Your Voice

Six common traits of Gen Z and why they matter to the church

By Shane Pruitt
National director of next gen evangelism, NAMB

Through the last year while speaking at student events, I took the opportunity to ask them, “What do adults need to know about your generation, known as Gen Z?” Here are six things we need to know about Gen Z in their own words:

1. This generation wants to be a part of “doing” something. They’ll want more out of their church than sitting in a pew, listening to sermons and going to potluck dinners while waiting on the “Rapture Bus” to swoop down to pick them all up. 

They are not scared to die young; they are terrified, however, to die while not having done anything significant with their lives in their own eyes. They are not typically impressed by a church’s size or budget. 

Desire to be noticed

They’re interested both in being noticed relationally and in what the church is doing outside the walls of the building. 

2. They are not ageist. Gen Z is in desperate need for older generations to invest in them. This is largely a fatherless generation. They often seek out or are more open to discipleship or mentorship than we tend to think. But they won’t know how to ask for it. They may ask you to “hang out.” But if this generation wants to spend time with you, they are giving you the most valuable thing they have to offer and you have to give — time.

3. They largely value the “why” over the “what.” Students are not typically open to doing something just because it’s the way it’s always been done. They are not driven by heritage. For example, students are not going to be Southern Baptist just because their parents were. If we can’t answer their “why” questions or we get defensive over their questions, we’ll lose them. Be ready to answer their honest questions with love, patience and kindness.

4. They don’t want to be seen as the future of the church. Remember, the younger generation is not the future of the church; if they’ve been redeemed with the blood of Jesus, then they’re the church of right now. Let them have some ownership.  

Sometimes we’ll schedule an event to reach Gen Z using all older generations to plan it, then plead with students to bring their friends. Then we get upset when they don’t show up. Want them to show up? Want them to invite their friends? Let them have a voice in planning it.

5. They want authenticity and transparency. Nearly all students grow weary of gimmicks and “sleek presentations” very quickly. The more transparent and vulnerable a communicator is the more students connect. 

Desire for authenticity

There was a time when speakers/teachers were told not to use themselves in personal illustrations. This generation, on the other hand, wants to hear those personal stories. If we act as if we have it all figured out and are not in desperate daily need of God’s grace, we’ll lose their attention. They won’t believe that we’re “being real” and they’ll think our faith is unattainable for them.

6. They know brokenness. They are exposed to more violence, graphic images and evil at an earlier age. Exposure to these things on the internet, in media coverage and through broken homes is unfortunately the norm for far too many. 

They don’t know a world without the fear of mass shootings and terrorism. This is also a pornography-saturated generation where the average age of first exposure is 11. Seventy percent of guys and 50% of girls admit to interaction with internet pornography. 

This generation is looking for solutions at a much earlier time in their lives. They know they’re broken. Thank God for the gospel because it is mighty to save Gen Z. Share it with them. They’re starving for it, whether or not they know it.

I’m personally encouraged by this generation of students. Even as an adult, I resonate deeply with their views. According to a recent Wall Street Journal survey, 30% of Gen Z says, “religion is very important to them,” the lowest in U.S. history. But 78% say, “living a self-fulfilled life is very important to them.” 

This should be extremely eye-opening to us. That’s the threshold to cross in communicating to Gen Z. Help them see that a “fulfilled life” only comes from Someone outside of “self.” 

Let’s mobilize a generation. They will make mistakes, but so do we. That’s why grace is so amazing. (BP)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Faithful to the Rock

There is a quarry in Franklin County with a band of limestone I’m told that’s 20 miles long just northwest of Bankhead National Forest. All of the limestone on the Samford Campus came from one quarry up there. 

When I learned that I remembered Isaiah 51:1: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.”

It’s a great verse. It doesn’t refer to Alabama limestone, as great as it is. We know it refers to the rock of Christ. As long as we will adhere to that Rock, then I think we will be faithful. That is being lived out these days in the arrival of new faculty and the programs for Christian ministry at Samford. 

At Samford we are all together and we are all together to serve the Lord and to serve Alabama Baptists. We seek to be faithful in that regard. 

I’m deeply grateful to each of you and to the entire Alabama Baptist family for Samford’s continued and fruitful affiliation with you.

(Adapted from remarks during the Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting) 

—Andrew Westmoreland

EDITOR’S NOTE: Andrew Westmoreland is president of Samford University in Birmingham.

_____________________________________________________________________________

God does not withhold hard things nor does He withhold Himself.

Pastor Ed Litton
Redemption Church, Saraland

Any educator who has worked with students in poverty understands that if life outside of school is chaotic, the task of education is that much harder. Thankfully, there are many individuals and organizations committed to helping residents break the cycle of generational poverty.  

Matthew Stokes
Alabama Policy Institute

No matter what you’ve done … God is still a God of redemption.

Jaterrius “Rockstar Jt” Johnson
Montgomery, Ala. 

When church leaders learn the statistics of child sexual abuse and hear real stories of abuse in churches, they often gain an understanding for the need of preventive measures.

Faye Scott
Minister to children, FBC New Orleans

Nov. 20 [marked] the 10-year anniversary of the publication of “The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience.” The document … outlined three issues that were under assault in American culture in 2009 — the sanctity of every human life, the traditional biblical understanding of marriage and religious liberty for all people … from the complementary standpoints of holy Scripture (our ultimate authority), the best of the Christian intellectual tradition and human reason. … The Manhattan Declaration issued a clarion call that was clearly necessary 10 years ago. Subsequent events have shown this call is even more important in 2019.

Nathan A. Finn
Provost and dean of the faculty, North Greenville University, Tigerville, S.C. 

That’s why we exist as a church — to bring the love of Christ to people who are hurting and we don’t want to leave the [shooter’s] mom out.

Pastor David Hegg
Grace Baptist Church, Santa Clarita, Calif.

_____________________________________________________________________________

From the Twitterverse

@bobgoff

Faith doesn’t mean we’re not afraid anymore, it just means our actions aren’t controlled by our doubts.

@AdamGreenway

“When you separate biblical truth from Christian love, you end up with a false religion.” — @manorjuan in #SWBTSChapel 

@Pastor_Cory

How could God possibly love sinners? He might be able to forgive them but this is not what Jesus taught. In actions and words He proclaimed that God loves sinners as they are, and not as they should be. — James Bryan Smith

@greglaurie

A key to personal revival is to share your faith. The gospel is not to be hoarded but shared. As you share this life-giving message with others it’s also a life-giving message to you. As you declare it to others, you are reminded of what God has done for you. Share the gospel!

@DannyAkin

Never allow bullies to intimidate you and set your agenda. Always strive to do the right thing in the right way and for the right reasons. Seek God’s approval and rest well at night. What the Lord thinks is all that matters anyway.

@DustinBenge

Destroy church buildings, burn the Bibles, imprison pastors, suppress religious freedom: Christ will still build His church and governments, tyrants, ideologies and dictators can’t stop Him!

@DustyMcLemore

@johnnymhunt was bringing the word @LLBCAthens! “One thing worse than being lost is being lost and no one is looking for you!” … “Forgiveness is the greatest miracle Jesus ever performed.” @whosyour1_

@KevinBumgarner1

Repent means “to go in the opposite direction.” Think about that the next time you come to God repenting of your sin.

@bellevuepastor

Preacher, get to know other pastors that love Jesus in your community. Even those of a different denomination or ethnicity. Make some new friends outside your normal network. Talk, pray and serve with them. Get out of your bubble. All of us are better than any one of us.