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October 17, 2018
In our continuing series, we’re reviewing research from the Barna Group and Impact 360 Institute over the trends emerging in the Gen Z culture (those born from 1998—2015). Last time, we examined how a sizable number of parents felt ill-equipped to disciple their teen children, and how the church must disciple the parents in order to reach their children. Today, we’re going to review research examining youth ministry to today’s Gen Z’ers. Is it effective and impactful? What can we learn? The authors and editors at Impact 360 Institute (their book, Gen Z) surveyed a number of parents and youth […]
October 11, 2018
For a number of weeks, we have reviewed current research outlining the trends/patterns of belief and practice among the new Gen Z culture (born 1998-2015). To an age that struggles with identity, lives with anxiety over their financial future and the prospects of a stable employment, and often hides behind technology and social media as a “screenager,” parents often find themselves ill-equipped and under-resourced in discipling their Gen Z’ers to live responsibly in the world. It is here that the church can have one of its greatest ministries: disciple and equip the parents of Gen Z youth so that they […]
October 4, 2018
We have been exploring over the last number of blogs new research documenting the trends and moral preferences of the Gen Z youth culture (those born from 1998-2015). We see that a sizable percentage of this new generation views the Christian Faith and absolute Truth (with a capital T) as out-of-date and unimportant. While that thought alone is alarming, what really strikes close to home in my review of this generation’s trends is the larger percentage of Gen Z males (over females) that see little pertinence and relevance in Christianity, the church, and morality. Using the good resources from the […]
September 20, 2018
In our continuing series of blogs highlighting the characteristics of the new youth culture, Gen Z (those born from 1998-2015), we have previously outlined their views on identity, self-fulfillment, gender, worldview, and life goals. Today, we’re going to peek at how they view the church and their participation in it. What makes this striking is that their image of an exemplary church differs significantly from what is often seen in our world today, and ministry leaders and pastors better take notice of it. Using the excellent resources from Impact 360 Institute (the book Gen Z) and the Barna Group (their […]
September 7, 2018
We have been exploring over the last several weeks characteristics about the new youth culture known as Gen Z (born 1998 to 2015). The oldest in this group are now in college, and they have a decisively different view of the world, themselves, their family, and the Faith. Today, we’ll take a look at their sense of identity, life goals and what they deem as priorities for their own “life fulfillment.” Knowing these trends can greatly help church leaders devise outreaches that can possibly attract them into their congregations for evangelism and discipleship. In their works, Gen Z and Barna […]
August 31, 2018
We have been exploring in a series of blogs what our new youth culture, Gen Z (born 1999 to 2015) thinks about life, God, the world, gender identity, and truth. Today we take a few moments to see what they think about the Church. There are positive things that Gen Z’ers see in the Church, but there are also deeply disturbing issues within them about the Church that should sound the alarm for any church leader seeking to reach and to disciple them in the gospel. I’m grateful for the resources from the Barna Group (their book Barna Trends 2018) and Impact […]
August 23, 2018
In this rapidly changing, post-Christian culture, we are exploring in a series of blogs the world of the Gen Z (those born from 1999–2015), the earliest of which are now freshmen and sophomore students in college. In this “screenage” population where deep anxiety, diversity, gender-confusion, and personal safety/security are top issues, how have their Gen X parents attempted to parent them through life? More importantly, how has this parenting affected the Gen Z worldview and what does this mean for evangelism and discipleship of Gen Z’ers? As with past blogs, I continue to highlight research from two primary “think-tanks” in […]
March 7, 2018
My new series of blogs highlights recent research by the Barna Group and Impact 360 Institute on our culture’s newest population group: Gen Z (those born since 1998) with the prayer that we will be challenged to see gospel opportunities to reach this new youth culture (and subsequently, their parents and grandparents). In this blog, I want to focus on the prevailing persona of this culture that desires not to render moral judgments or opinions on controversial issues, whether they be social, political, religious, or racial. How do you impact a generation that prefers “safe spaces” (The World According to Gen Z, […]
May 8, 2017
Martin Luther, famed leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, once wrote: “Faith is a living, daring, confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” In these days when fear is actively present in our society, one thing that captures the attention of many post-Christian minded people is the way real faith is displayed when challenging trials and heartaches come into Christians’ lives. People want to see in authentic ways how faith is lived out as they watch believers deal with grief, life-threatening illness, unforeseen catastrophes, and difficulty. […]
March 8, 2017
I appreciate the words of the Skin Horse in The Velveteen Rabbit: “Real isn’t how you are made. It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” This notion of “becoming real” is about the primacy of authenticity in the presentation of our ideas, intentions, and motivations. In short, authenticity involves presenting the genuine “YOU” with no barriers, no screens, no covers, and no disguises. In our post-Christian thinking world, people want to see the heart, not a cover-up. Part of the […]