Catching Gen Z: Against the Great Falling Away

I write this document from a place of deep sadness and love for my friends, my peers, and those whom we’ve lost. This work intends to bring to light the causes of what the church calls “the great falling away” a mass exodus from the Christian church consisting of “Zoomers” or “Gen Z” being the first generation to largely grow up with personal computers in 21st century America.

My hope is to bring the reader to a holistic understanding of the issue and present actionable solutions that simply must be implemented. As more post-industrial societies begin to turn to post-Christian societies, we must pray that the church can learn from its mistakes.

As with any complex societal issue there isn’t a single target of critique. The reader need not agree with all my positions but keep in mind my perspective. I write as a member of Gen Z, as a life-long faithful member of the church. I am biased. My generation fails to see most works from the perspective of its author, instead tries to interpret around their own definitions & biases. How it relates to them.

That said the content of this document will mostly be structured as if I’m addressing my generation directly. When I present an issue, I’m reflecting my experience or that of a peer. This is to illustrate the impact of the problems faced. It is not my aim to usher in my generation to claim a perceived inheritance but to get all parties to own up to their responsibility for the damage done. While the solutions I present may be directed at Gen Z and ultimately, we will be the ones to address these issues, there are many where I recognize the conviction of prior generations is required to resolve them.

Like a gaping wound, some of the issues faced need immediate triage. It is to my great dismay that if we are to fail now the damage to the next generation will be catastrophically worse. Christianity has faced many challenges, but in this new age we see our youth facing attacks from an unprecedented number of sources.

Complacency today yields death for tomorrow.

After many tired and teary nights, appalled at the state of things, I present to you a glimmer of hope. I pray we may indeed take corrective measures to not become a remnant but to lead all future generations into a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. May His kingdom reign forever and ever amen.

Scripture References

It’s important to keep scripture in your heart. Remember these and explore their surrounding context.

Introduction: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Church: Titus 1:9

Isolation: Matthew 18:20

Identity: 1 John 3:1

Health: John 14:12-14

Digital Media: 1 Corinthians 10:23-25

Friendship: John 15:13

Victory: Jeremiah 29:11

Introduction

Humanity is designed for three things; to love God, love their neighbor and to go forth and multiply. When we rebel against these we stray from God’s perfect design. The church is God’s way to realign humanity with His perfect design for our lives. That said we have a generation that has seemingly given up on the church. This must mean the church has failed in one or more of those things, because if it mirrored God’s perfect design then it would be irresistible.

Every church may struggle with rebellion in a different way. Like individuals, church denominations have their own strengths and weaknesses. Some love God and their neighbor but fail in the third design point, that being how we steward the physical things in our earthly realm. Some are great stewards and maintain a healthy relationship of worship & reverence for God, but lack in community. Others may be great at community and interpersonal relationship but reject the Holy Spirit or fail to promote sound doctrine. As individuals in the body of Christ comprising the church we must hold to all aspects of God’s design.

The cumulative result of these issues is the “great falling away” in which Gen Z has the lowest church attendance in American history. A sad trend seen in other postindustrial societies as well. This has deep negative implications of the morality shaping societies worldwide as youth try to define their own morals by their own standards. This creates moral relativism, which leads to the youth creating an identify for themselves apart from Christ. Their purpose isn't in fulfilling God’s perfect design but in trying to solve the underlying problems themselves. By whatever means they deem altruistic, even if it goes against God’s design. They need to be shown the love of Christ to create their identity in Him.

Failure to love God likely means an individual doesn’t grasp God’s definition of love, the unconditional love he offers us all (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7). This in turn makes it more difficult to correctly love our neighbor. When we don’t love our neighbor then we only care for ourselves, this leads to poor stewardship that is self-serving. That in turn makes it hard to see God perpetuating the cycle.

Once an individual meets Jesus Christ and enters into a relationship with him, he will show us how to align with His design for our lives. We will then want to live our life in accordance with His definitions and morals rather than our own twisted versions. Everyone has failed in this regard; in my own life I choose to view my failures as “learning experiences”. Religion fails often and only goes so far to prevent rebellion. In fact, being overly religious can distract from God’s design. The focus should ultimately be on the personal relationship with Jesus who alone can save us from the cycle of rebellion.

