Are We Leaving Gen Z to Their Devices?

A Close-Up Look at the Last Letter in the Alphabet — Young Adults
By Anna-Maria Roth – taken from Christian Renewal, 5 October 2024

Many mainstream churches worldwide are experiencing a serious decline in congregational membership. Aging demographics primarily drive this; fewer young people are either joining or remaining in the church. The loss of critical mass threatens the viability of many congregations worldwide, presenting the challenge of meaningfully engaging a younger demographic. What might help turn the tide?

The Generation called Z

Generally speaking, Gen Z finds itself at the head of a growing mental health crisis, with depression, anxiety disorders, and sleep deprivation on the rise. This generation is typically called "digital natives" — an age group that does not remember a time before smartphones or other digital technology. Gen Z's religiosity is seen to be declining in North America and Western Europe. While most of Gen Z is still considered nominally Christian, they do not retain a "private" faith as Millennials did. Among "deconstructing" members of Gen Z, faith has become "unbundled," such that people approach a wide range of sources for spiritual formation, including culture, family and friends, nature, and various spiritualities and philosophies; while not vitally subscribing to any given belief system, they suggest they could find a place in many. Gen Z's cautiousness is not limited to self-expression on the internet; they tend to be pragmatic and early to mature, possibly a consequence of the relatively chaotic times they grew up in - their surrounding culture. As a whole, those labeled as Generation Z in North America - those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s - are still fairly connected with spirituality but not necessarily with a doctrinally identified scripture, which includes those churches that teach, preach, and live the word of God. In recent years, there has been a shift away from Christianity to more individuals being drawn to Eastern religions such as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Of those who did not grow up attending religious services, 65% say they remain non-religious. Single-parent homes also appear to be connected to decreased church attendance, with 36% of individuals raised in single-parent homes attending, compared to 55% of individuals raised in two-parent households. With high divorce rates, this correlate with the decline in religious service attendance.

Leaving the Church

According to recent statistics, 39% of Gen Z has left the church, ironically and sadly, due to loneliness and/or isolation from the people around them. Young people are "taste-testing" religions to chart a path to spirituality. It is thought that parents have done less in this generation to share their beliefs, even a generalized faith, than in previous ones. Churches are also doing less catechizing of children and teenagers. All of this presents a challenge and an opportunity that churches are now trying to address. Many think that social media podcasts and live streaming are the way to go. While attractive in terms of convenience, this can lead Gen Zers in the wrong direction and away from the household of faith.

Spiritual Needs

The spiritual needs of Gen Z are characterized by challenges, which, although not unique, are compounded by current technology. Digital technology, when uncontrolled, has the ability to isolate, distract, disorient, and cause harm through addictive use. Gen Z, generally speaking, has been "spiritually starved" and desires identity, purpose, and belonging. The recent COVID pandemic magnified both present and potential issues, and as such, many Gen Zers desire personal peace in what is seen as an anxiety-ridden world. Moreover, the news media's constant fearmongering has turned Gen Zers to desiring vulnerability, humility, and transparency from the pulpit and the church. "Gen Z wants to keep it real." They need leaders who lead not only with their words but with their actions and how they live their faith. Gen Z needs community and a place of belonging in a world that preaches authenticity, self-actualization, and hyper-independence. However, Gen Z also seeks a new form of community as many are disinterested in traditional religious settings, seeing them as inauthentic, making other meeting contexts outside of traditional church walls seem more appealing. Culture is placing pressure on this generation to define their own identities. Christian Gen Zers desire a stable foundation to find their identity. What they truly need to flourish is to find their identity in Christ. In addition, Gen Zers desire more diverse religious settings, as the lack of diversity in past decades has resulted in them being more closed off to the gospel's message and attending churches in many settings.

Desire for Peace

Gen Z is perhaps one of the most anxious and worried generations on record. This is due to a plethora of variables. It has resulted in Gen Z greatly needing spiritual peace, clarity, and a calm mind. Richter and Miller state, "The students want few things more than freedom from depression and anxiety. They're starved for a peace that surpasses all understanding and can still the waters of chronic anxiety." Gen Z needs holistic peace that covers the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual sides. As the world promises freedom from anxiety through different avenues, it is the church's responsibility to offer the gift of Jesus and His gospel to Gen Z as the only trustworthy source of true peace.

