Church attendance is on the decline—a catastrophic generational loss—and Gen Z (today’s young people) are twice as likely as previous generations to identify as atheists. Yes, the younger generations are incredibly secular. And yet it’s not all bleak—the Holy Spirit is continuing to work, and that’s reflected in a new study which found that over half of American teenagers are “very motivated” to learn more about Jesus over their lifetimes.
A new Barna study of Gen Z found that:
- 52% of US teens are “very motivated”
- 25% are “somewhat motivated”
- 16% are unmotivated
- And a final 7% are unsure
Studies like these show there’s a spiritual openness in the next generation. Now, does this mean teens are flocking to church by the millions? No—many of them are engaging spiritually on their own or are even looking to the occult (which many people mix with Jesus) and other spiritual, but not Christian, practices. But it does show there’s an interest and an openness. As Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37).
Christians should be encouraged by studies like this. I often hear from older Christians that the younger generations can’t be reached or that Gen Z doesn’t have the attention span to listen to long or in-depth sermons. I often speak to teenagers, and I’ve found it to be quite the opposite. They are hungry for answers and have no problem listening to an hour-long presentation because it’s relevant to them. They are getting answers to the questions of their day.
Teens are tired of the “fluff” they’ve been fed by so many in the church or on social media. And they’re tired of not getting answers to skeptical questions by those in the church. They’re tired of the hopeless, purposeless atheism and the “woke” ideology taking over the country. They want something more. And it seems many think maybe Jesus has what they need.
And he does—but it must be the real Jesus, the biblical Jesus. And that’s where Christians come in! We must be willing to engage with teens, answering their questions and helping them wrestle through the issues of our day, not guided by emotion or what they hear on social media but by God’s perfect Word.
Jesus is the bread they are hungry for and the water they thirst for. So let’s get out there and reach them with the gospel, making disciples of all nations by teaching the whole counsel of God and proclaiming Christ crucified.