All that said there are many specific and interconnected challenges facing Gen Z that make the full understanding of God’s design difficult to see and live out. Leading to an epidemic of generational characteristics in contrast to God’s character such as: loneliness, depression, anxiety, isolation, purposelessness, over-stimulation, addiction and self-worship.

The following chapters will go in depth into specific challenges faced by the first generation of the digital age. Some issues have clear actions for the church while some solutions must trickle into broader society.

Although ultimately the problem and solution are philosophical in nature, I hope in some cases to provide pragmatic, albeit highly opinionated advice. I encourage the reader to prayerfully discover their own solutions where needed.

Church

I’ll start with critique of the church because ultimately, we got to this point on the church’s watch.

Why doesn’t Gen Z go to church? There isn’t a single factor that goes into answering that question. Is it simply there’s not enough flashy lights for the overstimulated generation? Perhaps, or maybe they don’t like the architecture or the pastor’s corny jokes. No, those things are superficial. Here’s the reason. We aren’t receiving what we crave. Love, purpose, order, and community.

When a generation has grown up overstimulated by the internet where they are bombarded with hate, moral relativism, chaos and oppression, and their physical environment doesn’t give them rest, why would we continue to come back to the church if it doesn't offer the fulfillment for that craving. Other than hope that things will be different next week? Gen Z retreats online or elsewhere to try and fill as many of those things as they can. Escapism. Folly.

Have you ever noticed in most church’s as soon as church is out everyone bolts for the door? Are they all going to each other’s homes to fellowship further? Unlikely. They go off to be entertained or to work to maintain their standard of living. If they felt loved, had purpose and were organized they would stay in the church and join the community. Otherwise, people will stay only because they are cultural Christians and that’s empty tradition.

Now tradition can bring order, serving purpose, fellowship yields love, and once you have all those then there’s someone who is in community. Fellowship is obviously the hardest to get right, because to properly fellowship in the body of Christ certain fundamentals are assumed but not always present.

The fundamentals of fellowship are sound doctrine, Holy Spirit, and focus. Now within that sound doctrine creates order, Holy Spirit creates purpose and focus creates love. We want to fellowship with God and each other, when we’re focused there’s abundant love. When the church is lacking in apologetics we lose sound doctrine, when the church lacks belief in the Holy Spirit, we lose our purpose and hinder our helper. When an individual lacks focus, they become negligent of their neighbor or God. This is because they’re being failed by those around them to bring them into focus. Love begets love, but it is very difficult for a person to self-focus especially if they are isolated, depressed, or over-stimulated.

Scripture must be correctly taught as fact and not portrayed as purely allegory or as a story, calling holy scripture “bible stories” will make Gen Z think it is fantastical and not the deep interconnected history in perfect alignment with science and archaeology that any credible scholar knows it truly is. Any minister that casts doubt on that truth is a hindrance to the kingdom of heaven.

If we’re to bring Gen Z back into fellowship, then back into the church we must help eliminate distractions and barriers, then express Godly love to them. If the church is ready, they will fall into place as I believe this generation craves order and purpose. The rest of this document will mainly identify distractions & barriers for Gen Z as there are many other great books that address the other issues. Do prayerfully evaluate where your church is lacking and correct any flaw so that your community is ready to receive their lost sheep.

Isolation

Since the end of the first world war there began a societal shift in the United States in pursuit of the “American dream” where freedom is viewed as the opportunity to achieve individual prosperity through hard work. With the increasing popularity of the automobile and industrialization the focus became more on individuals and less on the collective community. Villages turned into suburbs and people moved into homes not because of the culture or community but because of price and amenities. Fences were erected to divide manicured lawns resembling the aristocracy of old wherein each man’s home was his own castle. This was the first societal divide.

We now know the suburban experiment has failed as it is dependent on exponential growth & therefor maintenance. What we gained in freedom of mobility, we lost in requiring our neighbor to participate in the growth scheme. Time once spent with family now goes to work, to “keep up with the Jones’”. Most Americans lack a 3rd place between work and home, whereas historically there was always a cultural center nearby. How can we know if our neighbor is struggling if our interaction with them is sparse?

Some of this problem is just poor urban planning, which luckily means it can be solved with good urban planning. Prioritize pedestrians over cars, to bring people together. Then we can regain political, economic and social cohesion in our suburban dominated cities. However, until then the church needs to lead the way by being a 3rd place for people.

