It is easy to be discouraged about the future when we
hear some of the statistic when it comes to today’s teens. The social group identified as Gen Z’s does
seem to do most of their communicating through their mobile devices. Their
world also seems to revolve around social media. Their values
often do not match up with what we view as God’s desires. While it is true that less than 4% of today’s
teens have a biblical world view, what happens if we focus on the minority who
do believe in Jesus and have made a commitment to follow him? There is a pretty
good chance these are the teens that attend our church and participate in our
youth group.
There are some other things that we know about this
generation of teens.
Having grown up post
9/11 they are driven to make a difference.
They want to make the world a better place.
Many are already charting
their future education and careers beginning in middle school. They often have a vision of where they want to be
in five years.
They value history and want
to learn from previous generations.
Unlike previous generations,
they enjoy hanging out with their parents and families.
As a result we have a unique window of opportunity. Over the next ten to twelve years we have a
chance to change the direction of the church.
I truly believe this is the generation of teens who could potentially
reverse the years of decline. The
challenge comes in how we equip engaged Christian teens to be disciples . I am not just referring to training
professional church workers. We are going to need young people to move into all kinds of positions from lawyers to plumbers. I think the
future lies in equipping them to be disciples of Jesus wherever they serve. It involves training them to
not only defend their faith but to relate to the world in an evangelical manner
that leaves unbelievers want to know more about what makes us tick. Where exactly is our hope found? They need to see the Jesus in us.
I recently previewed a new presentation: Why I am Excited
about the Future of the Church. My
target audience is older adult Christian.
My challenge to them is to step up and pass the torch of faith to this
generation of teens. Get to know them. Listen to them. Focus on building a relationship that will
allow us to share our story and mentor them in their faith. It also means making sure youth and children’s
ministry remains a high priority within our congregations.
God has left the window open. I am praying for a fresh wind of change will
blow through the church. Pass the torch.