One of the most significant challenges within each generation of the church is adapting to engage with the next generation. The values that impacted the “ Boomer Generation” (1955–1965), “Generation X” (1966–1977), “Millennials” (1978–1994), and “Generation Z” (1995–2012) vary wildly.[1] However, knowing which values are essential helps contextualize the gospel, revealing its relevance to the person to whom you are speaking. This approach moves beyond just engaging Gen Z. This article strives to illuminate the values of Gen Z and provide conversation points for bridging the gap and connecting to Christ.
Understanding the Gen Z Culture
To reach Gen Z with the gospel begins with a critical understanding of their culture. Understanding the culture of Gen Z gives clues into what they have deemed to value. Gen Z has been identified as the most racially diverse generation and is the last generation to be predominantly white.[2] Here are three things you need to know about Gen Z to share the gospel effectively: Gen Z has been born into a digital world, has a progressive and less religious worldview; Gen Z struggles with being overwhelmed and lonely.
First, it is crucial to recognize that Gen Z was born at the
height of a digital world. One cannot understate the impact of technology on
Gen Z. They were born at the height of digital innovation. Gen Z is connected
to digital devices nearly every waking minute.
Second, Gen Z holds a more progressive and
less religious worldview. Typically, their views on the legality of marijuana, the
fluidity of gender, and the morality of same-sex marriage come immediately to
mind. In 1966, 6.6% of first-year students reported a lack of affiliation with
religion compared to nearly one-third (29.6%) of all students not identifying
with religion in 2015.[3] In his book Reaching Generation Next,
Lewis Drummond described this as a “revolutionary atmosphere” of postmodernism
and modernity.[4] Further, Drummond contended that it is
beneficial to identify the presuppositions that exist—even within empiricism to
address this.
Third, Gen Z struggles with being overwhelmed and lonely. A distinct downside to technology is the advent of social media. Social media introduced the ability to connect without physically connecting. The use of social media has led to an increase in depression and anxiety stemming from comparing one’s life to the perfect snapshots of others.[5] The data shows Gen Z living in the shadow of social media, compounding their feelings of loneliness and being overwhelmed.
Connecting the Gospel to Gen Z
Stand upon Truth
First, it is of the utmost importance that we stand upon biblical truth. We cannot allow compromise to infiltrate our presentation of the gospel. It is common to hear phrases like “fake news” or “political bias” when discussing current issues in our contemporary culture. In George Hunter III’s book, How to Reach Secular People, he asserted, “If secular people are largely ignorant of basic Christianity, then the ministry of instruction becomes necessary in reaching them.”[6] For the Christian, the standard must be the truth of Scripture. In an age of empiricism, believers must stand upon and contend for the validity of the Bible. Rhetoric and persuasion are insufficient in and of themselves. Believers must ground themselves in the foundation of Scripture. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). This lives out practically when we understand how to contend for the Christian faith as reasonable. Faith is not grounded in a lucky rabbit’s foot and naively hoping for the best. The Christian faith is rooted in the Bible—God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. Knowledge comes from God and, therefore, can be anticipated within the revelation of Scripture.
For example, the scientific community
agrees upon the mysterious nature of light, yet it has never been fully proven
what light is—a particle or a wave. What has been proven through observation is
the effects of light. The problem with proving what light is lies in the
observable behavior as a particle and the observable behavior as a wave. These
discrepancies prevent the scientific community from victoriously declaring one
way or another—because scientifically, it is both, which is scientifically
impossible. The Christian faith can be reasonably explained in the same way. Up
to a point, there is a high degree of confidence, and at a certain point, just
like with light, we all must choose to accept on faith or reject on faith.
Build Bridges
Second, it is imperative that we build bridges, not burn them. Sensitivity
to culture and a willingness towards a culture of change are paramount. Building
bridges involves taking the lead from Peter in Acts 2 and Paul in Acts 17—read
the room and know your audience. Peter connected to the Jews at Pentecost from
the Jewish cultural perspective. In comparison, Paul appealed to the value of
his audience’s spirituality. Nevertheless, in both circumstances, they adjusted
their gospel presentation to the audience without compromising its
truthfulness. Connecting tends to be an obstacle believers face sharing with
Gen Z—difficulty letting go of our preconceived ideas about values. Drummond
asserted that the “reluctance toward change” feeds into an “irrelevance in
speaking into people’s lives.”[7]
The Key is Transparency
Finally, we must strive to demonstrate grace through
transparency. Transparency is one of the most challenging concepts for previous
generations. Even the notion of “putting on your Sunday best” denotes the idea
of hypocrisy. Gen Z is acutely aware of this. Further still, names like Ted
Haggard, Jim Bakker, Bob Coy, and Mark Driscoll (to name just a few) have
tainted the validity of the Christian message in many Gen Z minds. To
demonstrate transparency would validate the application of grace available
through Christ. The authenticity of the relationship with Christ blossoms under
the genuineness experienced through transparency. This charge toward
transparency is not a call to live like the world but to walk in the humility of
our own personal need of gospel focus. We, too, are walking out our faith in
fear and trembling.
[1]
The dates of generations vary ±
5 years depending upon the source. For this article, the following source was
used: WJSchroer.com “Generations X, Y, Z, and the Others,” accessed September
20, 2021 http://socialmarketing.org/archives/generations-xy-z-and-the-others/.
[2]
Annie E. Casey Foundation, “The Changing Child Population of the United
States,” accessed September 20, 2021, https://www.aecf.org/resources/the-changing-child-population-of-the-united-states.
[3]
CIRP, The American Freshman: Fifty-year Trends: 1966-2015 (Los
Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, 2016), 7.
[4]
Lewis A. Drummond, Reaching Generation
Next: Effective Evangelism in Today’s Culture (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002),
14.
[5]
Munmun De Choudhury, Scott Counts, and Eric Horvits, “Social Media as a
Measurement Tool of Depression in Populations” Association for Computer
Machinery, (May 2013), 47–56.
[6]
George G. Hunter III, How to Reach Secular People (Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 1992), 55.
[7]
Lewis A. Drummond, Reaching Generation
Next: Effective Evangelism in Today’s Culture (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002),
30 – 31.
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