Now you may be thinking “doesn’t exponential growth sound like taking dominion over the earth and go forth and multiply”? and “how does this relate to isolation”? The reader must ask the questions: does the way we do this reflect God’s design? Does that way of living make it easier or harder to love God, love our neighbor and steward earth well? If I were the enemy looking to divide people in a close-knit community, then removing the cultural heart where people meet & converse is the first place I’d dismantle. That is what we’ve seen happen. More than once.

The most recent divide has been the internet, we thought it would connect the world. It has- if you ignore the various firewalls, censorship and propaganda networks dividing the world. We gained a new cultural center, we call it social media, the town square where any idiot with a soapbox can have a voice without fear of being run out of town. Where anyone can put up a facade or fabricate a story to alter public perception.

Knowledge has increased and the gospel has spread far, but so have aberrant ideas, lies and misinformation. It’s a delicate balance. In a world where our children are exposed to more ideas than ever before and fact checkers are in short supply, I see the sheer volume of information creating a divide, and algorithms isolating people into echo chambers.

The church needs to do more to be the go-to source of information, entertainment and cultural truth. In a world where it is increasingly difficult to interact with your neighbors Gen Z turns toward the internet only to find smoke and mirrors. If I were an enemy who has collapsed the town square, I’d keep people indoors and confuse the information. That is what is happening. We should be in community every day. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20 KJV) Indeed we’ve become the loneliest generation as these barriers have made our connections fading, superficial or even anonymous.

The internet itself isn’t a problem to solve, it is a tool. I can only offer cautionary statements. Like a chainsaw, I wouldn’t hand it to a new user without first showing them how to use it safely, doesn’t mean it is bad. The enemy is here to steal, kill and destroy. Ask yourself when online, does this content reflect that or reflect God’s design? Is it isolating me from my neighbor? From God? Focus on the things online that create God fearing community then flee from unrighteous things. Take a look into DNS sinkholes, Ad blockers and activity timers to limit distractions and censor unhealthy content.

The internet can easily become an idol and be used to prop up oneself. It is a double edge sword we must shield ourselves against. Algorithms constantly learn your interests based on what you look at, you will be fed more so it is prudent to filter out unrighteous things. Don’t let online activity consume our time and distract us from God and our neighbors, ultimately leading to isolation. Be certain you make time for God.

No doubt the online missions' field is growing as the internet created pockets of individuals that can only be reached by digital means.

When socializing online we need to be more careful when sharing controversial or negative posts. Prove all things, fact check everything. Too much information online is tailored to get a rise out of people, we must act rationally not emotionally. If you’re not careful of your words even if what your shout in the town square is righteous you may find yourself “canceled” in which Gen Z is prone to doing. Online it is very easy to silence opposing views, in some ways this is useful, in other ways immature. Gen Z will end relationships in this manner, it is simply easier to mute someone than to be emotionally vulnerable. This is much less problematic when they see each other every day, which is much less common thanks to the suburban experiment.

Suburban sprawl inevitably bankrupts cities, human-first urban planning combats this. Suburbs can be converted back into villages if enough people come together, and local government permits it. I’m sure this could be a topic to fill an additional book. The best solutions in my opinion would be to lobby for county zoning codes that encourage multi-family dwelling and allow home businesses. In the vast majority of America those things are effectively illegal but used to be the norm. Shared spaces, safe pedestrian infrastructure and alternative housing should be encouraged also. Without change the social and economic divide will grow.

I see this as a poor resource stewardship problem. One that will take a long time to correct, especially as most American’s will never experience the alternative and therefore won’t ever know what they’re missing unless they visit Europe or a select few U.S. cities. It’s my humble opinion that moving in this direction would greatly help Gen Z’s loneliness epidemic. The more free time a person has for relationships with God and others the better. Travel time, workload, and maintenance adds up.

Caution developing nations from copying America’s growth pattern, I don’t think the long-term damage is worth the short-term growth. Human development should befit the health and wellness of everyone not just those wealthy or able bodied enough to own a car. Otherwise, we unavoidably create islands of isolated people. Not to mention those that don’t need a car for a work commute but are virtually forced to own one to interact with the rest of society.

