Hello! I’m Rachel Andre Ross, the author of Footnotes with Ray. After years of full-time and volunteer work in youth ministry, I noticed that most writing for teens doesn’t really help the reader learn to think. Either cheesy, boring, or legalistic,1 there is little written that any middle or high school student wants to read that is also spiritually helpful. Often, instead of giving students the tools they need to think and reason through theological challenges, the books available only tell them how to behave and what to believe, with sometimes cringe-worthy content.
Similarly, when I started volunteering with the Woman’s ministry in my church, I found that many books written for laypersons lacked theological depth. This simply shouldn’t be.
This blog is an attempt to provide theologically rich content in an easy-to-understand format, intentionally written to foster spiritual curiosity, thoughtfulness, and critical thinking. Each article contains questions that can be used for either self-reflection, to aid parents in engaging in deeper conversations with their teens, or to supplement a group Bible studies. However you use it, if you have feedback I would love to hear from you!
Who am I? I’m a lover of God, truth, clarity, and deep questions. In 2026, I graduated with an M.A. in Biblical Studies3 from Reformed Theological Seminary.4 I am married to an incredible husband (Daniel), and we enjoy cooking, adventuring, and hosting Bible study together. I am the Scoutmaster of a BSA Troop for girls, and delight in showing them how to love the outdoors and Christ. I also ski, bake pies, rock climb, garden, hike, backpack, and longboard (think skateboard, but… longer).
Ultimately, I am a child of God and co-heir with Christ; a fallen human made perfect by the blood of Jesus. He has changed my entire life, and He wants to change yours too. Will you let him?
- Legalistic: Adjective. To follow the law or rules as perfectly as possible, hoping that by doing so you will be good enough to be accepted by God.
- CPA: Acronym. This stands for ‘Certified Public Accountant’ and is a title used by someone who studied accounting in college, took a very hard 4-part test after college, and now works as an accountant.
- M.A.: Acronym. This stands for ‘Master of Arts,’ and is the title given to a degree someone earns by going back to school after college to earn an additional degree in a topic that is more specific and/or focused than a college degree.
- Seminary: Noun. A college or university that specifically trains people who want to teach others about God. For example, most pastors have studied at a seminary and earned a ‘Master of Divinity’ degree, which typically takes 3- or 4-years to earn.
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