On a recent flight, I found myself seated next to an energetic 23-year-old woman whose eyes flashed with curiosity.
As we started to chat, I shared that I had just come from a conference where I was speaking about the future of the church. She responded, “Interesting. Well … what is the future of the church?”
I told her the church was meant to be a place of hope, unity and love, guiding the lost to truth.
She sighed, commenting, “That sounds great. But, that’s not what I’ve heard about the church.”
But what she said next was even more striking: “You know … I have heard about your Jesus. Wasn’t Jesus the one who taught people to care for the poor and love others.”
When I said yes, she responded, “I don’t think people hate your Jesus … I think they don’t like your church,” riffing on Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote.
Her words marked me, reminding me yet again of our responsibility as leaders to reintroduce a generation to the true essence of Jesus and his original vision for the church.
As I mentioned in the first article in this column, there are 10 key principles for reaching the next generation.
In this article, we will unpack two of them in order to understand the longings and language of Gen Z.
1. Connect With Core Longings.
Sometimes, we miss the mark in addressing the deep-seated desires of the next generation, inadvertently answering questions they aren’t even asking.
To authentically connect with these core longings, we must invest time in understanding them.
Young adults today are facing immense pressure, anxiety and fear. They have grown up in an age where news of current events around the globe are consistently bombarding them, causing them to feel the world is increasingly unstable and unsafe. In addition, young adults are facing the pressure of comparing their own progress, education, wealth and faith to thousands of people they watch on social media. Barna states, “Today’s teens and young adults surely feel the weight of expectations from parents, teachers and older adults—but an even larger proportion of Gen Z feels this weight from within.”
And yet, in the midst of all of this, they are also deeply driven to make an impact and they want to know the church they attend cares about this too. Barna reports, “How else can Christian churches or leaders empower this emerging generation to make a positive impact in society? For Gen Z who believe churches and Christian leaders should play a role in addressing injustice, ‘advocating for meaningful change’ and ‘encouraging people to address injustice’ are top of the list (25% each).”
2. Relate Through Relevant Language.
By utilizing language that speaks to their experiences, struggles and aspirations, we aim to create an inviting atmosphere where individuals feel comfortable exploring their faith.
I encourage you to take a reflective look at your marketing language, social media content and promotional materials and ask this question, “Does this language invite young adults to want to learn more? Or, could this language potentially confuse someone unfamiliar with the church and lead them to avoid it entirely, fearing embarrassment?”
I believe the next generation in our communities will come back to church when we meet them where they are and invite them into something greater. There are thousands of young adults, just like that 23-year-old on the plane, who are curious about Jesus, yet skeptical of the church. This is our time to step up and show them who Jesus really is and what the church was always meant to be.
Find the Top 10 Principles at GenerationDistinct.com/outreach.