Meet Generation Z
Generation Z is your cradle-to-college ministry, and they need us
now. Currently ages 2-22, the next generation is the responsibility
of the whole church, and if we are going reach them as well as the
whole world with the whole gospel, we must first care enough to
understand them.
Take a moment to understand who Gen Z is, what they care about,
what makes them lose sleep, and why they need to know biblical
truths now more than ever.
Spiritual, not Religious
patience Gen Z is the first post-Christian
generation in U.S. history. They
lack biblical literacy and prefer
to be identified as spiritual,
not religious, with a desire for
a faith that is socially relevant,
integrating cultural issues and
the cosmos.
kindness Diverse and Inclusive
love
joy peace
tolerance
hope faith
inclusion
energy
They are growing up in
multigenerational homes and
diverse classrooms. Gen Z is
inclusive, collaborative and
values equal opportunities.
Their neighborho ods are diverse
and include the stranger, the
immigrant and the refugee.
By Angie Richey
Angie Richey, M.A., M.Ed., is the vice president of
enrollment at Life Pacific College. She is also a licensed
marriage and family therapist.
Tech Savvy
They are living online, surrounded by
five screens. YouTube is king, and the new
preference for social media is anonymity.
It may be no surprise that this generation
has an attention span of 8 seconds.
Money to Spend, Money to Give
Gen Z has $44 billion a year in
spending power, preferring to shop
online. But they aren’t just buying
trendy shoes. Twenty-six percent have
raised money for a cause, 32 percent
have donated their own money, and 26
percent of 16- to 19-year-olds volunteer
on a regular basis.
Resourceful
As a post-9/11 generation, Gen Z feels
the world is less secure than it used to be,
but that’s led to resourcefulness. They are
career-driven and entrepreneurial,
challenging traditional school with
hackschooling * or non-paid internships
for hands-on experience.
Mental Health Crisis
Though Gen Z is driven and more
responsible, an unstable family life,
trauma and the rise of the smartphone
have made way for vulnerabilities.
The CDC reports that 1 in 4 girls and
1 in 6 boys experience sexual trauma
before the age of 18. Connected but
lonelier and sleeping less than other
generations, Gen Z is primed for a
mental health crisis.
Learn how to serve Gen Z in practical ways. continued on next page
* Hackschooling is a term coined by the homeschooling family of Logan LaPlante. During his 2013 TED Talk, Logan
explained that education can be hacked, or improved, by incorporating practical, fun learning with classroom instruction.
Research Attribution: Barna Research Group (2018). “Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation” Forbes (2017).
“How Generation Z is shaping the change in education” National Council for Behavioral Health (2018). “Health Mental Health First Aid” Sparks
and Honey (2014). “Meet Generation Z: Forget Everything You Learned about Millennials” Jean Twenge (2017). “Have Smartphones Destroyed a
Generation?” (The Atlantic ) James E White (2017). “Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post Christian World” Women’s
Marketing (2018). “Where to find Generation Z (Social Media NonProfit Hub)”