The point I intend to make here is that we’ve largely done away with the places people congregate and created very enticing, even addictive means for people to want to self-isolate. Humans thrive in community.

God wants us to prosper but we need to reevaluate our approach to the American dream otherwise we work to drive an ever-growing wedge into the foundation of society. If the foundation cracks, we will see war, famine and death. So go remove the wedge and fill the cracks with love.

Identity

When outside of community it is easy to lose your identity. No longer is your identity found within in the collective’s agreed social norms, but you begin to define your own. When enough people do this inevitably there will be conflict between marginalized groups & subcultures. This conflict will wear away at the remnants of the original community until one or the other adapts or ceases to exist.

Some people put their identity in a political party, social cause, wealth generation or their sexuality. In reality anything other than having an identity rooted in relationship with Jesus Christ is an attack from the enemy to keep the individual lost and separate from righteous community. Culture war must be viewed for what it is. War, when ignorant or inexperienced war can be appealing. The temptation to mix your identity in Christ with another cause is very real in the church. Many things can seem altruistic but not truly follow God’s design for human life.

Political identity is a long-standing beast. Governance exists solely out of fear that a community will fail when faced with an opposing one, which there will always be a perceived threat of. However, no government, no nation that has ever existed was able to maintain prosperity. Rationally this means that historically, government has a zero percent success rate. Why put your faith in a concept that fails one hundred percent of the time? The kingdom of heaven will ultimately be all that is left standing, so like the old saying goes: “if you can’t beat them, join them”. Reserve your zeal for God. Church and state should remain separate lest history repeat itself. A man only has enemies if he chooses to have them, if your identity revolves around a political ideology, you’ve chosen a side and made yourself an enemy of someone who chooses to have them. Gen Z is bombarded with propaganda from all sides at unprecedented scale. Here there is much confusion.

There is no “us versus them” there is one humanity, one shared genetic heritage, all humans are a shade of brown, we all reflect God’s image. I’d say it is inherently racist to suggest there is anything more than a single human race. The division here is from the enemy to pit us against one another. It is irrational, yet still the youth are deceived and feed into the lies. Here there is much confusion.

Placing identity in social causes may be a slippery slope. It is increasingly difficult to discern between clout chasing cash grabs & genuine humanitarian effort. Gen Z has bought into the sustainability agenda which on the surface seems very noble and in contrast to the materialistic tenancies of the prior generations. This however can open the door to aberrant ideology, nature worship, self-righteousness or religions of self-deprivation. Some fear the world will end, some say it is all just a marketing ploy. Either way we can fail to trust in God’s providence and enrich an enemy if not careful.

Likewise, we shouldn’t place our identity in wealth generation. The reality is we will all leave this world with exactly what we came into it with. Nothing. Wealth itself is not bad, but when it becomes your identity, and you accumulate it at the expense of others or horde it this becomes a problem. We see where the “baby boomer” generation has withheld wealth from their children in “Gen X” because of their rebellious attitude but this impacts their grandchildren the “millennials” and later Gen Z who generally seek more experiential things rather than materialistic wealth. However, the slowed release of necessary material possessions creates stressful pressure on generations that may introduce more order & better stewardship into society than their parents did. This will mean fewer grandchildren for the baby boomers as millennial and Gen Z have children at later ages. Which inhibits God’s design for us to “go forth and multiply”.

Identity placed in sexuality is a distortion of God’s definition of love, and in some cases marriage. In the garden of Eden, before mankind rebelled against his perfect design, marriage was declared to be between one man and one woman. A ceremony was held there in the garden and humanity was aligned with God’s perfect design. When searching for a spouse it is easy to be blinded by fleeting traits. As for beauty it fades with age, education can be increased, and health & wealth aren’t guaranteed forever. Those things are superficial. In that mindset dating can become mere practice of divorce. Gen Z’s focus shouldn’t be on chasing every wanton desire but on the pursuit of a relationship that mirrors Christ’s relationship with the church. In such a relationship God’s definition of love goes both ways in the partnership so that divorce isn’t considered a possibility. In that case the two individuals must both be wholly aware and aligned with God’s design with relationship with Jesus Christ being the shared desire above all else.

