ask me so Shay has anyone ever asked you and before they even complete the sentence I just yes.

Yeah, because either yes, they've asked that exact question or something really close to it at the same time. You know that many questions. We still see occasionally, huh? That's interesting. I've never heard that question or I've never heard that question asked from that exact perspective, um, maybe Jeff what's a Question you've seen maybe recently that maybe surprised you a little.

Surprising Questions and the Value of Follow-Up

Usually the questions that surprise me are the ones where the the question is either. You would think that it's the kind of thing that we would have had an article for for example but it's just not something that comes up as very often or when you get questions that are so overtly leading towards.

Some idea where it almost surprises me to read it and say I'm not sure why you're putting a question mark. At the end of this statement because you're not asking. You're just telling me something. Sometimes the things that surprise me come from Christians.

Come from believers who are asking about certain ideas certain topics certain subjects that they basically say. I'm not getting any sort of feedback about this in my church. And when that's on topics like morality or even politics and things like that I'm sometimes surprised that that's not something that people are more comfortable talking about.

But I also understand that those topics can be. You know can be sensitive and can be strange. Sometimes people phrase things in ways that you have to say I know what you're asking. But I've never heard somebody ask it like that before and that's something that I know we brought up to people for example on social media or when we tell people here is a New article that we have and sometimes people will say why in the world did you phrase it that way?

Why is the title of your article this question and the answer is because. That's exactly how people ask the question, you know, yes, we could phrase it in all sorts of fancy language. But that's the way that's actually the way people ask those questions.

So for me the things that are surprising usually come in in the way people phrase things and wondering, you know. Where did you come up with the idea of? You know asking that question, I know what you're asking.

I get where you're coming from.

But I've never heard somebody ask it that way before. So what are you going any any surprising questions? You've noticed recently?

I don't know that it's recent but the ones that always surprised me are I. Guess things that I haven't thought about before so kind of some of those practicalities of like, okay. So if the Israelites were really wandering through the desert, you know, what did they do?

Oh, I think someone said the other day Why did they need to pray for me? Didn't they have sheep with them? It's like, oh, huh. I've never really Thought he paused to think about that. And just those questions that come up when you realize.

These are real people and this really happened. And so how did all those logistics work?

Good question. Sure those things that surprised me as well. Interesting factoid I guess is that we learn a lot through these questions. And learn better ways of explaining things especially like a follow-up question, so we answered the question.

We thought a really good way and someone well What about this? It's like oh, I really should have said that with my initial response. So kind of fine-tuning our responses even fine-tuning the article so that not only does it answer the direct question But answers the definite side issues that play into that.

Another thing that I think that follow-up questions have helped us with is to understand that there are times where we as Editors as volunteers and this works for Christians just in their ordinary lives is there does come a point in time where?

It's no longer appropriate to answer certain things. There's sometimes where. Like on a positive sense will tell somebody look we've answered this as much as we can. We need to encourage you to speak with a pastor speak with friends.

You know dry information is all we can give you or times where we'll tell somebody look. The purpose of our ministry is not to debate. So we may answer a question and your response is to say something like either.

I don't agree I'm not sure. I I see that the same way that you do and sometimes it teaches us, you know.

Okay.

Now now that I'm seeing this next time I can maybe preface this a little better. By saying look, this is the perspective that we have. I'm not necessarily saying you're gonna agree with it, but Here it is.

Because there's there are limitations to how much time we can we can put into any one line of questioning.

Funny Stories: Tattoos, Softball Bats, and Unexpected Questions

Let me tell you a couple quick fun stories to come as part of running a ministry that answers questions. The first time we get questions that Person will want to tell us like their entire like life story, right?

All the things that have gone wrong and then they'll ask a question at the end. So let me give you an example.

I was.

Addicted to drugs. I cheated on my wife. I Did all these things and oh the other day I got a tattoo. Is that a sin and you're just like of all the stuff? You just mentioned the tattoo is by far the least important.

So sometimes we Guess we'll answer the question. They actually asked but we're actually gonna go back and yes, here's the answer to that question. Well, you might want to consider these other things. You're right on their lives and other ones are so and some of the some people will land on the site not knowing where a Christian minister you're especially like with the The apps if you search for questions sometimes our Apple come up with there so people ask us any type of question.

Well, probably my favorite occurrence of that was I got this question is the insert this Softball bat a good bat to use for my softball team. Yeah, and if our first reaction was I'm sorry This is not the type of question receive but the funny thing is I Play in our church softball team and we as a team had just bought that exact bat.

So I said Sorry, this is not the question. We typically receive but just so you know told that story so that It was a funny little thing and that person actually came back and submitted a follow-up question.

That was spiritually, so nice sometimes even with the completely Unspiritual not related to our ministry questions if we can we'll even provide an answer for those with the goal. Okay, maybe the person will come back but something science or medical really over like, okay this is no, we're not even gonna try on these but every once in a while like Let's give this a shot and see what God will do because you never know.

Yeah, and it's it's good to be have that availability to remind people that even if you can't find an answer literally written down There are answers to these questions. Anything is okay to ask. It is okay to question.

It is okay to ask. It is okay to find out that information and that's that's the reason I appreciate the tagline that we often use with this is the Bible Has answers and will help you. Find them because they're out there.

It's it's good. It's good to see that even when people ask questions that are way off in left field God can still use that as a way.

Of helping them find truth. Yeah, exactly. So Jeff Gwynn Thank you for joining me on the show today. Thank you for a little behind-the-scenes look at how got questions answers questions and and Jeff you with our tagline right there.

Originally, it was got questions. The Bible has answers will find them for you. But as we kind of evaluated that like Yes to a scent we want to a certain extent. We want to help to find people answers, but we also want to train them How to find them.

So that's why we switched it from got questions Bible has answers we'll help you find.