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Here’s a key question I hear all the time: “How do we reach the next generation?” This is an urgent question as Barna reports that atheism has doubled among Gen Z. But it is also a personal question because Christians, including ministry leaders, recognize that their own children or grandchildren are digital natives and experience the world differently than former generations. So, how can we effectively engage Gen Z? This is certainly a joint project that we are all working on, but here are some ideas from individuals with practical experience in engaging Gen Z.
Anna Gosman, our podcast guest for this episode, invited me to participate in a presentation on Gen Z to a group of Christian school leaders at a retreat held at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. I found the information and application that Anna and John Crane (our co-presenter and the podcast guest on the next episode) shared to be both thought-provoking and practical; so, we decided to reproduce that presentation here for the podcast audience. Instead of compiling all of this information into one long episode, we decided to split this discussion into several parts so listeners can focus on the key elements of the church’s response.
For Part 1, Anna Gosman will explain Gen Z’s generational distinctives, how Gen Z learns, and effective methods for encouraging spiritual formation and the development of life skills. Anna is the Administrator of the Christian Academy of Madison; and she earned her undergraduate degree from Cedarville University, her Masters from Liberty University, and her Doctorate from University of the Cumberlands. She was instrumental in launching the Christian Academy of Madison in 2007, and she has served as the Administrator since the start of the school. In other words, she has real-life, day-to-day experience teaching members of Gen Z.
Key Takeaways:
- Gen Z’s key generational distinctives.
- Effective instructional methods for spiritual formation and developing life skills.
- Practical ideas for teaching through experiences.
- Recommendations for schools, churches and especially student ministries.
- Key questions for members of Gen Z: “What problem do you want to solve, and what people do you want to serve?”
- A great example of teaching Biblical concepts in a creative way and sparking discussion (using the book Frankenstein).
- The concept of cyclical generations and why engaging Gen Z is critical for the future of the church.
Select the links below for the speaking notes and slides used in this presentation. You can also find this presentation on YouTube here.
How to Engage Gen Z Session Notes How to Engage Gen Z PPT Presentation