EDITORIAL
The Next Gen | Hannah Gronowski Barnett
The next generation is ready. Are you ready for the next generation? future-ready church leadership
I am the CEO and founder of Generation Distinct, a nonprofit working directly with the next generation, and as such, I often meet with pastors and ministry leaders who ask, “How do I engage more young people in my church/organization?” Often I point them to a practical Gen Z engagement playbook of strategies that help bridge cultural gaps and invite participation.
When I was an 18-year-old trying to lead a struggling youth ministry, each week I would see 10–15 middle school and high school students slowly shuffle into our church basement. We longed to help them and others encounter Jesus, but it seemed that no amount of dodgeball, giveaways, guest speakers or social media posts attracted any more students to come to our ministry. We were stagnant and stuck, and I learned quickly that to move forward we needed to develop next-gen leadership from within.
So, I began to wonder, What if we could use the conversations the next generation is already having around passion, purpose and justice to bring them into conversations about Jesus, the gospel and the Great Commission?
This became the burning question of my life. I spent hours studying the research. I read every book on the topic I could find. I met with researchers, pastors, business leaders and experts. I met with students and asked them really hard questions about faith, church and what they were really looking for.
Eventually, I built a strategy I believed would meet the next generation exactly where they were while also inviting them into a deep, real and lasting relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the last 10 years, that is exactly what my team and I have created. Our strategy is designed on 10 key principles that I believe are essential to building ministries that effectively reach, engage and mobilize the next generation on behalf of the gospel.
- Prioritize purpose.
- Believe in small beginnings.
- Mentor for mission.
- Invite innovation.
- Collaborate with creativity.
- Release them to rebuild.
- Relate through relevant language.
- Engage in empathetic evangelism.
- Invest in innovative missionaries.
- Connect with core longings.
I invite you to take a powerful step that will multiply the impact these trends can have on your leadership. Begin your journey by identifying between three and five young people you will commit to spend intentional time with over the next year. These 10 principles will bring the most transformation in your ministry in tandem with a personal connection to the next generation.
I don’t believe Gen Z is the greatest threat to the American church. Rather, I believe they are the greatest invitation to return to what the church has always been about.
We don’t need to fight for the next generation to fit into the mold of what the American church has become. Instead, we have the opportunity to listen to the voice of young people who are hungry for the very things that young people like Peter and Andrew were hungry for 2,000 years ago when Jesus invited them to start a movement to change the course of history.
It’s time. The next generation is ready.
The only question is, are you ready for them?
For resources on reaching the next generation, visit GenerationDistinct.com/outreach.