Welcome To Generation Z!
Move over Boomers, Xers, and Millennials! There's a new and powerful generation that's on the scene now that makes up more than 25% of the American population. They represent a seismic cultural shift. Born approximately between 1993 and 2012, Generation Z is poised to challenge every church to rethink its role in light of a rapidly changing culture.
A recent survey of thirty-five thousand Americans by the Pew Research Center found that the rise of the "nones" has grown to encompass 23% of American's adults. One out of every four adults in the United States, when asked about their religious identity, would say, "nothing." Further, many who were once in the church are now leaving it. About 19% of Americans would call themselves "former" Christians.
As the first TRULY post-Christian generation, and numerically the largest, Generation Z will be the most influential religious force in the West and the heart of the missional challenge facing the Christian church.
A few facts about Generation Z:
They have never licked a postage stamp.
Email has become the new "formal" communication, while texts and tweets remain enclaves for the casual.
They have grown up treating WiFi as an entitlement.
The announcement of someone being the first woman to hold a position has impressed only their parents.
Cell phones have become so common in class that teachers don't know which students are using them to take notes and which ones are planning a party.
Attempts at human cloning have never been federally funded but do require FDA approval.
The therapeutic use of Marijuana has become legal in a growing number of American states.
They have had no idea how fortunate they were to enjoy the final four years of federal budget surpluses.
The current immigrant population in Generation Z is the largest in history.
As pastors and youth leaders, how can we effectively reach out to Generation Z for Christ?
Much of this generation has been "under-raised" by very unprotective and loose parents and they are hungry to be led by people who are willing to earn the right to be heard in their lives.
They have been forced to "grow-up" way to soon and as a result, childhood "fun" is deeply appealing to them.
Because they are constantly surrounded by media, their attention span is exceedingly short. They need to be fed in shorter bursts of "snackable-sized" content.
Porn is now the "wallpaper of their lives" and as we work with this generation, we not only need to be aware of this, but we need to model healthy, godly relationships of purity and faithfulness. Remember, whatever we ALLOW in MODERATION as leaders, gives the people we lead LIBERTY to do in EXCESS.
The task of reaching this generation seems daunting and sometimes overwhelming, and the weight of the challenge makes my small efforts feel insignificant. But I've had to remind myself of one of my favorite stories often...
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"
The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."
"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!"
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one."
And may we never forget...in the end...JESUS WINS.
What the "big deals" are for this generation's youth
A lot has changed over the past 40+ years that I've been in ministry. As our society changes, so do our methodologies in how we reach our youth culture. From teaching students how to read the Bible, small group systems, and what "success" looks like, so much is different about our approach in youth ministry.
In this month's Youth Leader's Coach, "What I Was Taught That No Longer Applies In Youth Ministry," journey with me as I talk about the THEN and NOW's of youth ministry. It's incredibly eye-opening to see things have changed over the years. It's also a great reminder for what the "big deals" are for this generation's youth.
Connecting with & leaving a footprint on the next generation
Over the last decades the students in my ministries have gone through lots of culture shifts. From the Baby Boomers...to Generations X, Y, Z, Millennials, iGen, and Gen Alpha. One of the most common questions I get asked is, "How do you connect with and leave a footprint on the next generation?" That's what this Youth Leader's Coach is all about. I share 5 "Non-Negotiables" for reaching the next generation, whatever they happen to be calling them.
These 5 simple principles have remained consistent as I've reached almost 5 decades of students. So listen in. Together we will raise a generation of young people that will say with confidence, "Jesus, we are yours!"
Examining the "Try and See" approach to relationships
We minister with a culture that more and more accepts the premise that "living together before marriage is not only OK…but often a positive 'try and see' approach before the definite commitment of marriage is made." We're going to call this practice, "cohabitation," which has increased in the US more than 1,500% in the past 50 years! And believe it or not, in a representative survey, nearly half of twenty-somethings agreed with the statement: "You would only marry someone if he or she agreed to live together first to see if you really got along."
This trend is so prominent and so obviously counter to what the Word of God says to us I think it is important that we take a close look at it. I've taken much of the data for this resource from an excellent secular book entitled, The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay, PhD. So let's spend some time together as I share my heart on the subject with you.
What marks and defines them as different from any other generation in history?
Move over Boomers, Xers, and Millennials! There's a new and powerful generation that's on the scene now that makes up more than 25% of the American population. They represent a seismic cultural shift. Born approximately between 1993 and 2012, Generation Z is poised to challenge every church to rethink its role in light of a rapidly changing culture. Being called "The Final Generation"...Generation Z is the first TRULY post-Christian generation. As numerically the largest, Generation Z will be the most influential religious force in the West and the heart of the missional challenge facing the Christian church.
Because this topic is too important to cover quickly. I've divided it into two resources. In this resource, I will outline who Generation Z is and what marks and defines them as different from any other generation in history. In a separate resource, I will cover our response as a church, including the importance of becoming truly countercultural.
Listen in as I attempt to unpack this very important subject.
Headlines in effectively dealing with Generation Z
This is Part-2 of these very important resources I'm calling, "Welcome to 'Generation Z'!" The first resource deals with who this new and powerful generation is. As the first TRULY post-Christian generation, and numerically the largest, Generation Z will be the most influential religious force in the West and the heart of the missional challenge facing the Christian church. In this resource, I outline some very important "headlines" in their lives and how, as a church, we can effectively reach out to this amazing generation. What are the headlines that stand out the most in my heart? Believe it or not, most of them "do not have even any MEMORY of the Gospel." And even more haunting, "They have endless INFORMATION, but little WISDOM. Thus, they have virtually NO MENTORS."
Get ready for Part-2 of this subject that affects all of us reaching out to these amazing young people.