The follower of Christ should find a partner also betrothed to Christ so that you both may be free to pursue Him. Entering a partnership with those who don’t desire Christ will inhibit your ability to follow God’s design for your life. The sad consequence of sex outside of marriage during your walk with Christ may well deprive a brother or sister from experiencing the fullness of God’s design for your marriage, or cause strife in the relationship later. We must guard both the present and the future always.

Here described is a problem in all generations, but has been exacerbated by the rise of pornography, trans- humanism, pop-culture and homosexuality. Never has a generation faced such a frequent display of sexual immorality in which evil is called good and good evil. This has reached the point where even church going youth have twisted understanding of love & marriage. Here there is much confusion.

Clearly there is much confusion with identity, this is because it is much easier for the enemy to round up and attack humans once they’ve been separated from their source of absolute truth, community, and ultimately from seeing the example of God’s design the church displays to the world.

To solve the identity problem, we must solve the isolation & community problems then instead of creating division and isolation for those with a confused identity bring them in and be an example of identity in Christ. We shouldn’t attack someone's identity directly; they may take that as an attack on themselves personally. We are to love the person, if their identity is in sin then we can hate the sin. They may not see that their identity is shrouded in sin. We can show them that truth by living in contrast to it.

Do not pander to or endorse their sinful identity to draw them near, that would make us hypocrites. Only Christ has the power bring conviction of change, trust that he loves them more than we ever could. It is the choice of the individual to put their identity in Christ, then they may enter our community.

These differences of identity tear us apart, create rifts between church denominations, disrupt unity, form cliques and overall erode our cohesion in being the light of the world by filling the church with hypocrites.

Dealing with identity issues will be a challenge no matter the generation. There may not be a single strategy to combat this, each has an identity with sub-identities and complexities between them all. We can pray that they may see their error and join us in communion with God as we diligently seek His face and await his return.

Health

It is here where I shall pivot this discourse to mention health, as the result of these issues takes a toll not just on the soul but the body as well. As you can tell I don’t shy away from the issues we face in our physical reality, though often a matter of opinion I do think there are solutions found within this discourse.

I do hope the reader has been challenged with information framed in a way they may not have considered before. If so, I hope the context hasn’t caused you to despair, read on as soon I shall attempt to tickle your imagination with some imagery, I find more hopeful.

I think it is easy to forget what you are, that is not your body, that is just flesh, the vessel that contains you, and if you’ve chosen so it contains the spirit of Jesus Christ as well. Your brain has neurons, synapses, electrical connections built by your experiences. It can be a challenge to differentiate between your brain, yourself, Jesus and the enemy. You need to train yourself to take every thought captive and test its origin.

Bodies age and brains get confused, with Christ dwelling in our body it becomes a temple so we must care for it, we both want to get as much use out of it as we can. Like any machine it needs good fuel and to not idle unmaintained. When it finally fails, that is death resulting from our rebellion against God. We can rest assured that like Christ had a resurrection in a heavenly body that he will hook us up too. The church is his bride, and our dress will be flawless.

Of course, the enemy knows this and works to undermine our thoughts and poison our flesh. There’re a few ways in which this occurs, some by more contemporary means. Members of Gen Z do indeed find themselves more vulnerable to these plots when outside of a community with a healthy identity that looks after its members. We must remember our home is in heaven, it is earth where we are mere visitors passing through. Death has no victory over the believer, the enemy has no teeth.

Perhaps the most egregious attack on the church has been the lies perpetuated to neuter our ability to access our resurrected bodies, after all death has already been defeated. Christians in relationship with Jesus Christ can access the kingdom of heaven by hosting His Holy Spirit. It is when heaven and earth overlap when the miraculous enters into our physical realm to override the constraints of our corporal state of being. Sadly, many ministers lack in understanding and teach such things ended at Pentecost.

Now it is true that God works in mysterious ways but one must not create doubt in the body of Christ. No doubt miracles of all kinds continue to this day, church history is full of such events. I myself have experienced many. The error is in thinking Holy Spirit is like a genie, something we can command. When it came to healing, Jesus used his authority to command bodies to be restored, he didn’t have to ask the Father, he already had authority, he had the same Holy Spirit that we have today.

