My wife and I are entering a new stage of life together.  When we were first married, it seemed like a wedding was scheduled every month and we were constantly having to decide what to buy for the latest wedding shower.  And now just two years later it seems we are attending fewer wedding showers and more baby showers…. Now we don’t take this as a sign to have children now, but I am filled with immense joy every time I go on Facebook and see the latest pregnancy announcements from my friends and family. 

I love attending the gender reveals, the birthday parties, and seeing the pictures of them growing up.  I guess I have a soft spot for little ones.  But I must admit, one thing that always crosses my mind as I see another beautiful life brought into the world is the question, “What kind of world will these little ones grow up in?”

I’m a part of the older half of the Gen-Z generation (usually understood as being born between 1996 and 2012).  I didn’t grow up my entire life with smart technology, but I was there to see it start.  I wasn’t there to see the start of the LGBTQ movement, but I saw it flourish and grow in a way that no one saw coming.  Anxiety, depression, and suicide were talked about, but never to the degree that it is experienced today.  The world has seen some good things as I have grown up into adulthood, but many more problems as well.

(Quick Fact.  Most Millennials are now between the ages of 30 and 40.

And Gen Z is between the ages of 12 and 25)

72%, 21%, 70%, 42%, 100%.  What do these numbers represent?  Let me explain.  The Christian Post reports that 28% of Gen-Z attend church at least once a month.  That leaves 72% not attending.  A Gallop Poll reported that 21% of Gen-Z identify in some manner with an LGBTQ group.  According to the Walton Family Foundation, 70% state that depression and anxiety have had major, negative impacts on their lives.  And in a survey completed in 2021 by Gen-Z teens and adults, 42% (almost half!) seriously considered committing suicide.  

While these statistics do not apply to the new generation that is currently being born and being brought up in our elementary schools, they remind us of the battles they will face as they grow up to become teenagers and adults.   I would also argue that these problems will not fix themselves but have the greater possibility of becoming worse if they are not addressed in our homes and our churches. 

Soon these babies will be brought up and familiarized with a world that is foreign to us.  We don’t know how to address many of these problems because we never had to deal with them!  All of these problems were at some point uncommon to us, and now it seems that we face them every day.  And we still haven’t covered the biggest issue facing our youth, the 100%.  

What is the 100%?  It is this fact, 100% of children born post-2012 will grow up their entire lives with smart technology and access to the internet.  While that means tons of access to great information, it also means there’s an opening for predators, manipulators, false teachers, and pornography to invade the minds and hearts of our children.  And there is only so much we can do to stop it or avoid it. 

There has been a great spiritual battle that has come along with the blessings that the internet has provided us.  And it will continue on for many more generations.  But I am not telling you this so that you may be discouraged and downtrodden.  I tell you this to let you know that there is hope.

In my opinion, the reason we as the church have at times struggled to be successful in a culture dealing with depression, suicide, and LGBTQ questions is because many of us aren’t familiar with it.  Many of us didn’t go to a school with gay/bi-sexual/trans-gender kids or attend funerals for our classmate who committed suicide.  Many of us grew up never thinking about depression or anxiety. 

But now, these topics are often brought into the minds of these children.  While yes, it means that many will fall victim to them as they have in my generation, it also means that the gap in understanding is being closed.  

I believe God is raising up a generation from the trenches.  They will share many of the same struggles my generation has, but along with that they will have the answers to the questions that we are just beginning to ask!  They will understand the struggles of this generation and their own in a way that many church leaders don’t right now.  So no, I don’t believe that these new generations are bringing death to our churches, I believe God is going to use them to heal our churches. 

 But we still have a lot to work on.  For how can we as leaders raise up a new generation of pastors/elders/teachers/deacons if our churches have none?  That is why we have to realize that our young people are not just the church of tomorrow.  They are the church of today.  Take what young people you have and help them discover the gifts that God has given them.  Train them up to be missionaries to their schools and colleges. 

Do not ignore the teens, children, and babies by shoving them in a classroom away from the adults.  Use this time unsparingly to equip them for their specific needs and challenges so that they may change the world for the better.  And when we obediently do this, God will continue to heal our churches from generation to generation, unceasingly until Christ returns to bring complete healing to our world.  

About the Author: Jonah Carpenter is the Lead Pastor of New Life Church in Evansville, Indiana alongside his wife Emma. He is also is a writer on the Let’s Talk about God Blog and the host of the Fight for Your City Podcast.