After spending months of meeting with your students online, maybe you are feeling like me– disconnected. Zoom meetings are better than nothing, but they’re not the same. Now that most are either meeting in person or will be soon, it is time to reconnect.
As we think about reconnecting, this is a perfect time to freshen up on a few things we know about Gen Z. Here are four trends we are seeing with Gen Z and the opportunities you have because of them.
1. Racial and Ethnic Diversity
Barely over half of Gen Zers are non-Hispanic white. That is a 9% decrease from Millennials (61%)
- 52% – Non-Hispanic white
- 25% – Hispanic
- 14% – Black
- 6% – Asian
- 5% – Other race or two or more races[1]
Most churches in America struggle to be diverse. For most it is not intentional, but it is what is comfortable. God has called the church to unity, not uniformity.
Opportunity: If you want your church to be more diverse, the youth ministry is a great place to start.
2. Anxiety, Depression and Suicide
Nearly 1 in 3 teenagers (13 to 18) will experience an anxiety disorder.[2] More than 2 million teenagers suffer enough from major depression to impair their daily lives. However, only 1/3 of them ever seek any kind of help.[3] Social media has students more connected than ever, but on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Gen Zers scored the highest.[4]
Between 2007 and 2017, the suicide rate increased 56% among young people in America, becoming the second leading cause of death for 10 to 24-year olds.[5] Suicide rates for girls and young women doubled between 2000 and 2017.[6]
Opportunity: Much of what our culture describes as mental health struggles are actually rooted in learning how to live out the gospel in daily life. Help your students discover what their fears and worries may be revealing about where they are placing their hope. Do they know the truth that in Christ there is nothing they can do that would make God love them more, and nothing they have done that would make God love them less?[7]
3. Digital Natives
No, they are not the first generation to have technology, but they are the first who cannot remember a world without smartphones and streaming. Learning to use an iPad came right along with learning to walk and being potty trained.
Opportunity: Don’t run from technology- instead, leverage it for the gospel. One idea would be to get a trusted student to help you manage your student ministry social media accounts.
4. Entrepreneurial
If you are looking at your students as lazy, look again. 41% of Gen Zers say they want to start their own business someday. 24% plan to pay their own way through college.[8]
Opportunity: Involve students as you make decisions and plan out your youth ministry year. Ask them what goals they want to have for reaching their community for Christ, and then utilize them in planning to reach those goals.
There is a lot more to be said about Gen Zers, but hopefully these four opportunities are enough to get you excited about the potential your students have to impact their generation for Christ.
For more training https://youthministry.wol.org/resources/training/
Brian has been in youth ministry for 23 years. He is passionate about communicating truth to young people and the leaders that work with them. Brian loves to play, watch and talk about all kinds of sports. He and his wife Lynn have three awesome teenagers and live in upstate, NY.