What then prevents healing? God’s answer to prayer is either yes, no, or wait. He may have a plan to use our hardship for good. We must stay vigilant to see his goal when the time comes. More often what prevents healing is doubt, lack of authority, unwillingness to receive and maybe even doubt of those around you. It can be difficult to discern but remember this. God loves us, it is his desire for us to be healed. Approach from a place of joy, worship, reverence and awe then heaven and earth will overlap.

Gen Z is used to instant gratification as a result of digital over-stimulation, it is then very important that we practice patience, healing may not always be instantaneous. God doesn’t exist for our next dopamine hit. He desires a trusting relationship with us, in that we will find our peace.

Indeed, it can be difficult to focus on God and hold thought captive when the flesh is hungry, imbalanced, or ill. This is why I believe it is important to address the modern food system. Many people live in cities, food deserts. They rely on imports, of course technology has slowed the rot of food in transit, but it is still rotting food being consumed. Humanity wasn’t designed to eat processed chemical food. It is only recently in human history we have abandoned our healthy agrarian lifestyles.

From a lunch meeting to a harvest festival food is a cornerstone of nearly every community, so it is no wonder the enemy attacks this. After all Jesus spoke to an agrarian audience with agrarian parables and jargon. This creates a disconnect between that audience and those who’ve never seen a chicken outside their fried chicken bucket.

We become accustomed to an unnaturally fast paced life in contrast to the slow nurtured growth of a well stewarded garden. Unlike a horse you can’t leave two cars in a barn and return to a third car. Industrial things are not designed to increase in abundance but to require ever increasing input & maintenance. In every good fruit God gave us the ability to have more of that fruit for the rest of our lives. We just need to steward the seed. It is God’s design that we go forth and multiply. Instead, we choose to overburden ourselves with unsustainable lifestyles.

Remember once more that the enemy is here to steal, kill and destroy; we are designed to heal, create, and multiply. Let's consider the example of how industrial agriculture creates “abundance”. First, they clear cut a field, then till it to kill the microorganisms, this creates fertility, then they plant a monoculture of all the same crop. Monocultures are susceptible to pests & disease, so they modify the seed and spray poisons.

After a few seasons the natural fertility is depleted so synthetic and mined fertilizer is imported. The farmers time & financial cost greatly increases to keep up with all the input requirements. As a result, the food becomes less nutritionally dense and contains trace toxins.

Interestingly we see in the book of Genesis that mankind only tilled the soil after the fall. Nature needs little input to thrive, but abundance is created through human stewardship. Industrial agriculture brings short term growth but steals the land, kills the soil and destroys our health. There are many other aspects of post-industrial society that create a slow death. Indeed, we must work hard to provide a better future for the next generation. The church should work toward redeeming creation to heal, create and multiply. Surely, we can live out the kingdom of heaven where Adam no longer needs to toil in the soil.

The best solution I have found is a holistic design philosophy called “permaculture” meaning permanent agriculture. Nature isn’t orderly but it sustains itself. We can steward the land, so it produces what we need without raping it. Imagine a forest made of food producing crops from the grass to the trees, every bush laden with fruit. Permaculture teaches how to design ecosystems of all scales to benefit humans. Forests can be productive within three months and gain permanence by their seventh year. In this system soil can be created, deserts turned green, and land healed. The epitome of self-sufficiency & abundance. No tractor or pesticide required. God has already provided the tools we need.

If this interests the reader you should look into regenerative agriculture, consider turning your suburban lawn from a liability to an asset, your backyard into your pharmacy. After all God created a garden and called it good, we created cities. Without rural agrarian support, cities would quickly be rendered void of life. There’s no reason we can’t reclaim wasted space to feed the future.

We idolize modern medicine despite it being a leading cause of premature death. Most pharmaceuticals exist because natural remedies can’t be patented. So much of what ails us can be solved by interacting with what God created us to steward. Yet we sterilize everything indiscriminately. The shortsightedness culminates into a burden that will make it harder to suppress the desires of the flesh.

How much harder is it to lead someone to the foot of the cross when we first need to not only address identity and isolation but overcome the flesh as well. The enemy creates many new hurdles to insert between us and Christ. It is so very important that the church doesn’t fall complacent but addresses each issue holistically.

If the COVID epidemic in 2020 showed us anything it is that people flee from the sick. The church must be seen as a refuge of healing, a hospital for the broken spirited, led by those who conquered their flesh, aligned their identity and commune with their neighbor. Gen Z must learn to trust in God’s providence and design, not to fall prey to past folly. There must be an example to follow.

