How To Do Ministry For Gen Z
Ministry is meeting people where they are. And we have to know where they are to meet them there. How can you better minister to Gen Z based on where they are?
From the Carey Nieuwhof weekly newsletter “On the Rise,” he highlighted an article from Barna.com about “5 Things You Need to Know About Gen Z in 2024.” Here are some quotes that stood out and how it should impact your ministry…
Gen Z Feel Held Back From Fully Being Themselves
“Gen Z in early adulthood (for our study, this is ages 18–24) are nearly twice as likely as Gen Z teens (ages 13–17) to say they have felt held back from being able to authentically express who they are (62% vs. 34%).”
Gen Z Prioritize Happiness, Stability & Good Health
“When asked about life goals, only 7 percent of Gen Z respondents indicate that they want to prioritize being in a lasting community, making this the least selected goal in the list. About one-quarter aims to stay near their family (27%), get married (29%) or have children (26%). These relational aspirations are not nearly as frequently selected as things like being happy (65%), being financially stable (53%), having good physical health (48%), having good mental and emotional health (49%) and loving and being confident in themselves (46%).”
Most Gen Z Say They’ve Prayed in the Past Week
“Regardless of their religious beliefs, Gen Z today are participating in various faith practices and may be open to exploring spiritual traditions to some degree, even if they don’t necessarily identify with a particular religion.”
Thoughts based on the quotes above…
The first quote and the second quote impact each other. It’s actually when we don’t trust community and only trust ourselves and find satisfaction in ourselves that we can’t be authentically ourselves in community.
Galatians 6:1-5; Hebrews 10:19-25; James 5:16.
Lead your church and student ministries to carry each others’ burden of sin.
Have a ministry that challenges and encourages each other to love and good works, not just look good for others to see.
Show them Community is about drawing near to God inside his throne room together.
Champion confession to each other as the way God heals our relationships.
Community is a tool God gives to grow us into his image.Don’t just have pizza and popcorn for your ministry. Let students see the freedom that comes from a deep life in Community.
The result of decades of telling ourselves, “Just make yourself feel good,” is that we build a young generation to think community is not in their best interest.
The more we think our happiness comes from within, the more we will not be satisfied with life.
The more we will also become takers. If my happiness comes from within, you are a threat to my happiness. Thus, I must take from you to get my happiness and satisfaction met.
And yet, givers live a more satisfied life.
If we lose our life for Jesus’ sake, will find Life. If we give up trying to find our own happiness and satisfaction, then we will actually find a greater Life deep inside our soul than we ever will giving our life over to finding happiness and satisfaction on our own.
This is how Jesus will build his church. Develop leaders out of the Next Generation who will find their happiness and satisfaction by giving up their life and Hearing & Following Jesus First, Before anything else.
As a church leader, you have a Gospel opportunity with these stats. The more we think our satisfaction comes from within, the more unhappy we will be.
Do not buy into the lie, “See that’s what’s wrong with young people.” Refuse to let these stats be the final say in the Next Generation.
Give them a bigger vision in which to live than themselves.
Lead the Next Gen to be selfless. There will be a greater hurdle to overcome because of these stats. But when you lead a group of students to be selfless, it will be a light to the world around them.
And you will set them up to succeed in life. They will understand how to be a part of a community…and desire the community.
And being a part of a community will be a competitive advantage in the workforce.
Just because more of the next generation do not go to church than previous generations does not mean they aren’t spiritual.
This is the result of previous generations walking away from the church.
Because they are spiritual, they’re open to spiritual conversations. And open to the possibility of a God who loves them.
Paul did not talk down on the Athenians for being spiritual, but not following Jesus.
Paul commended them for their spirituality and then showed them who Jesus was. He was their “unknown god.”
And Paul held up the resurrection as the proof Jesus was the Unknown God who is above all other gods.
Lead students to find Life in Jesus by Hearing & Following him. Respect their spirituality and lead them to the One who will actually give them Life in their soul.