Search for Identity

Connected to Gen Z's need for spiritual peace is their desire and search for identity and purpose. The cultural context Gen Z has grown up in pushes the narrative that individuals must search for, discover, and identify who they are, primarily propagated by a hyper-individualistic worldview. This places immense pressure on this age group and can be attributed as one of the root causes of the rise in chronic anxiety. In light of this, a desperate spiritual need of Gen Z is identity, knowing what they can find instead of succumbing to the overwhelming pressure of self-identification. Reagan Scott's "Gen Z and Identity" article for Focus on the Family states, "By placing our identity in Christ, we receive the peace, joy, and rich reward of God's loving grace. Although this counteracts with what most of Generation Z is being led toward today, it is the answer for fulfillment in this life and the next."

Commentaries on Gen Z

Some Gen Z members are afraid that they are too gullible. They are worried it will be the wrong kind of church and will end up being part of a cult or be misled. They fear not knowing what a church could be and where the doctrine of Christ is and comes from. Some of the younger generation do not like following what they consider to be hateful ideas, so churches that they consider to be "anti-gay rights" are less likely to attract this demographic. Another impediment is that this generation is so much more focused on self that church attendance can be considered unnecessary since they tend to rely on themselves. Churches can capitalize here to show Gen Zers the importance of community and what it means to be in Christian fellowship with one another.

Gen Z Affiliations

According to statistics, 32% are Protestant, 18% are Catholic, 5% are other world religions, 11% are Atheist/Agnostic, and 24% have no affiliation. 35% represents a high number of people and a challenge for the church. It is also a disheartening number and raises the "why" question. Many members of Gen Z identify as Atheists or Agnostics. It is unclear whether the generational age gap is the prime cause of this shift or if it is simply a generation that does not find reason to believe. Statistically, the Catholic, Protestant, Mennonite, and Anabaptist churches are on the decline in terms of membership and attendance. Meanwhile, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Jesuit Order are rising comparatively. Canada itself has undergone a significant decline in overall religious affiliation in recent decades, whereas the United States and other countries have seen increased religious diversity.

Connecting with Gen Z

How can churches connect with Generation Z? Research shows that people in this age bracket want authenticity from the church since they do not get it from the social media platforms they are involved in. A way of facilitating this is through small groups made up of a variety of ages to develop community in the church. Any form of intentional community is something that Generation Z would appreciate. Being genuine and friendly is critical and helps make Gen Zers feel welcome and more willing to return. Along with these connections, mentoring and teaching are still essential. The bedrock is friendship development before any attempts are made to teach or mentor a person. Acting too quickly can make them feel forced into the church, especially if they are already skeptical. A church should aim to have young adult events for the local church community to take part in. This is an excellent way to get the younger generation involved. Young adult events help develop a stronger sense of community, encouraging growth in their faith with those around them. Overall, the primary way to better connect with the younger generation would be to love first, as God calls us to do. If young people come to the church and do not feel loved, they will be far less likely to return. Instead, they will likely stop coming. This will also give them a wrong impression of other churches, as one bad experience can ruin their view of the church. Since Generation Z's community is so strong, a poor church experience will likely be shared with others, creating a domino effect of negativity. So, the command to love is preeminent, showing them God's love and making them feel welcome and included.

Practical Steps

1. Be more welcoming, maybe even more accepting of people's shortcomings (not to the point of ignoring sin, but that they know they are loved and what they do is sinful).
2. Plan more events run by youth for youth. Elders should encourage and aid as needed, but not be the drivers of such events.
3. Organize outreach events that are oriented toward youth.
4. Having events that are not necessarily church-related, such as community sports tournaments, might pique interest in the church or develop and strengthen relationships in the neighborhood.
5. Consider small groups and intentional communities. Utilize space for young adult events for the local church community. All of these ideas should be undergirded by biblically-based love.

Of course, desiring community and fellowship is not the sole need or desire of Gen Z. People of all ages are looking to connect, to be recognized, to be loved, to be included, and to become involved. What is said in connection with Gen Z will resonate with other age groups in either the church or the broader community. The bottom line is that people need the Lord. May our hearts be inclined toward that need, and toward those individuals who are longing, without necessarily realizing it, for a spiritual home with a Father who loves them.

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