Digital Media

Gen Z has likely grown up with some form of digital media since early childhood. If only they carried their bibles around and checked them as often as they do their phones perhaps, we could remember scripture as well as pop culture references. Older generations are clueless when it comes to the great potential and the harm that can come of digital media. They simply lack the experiential wisdom; Gen Z will have to develop this for themselves and future generations.

Much of the following discourse on this topic will pertain to my experiential wisdom. I’m born in the first year Gen Z is typically regarded as starting in. By trade I'm a software engineer. Having operated businesses and personally created all manner of digital content I hope the reader views my perspective less as opinion but more as topical authority.

This isn’t a matter of bringing Gen Z back to church but one of bringing church to Gen Z. After all there are unreached individuals that live almost entirely online. This means, like the remote islands of the world we are presented with a new mission field that we simply must present the gospel in.

The church is very much so behind the technological curve. It is much easier to quantify the return on investment of digging a well in a third world country than what impact a digital product or service will have globally. The problem lies in that complacency means we fall further behind the curve and there will only be darker secular content to contend with. More noise to cut through.

Since there is so little Christian content online Christians turn to secular content often with the justifications of “I can discern right from wrong” or “I’m trying to find the good in it”. The reality is all secular content is trying to subliminally get you to alter your identity, to persuade you. Remember the definition of love in scripture? Love does not delight in evil. So, what is it you are doing when you enjoy that violent movie? The one where men made in the image of God destroy each other. Perhaps your sense of justice is pleasured. But vengeance for sin is for the Lord who are we to delight in it?

A discerning adult who chooses to indulge in unrighteous content is one matter but a child that can’t is another. Most applications mimic the gambling tactics of casinos and pornography can be as addictive to the brain as cocaine. Sadly, the average age a child discovers porn online is just ten years old. It may take a child’s brain until the age of twelve to be able to distinguish advertisements from regular content.

There needs to be more done to protect those vulnerable to dangerous media. The answer shouldn’t always be to avoid the internet. Though in underserved communities where adults lack the experiential wisdom to combat the dangers that may be the best course of action. It pains me to see the old widow lose her life savings to a scam or a teen kill themselves due to sexual extortion. Those events are so easy to prevent when the individual is in a community equipped with the knowledge to defend against the onslaught of online threats.

The church needs to utilize the internet to heal, create and multiply in a way that overshadows the content trying to steal, kill and destroy. It will need to do this in a way that reduces isolation, creates community, and gifts abundance to those that interact with us online so they may join us offline. This means training up leaders in this emerging mission's field, it means investing financially in media projects. It will likely be Gen Z that pioneers' effective solutions for this arena. We need to find ways to do this without giving into the status quo of using gaming tactics, data trackers, and other unethical means. We need Christian content to be of high quality and engaging, yet subtly didactic. To be in the world but not of the world. Christian content must be safe and noticeably better than the alternative.

I’ve worked toward this in the video game industry. Some estimates say it is more than twice the size of the music and film industries combined. Yet at the time of writing fewer than half a million people work in that industry. I would estimate there are fewer than two thousand Christians working to progress Christian content in the industry. It also wouldn’t surprise me that less than one percent of all interactive media content ever published is Christian in theme or message.

This is a problem when there are over three billion people playing games and the entire marketplace is different flavors of “witchcraft, porno, shoot em up: sinners delight” or games that rely on addiction to keep players engaged. We have a talent deficiency or at least there isn’t enough financial incentive to bring Christian talent out of secular studios. It isn’t at all that Christian media doesn’t make money, in fact low supply means high demand. The problem is the church doesn’t see the massive cultural impact games have on society.

Say a game with the gospel presented in it were to be a smash hit, what would happen? It would be picked up by thousands of video content creators, live steamers, they would then distribute the gospel on mass to hundreds of millions of eyes, more than a box office premier, more exposure than any advertisement money can buy.

I could fill a book on that topic alone but what the reader needs to know is that the internet is a melting pot of culture, both the good and the bad is not going away any time soon. We need to stay vigilant and train leaders in this space. Children will only grow up with more increasingly advanced technology, we may never get ahead of the curve, but we need to try. In all you do, do it for the glory of God.

