Last week, I began a new series of blogs highlighting the recently released research of the Barna Group and Impact 360 on our newest generation (born 1998 and after) called “Gen Z” and their beliefs, perspectives, and outlook on life.  In this blog, I want to spotlight the shifting worldview that this new teenage and early-college era generation possesses, and what this means to reaching and discipling this new population (and by default, their parents and grandparents) with the gospel.  I will first highlight the culture-at-large, then zoom-in to Gen Z.

Of the total population, in Barna Trends 2018 (available at their website), the Barna Group found that only 17% of all age groups who say they practice their faith and participate regularly with their church actually have a “biblical worldview” (the criteria of “worldview”: 1) absolute moral truth exists; 2) The Bible is totally accurate; 3) Satan is a real being; 4) A person cannot earn heaven by their good deeds or behavior; 5) Jesus lived a sinless life on earth; 6) God is the all-powerful creator of the world and still rules actively today).  In this growing world where globalism and technology is influencing people’s thoughts and beliefs, so-called “professing Christians” are more than ever being persuaded by competing belief-systems.

Consider two examples: when asked “all people pray to the same god or spirit, no matter what name they use for that spiritual being,” 28% of all ages of “professing Christians” strongly agree, and of this 28%, a higher percentage is found from people in cities than in suburbs and rural areas.  Second, when asked: “many religions can lead to eternal life; there is no ‘one true’ religion,” close to 1/4 (23%) of all ages of “professing Christians” strongly agree.  To me, this is not only mind-boggling, but also it paints a picture of how many churches, pastors and teachers perceive the meaning of the Christian gospel and its implications upon truth, repentance, and Christ’s call to self-surrender by taking up his cross in one’s personal life.

When you narrow the field just to Gen Z, it becomes more revealing and challenging.  Only 4% of them claim to have a biblical worldview, and the percentage of Gen Z’ers that say they are atheist in belief jumped to 14%, almost double the percentage seen among the Millennials, the generation above them.  One paramount conclusion drawn from Barna’s and Impact 360’s research is revealing: “many in Gen Z, more than in generations before them, are a spiritual blank slate” (the book Gen Z, page 26).  While they are clearly interested–even intrigued–at spiritual things, they are definitely not Christian, but post-Christian in the way they process thought, discern information, and make conclusions.  So what does this mean?

I see reaching the Gen Z culture as a tremendous opportunity for believers and churches, provided that they have garnered their own biblical worldview and are willing to come alongside this culture with compassion, initiative, and non-judgmental relationships.  We can list many ways to reach them, but to me, one of the greatest ways we can reach this culture is through the college and university classroom.  More than ever before, we need solid Christians from every race, every economic background, every heritage possible making efforts to penetrate into modern academia today.  We are where we are today as a culture because far too many Christians abandoned academia several decades ago and a spirit of godless atheism/universalism filled their place.  Now is the time for biblical worldview Christians to step up and to re-enter academia (every field possible) in order to have direct contact with the Gen Z culture.  You rarely influence someone from a distance; instead, you need to be up-close and personal.  And in many ways, the classroom is one of best ways you can reach a person’s mind and heart.