The Culture War: Gen-Z, Youth Group, & the end of Christian America
Stop feeding us pizza.
Ok, I admit that was a strange way to start an article with
such an intense title – but it got your attention, didn’t it? Now, let’s talk
about Generation Z and the future of the Church within America.
There is no denying the shift in the culture, but it seems
not many understand what that looks like for this generation of teenagers. Otherwise
known as the iGeneration, Gen-Z is anyone born from 1997-2012. We are the most plugged in
generation ever, yet suicide is the second largest cause of death. We have all
the information we could ever want at the end of our fingertips and no
discernment. We are connected to millions of people online, yet we are confused,
depressed, anxious, and lonely.
For years, the American Church has approached youth
ministry as a numbers game. “Whatever gets them in the door” has been our anthem,
turning the church ‘relevant’ in order to connect. We have installed the cool
lights, played the loud music, bought all the pizza, filled up a room with
teenagers to give them a thirty-minute motivational speech about how fun it is
to be a Christian, and sent them home feeling good about how many kids showed
up. This has gone on for more than four decades. Google “Millennials and religion”
and the headlines tell you all you need to know about the results.
We are now faced with an entirely new phenomenon and a new
generation. Generation Z is unique in its passion. As a whole, the teenagers of
today are constantly looking for a cause to fight for and the world is
answering that call. The world is teaching, instructing, guiding, and offering
us those causes to fight for, giving a sense of purpose to a generation devoid of
hope. They told us to vote, “like your life depends on it, because it does,” so
we did. We voted in droves – mostly for liberal ideology. We are marching and
rioting, posting on social media and yelling, wanting “justice” of all kinds, but
could not define it basically – let alone Biblically – if we tried. The minute you
identify with Christian values is the minute the woke mob comes at you. Who
wants to be a racist, sexist, homophobic, misogynistic monster? Critical Race
Theory, LGBTQ+ issues, gender dysphoria, and self-love are eating us alive. The
Church’s response? To come have a nerf war with a sprinkle of Jesus. Why is that?
No longer are teenagers
wondering, “which truth is true?” Instead, they are loudly asserting that truth
cannot be known. After years of being given the idea that Christianity is “super
fun,” they are entering a culture war they are grossly underprepared to fight
in. According to the Barna Group, Generation-Z is the least religious generation
in the history of America.
David French writes,
“especially
among Evangelicals, there is a naïve belief that if only we were winsome
enough, kind enough, and compassionate enough, the culture would welcome us
with open arms… Christians who’ve not suffered for their faith
often romanticize persecution. They imagine themselves willing to lose their
jobs, their liberty, or even their lives for standing up for the Gospel. Yet
when the moment comes, at least here in the United States, they often find that
they simply can’t abide being called “hateful.” It creates a desperate,
panicked response. ‘No, you don’t understand. I’m not like those people
— the religious right.’ Thus, at the end of the day, a church that descends
from apostles who withstood beatings finds itself unable to withstand
tweetings. Social scorn is worse than the lash.”
Generation Z is where the remnants of Cultural Christianity
is going to die. There is no sitting on the fence any longer. I consider the
death of “Cultural Christianity” a good thing, but it is vital that the Church
responds accordingly. What if we stopped focusing on entertaining the masses
and started focusing on teaching a few the fundamentals? What if we stopped talking
down to teenagers “on their level” like they are incapable of understanding deep
topics? What if we taught rigorous classes in apologetics and theology and
challenged them into spiritual maturity? It is not good enough just to get them
in the door. It is time to stop just putting out the fires that are smoldering and
start giving them the fuel.
Generation Z is a post-Christian generation. America is a
post-Christian nation. Looking ahead, the issues facing us in the next decade and
beyond are going to be nothing short of persecution. We have been sheltered
here and are completely unprepared to face what lies ahead. Christian Gen-Z needs
to know how to find truth, how to develop discernment, and how to think
critically. They need answers to questions the world is only too happy to
answer for them on TikTok. They need a solid foundation on the Word of God and
Biblical Literacy. They need to learn how to confidently face the whole world
and bow the knee to Christ alone, refusing to live by lies.
This is the era of re-definition, re-education, deception, and
abominations protected by law. This is war.
Stop feeding us pizza.
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