A lot can happen from generation to generation. “There arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel” (Judg. 2:10). Before this forgetful generation, there was the conquering generation who took the land of Canaan with the help of God. Before them, there was an “evil generation” that did not obey the Lord in taking the land (Deut. 1:35). Even before the period of the Judges, the faithfulness of the people seemed to be cyclical and varied from generation to generation.
In recent history, we are able to see big shifts in direction and focus from generation to generation. From the Greatest generation (1901-1924) to the Millennial generation (1982-2000), the generation everyone loved to hate. The new whipping boy that is making its presence known in the work force is Gen Z (2001-present), also known as “iGen,” “Homelanders” and “Screeners.” This group is everywhere. They make up 24.3% of the population, more than any other generation. They’ve never known a time without a screen and the internet. In fact, they can be watching TV and scrolling on Instagram and be paying attention to both. They are racially and culturally diverse. They are socially independent and justice oriented. According to Pew Research, many Z’s are growing up in homes where there’s no religion whatsoever, and they may have no experience of religion. That doesn’t mean they don’t believe. 78 percent of older Gen Z’s say they believe in God, according to a survey by Northeastern University. What does this mean for the future of the church and how we reach people?
To be clear, we don’t change the message, and we don’t dress Jesus up in skinny jeans. If you are talking to a group of people that believe in the divine but have no Christian context, I would take a play out of Acts. “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects” (Acts 17:22). Like Paul, we need to start where they are and bring them into a knowledge of God, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Often times it is easier to teach someone that does not have a “Christian” background than someone who has bounced from group to group. When the screen doesn’t have as many fingerprints on it, they are able to see more clearly the message of the Bible. Our language must change to a more simple, “This is a Bible, it has 66 books.” Our expectation of how they listen and what they come to the table with needs to change.
Jesus saw a generation as “sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). The iGen has been called a leaderless generation. Let’s show them their Shepherd.