THE LAST RIVER MILE

I mentioned in my last post that I spent much of last week at a state-wide youth conference led by Jesus-followers. I had the opportunity to watch several hundred members of Generation Z experience and practice faith. (GenZ is made up generally of those born between 1997 and 2012.) In addition, I am a part of a church with a strong student ministry. Up to 50% of the youth who participate are not from our church, and they are there because someone in GenZ invited them. The group has exceptional lay leadership. One of the leaders recently observed of the GenZ participants in youth ministry that they are providing the model for the rest of the church. Truer words have seldom been spoken.

Many people point out that organized Christianity in North America seems to be at a low ebb. Churches are closing left and right. In less than a decade the number of people who identify as being a part of no faith system has doubled. Unchurched people are even more disillusioned with churches as belief in Jesus has been coopted for political purposes in these divided times. As I’ve said ad nauseum, people in America know more about what we Christians are against than what we are for. Yet while we baby-boomers (born 1948-1964) wring our hands and fret about all this, GenZ largely is unaffected.

GenZ has their issues, as every generation does. But they bring much to the table. They may be distrustful overall of organized religion, but GenZ is exceptionally open spiritually. They just value and expect authenticity, having almost zero b.s. tolerance as a generation. GenZ Jesus-followers care little about doctrine and proof-texting, but they are openly hungry for authentic enccounter with Jesus. Getting into the Bible is less an intellectual exercise for them as it is an experience. I see GenZ as much more welcoming than we who have gone before them. (The statewide rally had a quiet room adjacent to the worship auditorium for those who had sensory-sensitive needs.) They don’t see diversity as a threat; rather it is an expression of the varied tapestry of God’s design. GenZ values work/life balance, and sees mental health concerns as centrally important rather than as a stigma. They are a pragmatic generation, but one that has a strong sense of service, and they want to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves. And they know how to dance for joy before the Lord! (Get on YouTube and enter “Church Clap.”)

In my admittedly limited engagement with GenZ and following Jesus, I’d say two things: First, all of us in the Body of Christ need to go to school on them, as our church leader noted. Where the Church has become a self-preserving institution, they will help us to be an outwardly-focused movement again. Second, I have no worries about the future of the genuine Body of Christ. In GenZ I’m looking at the future, and it is good.

I’ll see you around the next bend in the river.