Friendship

Here is the topic of friendship because in the digital age we can seemingly have friends all over the world. With the rise of online influencers, in the wake of increasing physical isolation, new challenges arise.

Some members of Gen Z have been raised by television more than others and indeed this shapes how some have learned to interact with others. Online influencers putting up facades with content that makes the viewer feel as if they really know the person when there is no real connection. Such a form of escapism to an online persona or group unchecked by someone with a true-life connection can lead to deception, idolatry, and moral corruption.

I’s the disconnect of not having shared personal experience. Gen Z are not as likely to bond with one another if they do not perceive each other to be a part of a shared culture, a culture often defined by the enjoyed content of a celebrity or group. Not that this is the sole cause of shallow friendships, but what I consider an ever-growing factor. Shared identity creates the closest bonds, when identity isn’t shared then loyalty becomes fluid. This is why those influencers that shape identity are dangerous, especially when the culture promoted is self-serving.

Society does not need Disney princesses or super men but men and women whose identity is found in relationship with Jesus Christ.

We must care about our neighbor more than people we will never meet. How much harder is it to sustain a community without friends, close friends that bind us together? Within the church social cliques can form, this isn’t inherently a bad thing, but when it interferes with loving those on the outside then it is detrimental to the body of Christ. When there is fellowship with a shared identity in Christ, we need to be certain it goes both ways between friends. This I have found to be of the greatest disappointment when we fail in this way.

When someone is truly loyal to their brothers and sisters but doesn’t express it; that is when we can grow distant. It is imperative that we let our love be known to our friends so they may know they are loved. Only then can we grow in trust and friendship.

Those who treat their brother and sister as they may an anonymous online acquaintance rather than a blood bought partner in Christ create division in the church. Gen Z within the church must view each other as teammates and not give into cancel culture when they find something they dislike about one another. To view those in Christ as eternal beings whom you will share eternity with, there will be no lies, no mistrust, no barriers, no secrets in the kingdom of heaven. So why not have that here on earth?

That radical love for each other is what will bring this generation forward to defeat isolation, misplaced identity, and bring about healthy loving relationships where we may advance the kingdom of heaven. Gen Z must learn how to navigate conflict within the church through wise council, mediation and discipleship.

Only then may we avoid folly resulting from rash emotional decisions that create the worst kinds of hurt in our hearts. “Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13 NASB) A friend in Christ unwilling to do that is no friend at all.

Victory

Victory is already achieved through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It has since been up to every generation to live in that victory. We must spread the good news that the war is over. I wrote this document because at times it seemed the church was either ignorant or complacent. It can seem like we’re not making progress in this generation but looking back at the last two thousand years we’ve made much progress. Don’t lose hope but be the change we need today.

Everyone one of us will have a talent for combating the issues I’ve described. To show others the love God has for us so they may in turn learn to love Him as well. To live a life of love toward our neighbor so they may join us in our victorious kingdom. To steward the earth creating abundance for the multitudes.

We must all come together as the church to realize God’s perfect design for humanity. There may come times when this is a struggle, when you, your brother or sister fail. View these not as defeats but as learning experiences. For the downtrodden, depressed, and hopeless know that God has a plan to bottle your tears and turn them into rivers of living water, when that day comes, he makes all wrongs right. Until that day emulate His perfect example given to the world through Jesus Christ.

When you see a brother or sister struggling, pick them up! Remind them the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Raise a generation that knows the joy of the Lord despite the frivolous plots of the enemy! Indeed, your reward will be great, store your treasures in heaven and steward your talents well! Help your leaders understand the challenges faced so we may act in wisdom and discernment!

Do not backslide but persevere if not for yourself then for the sake of your children and your children’s children. Listen carefully to your elders and pray for each other. Steward the physical realm well so our time may be spent increasingly longer with each other and not for the sake of the temporary things. Ensure for tomorrow’s generation abundance without despair.

Understanding these things is key to reinvigorating the church bringing a once fleeting generation back into relationship with God and each other. The desire for God’s design & purpose is there. It is up to you to partake in the reform and revival of lost generations whenever they may arise. All to the glory of God forever, Amen.

-Tolin

Copyright © 2024 Tolin Simpson. All Rights Reserved.