What Do Gen Z’s Want From Religion?

Who are Gen Z?

There are a lot of reasons to be fascinated with Generation Z—those born between 1997-2010. They are skeptical, yet open, deeply curious, but anxious, uber-connected, and lonely. They question everything, break away from the status quo of their parents, and have been fundamentally shaped by the internet and social media unlike any generation prior. When it comes to faith—Christianity, religion, spirituality—we can see the influence of their virtual lives on how they view life’s big questions. 

It is statistically undeniable that Gen Zers are less likely to affiliate with religion than previous generations. Regular church attendance was less likely to have been a part of their upbringing, down to 40%, continuing the downward trend from 45% of Millennials and 52% of Gen X. Less than 4% of Gen Z have a worldview based on the Bible. 

Gen Z has come of age during the exponential rise and permanent installation of social media, a global pandemic, and inflation like we haven’t seen in decades. Their unlimited, instantaneous access to information through the internet has exposed them to an endless diversity of perspectives and narratives, from politics, race, social justice movements, and every scandal, all at a global level. They are often passionately engaged with political movements and at-stake issues. 

How has technology influenced Gen Z’s perception of religion?

The exposure to virtually every culture and political theory on Earth has its benefits, but ultimately the gravity, quantity, and pace with which information is received is unprocessable to our human brain, and what we have gained in visibility of vantage points, we have compromised in individual critical thinking skills, as these digital platforms encourage “herd thinking, echo chambers, and conspiracy theories.” Because Gen Z find themselves on the front lines of this conundrum, views over religious belief systems and the amplification of their flaws or inconsistencies, Gen Z are much less likely to enter the walls of a church to have firsthand experiences and engagements with religion. Any perception they have can be endlessly validated through technology, where often secondhand, unbalanced, and sensationalized information is their prime exposure to religion.  

Additionally, access to unlimited information has given way to increased mental health struggles among Gen Z. Because of the instant connection that social media provides, Gen Z teens spent significantly less time in face-to-face interactions with their friends, decreasing their fluidity in soft skills such as conversations, critical thinking, and conflict resolution and increasing rates of reported loneliness, depression and anxiety. What this means is that our Gen Zers are in desperate need of a message of hope.

Gen Z report being frustrated with the level of perfection and performance placed in modern worship services. It makes them feel less connected to a personal experience, which they crave, and more as though they are simply spectators. And while the availability of online worship services is a revolutionary step forward, it also contributes to the longing for in-person connection to others and perhaps God.

The good news is that humanity as a whole, Gen Z being no exception, are intrinsically longing for meaning and something to place their hope in. Even though only about one third of Gen Z report having any religious affiliation, it is still reported that half of Gen Z are open to learning more about Jesus. Religion, at its core, addresses the most basic questions of life, but the world is not the same for Gen Z and what has drawn or kept past generations in church does not work for them.

What do Gen Z’s want from religion?

• Genuine Community: They are the first digital natives. With the ability to connect instantaneously with hundreds, if not thousands, of people at any given time, and the amount of time that Gen Z spend connecting with peers on social media, reports of rampant loneliness among this same demographic might seem incongruent. But it is a converse relationship—more digitized connection has led to increased feelings of loneliness. We can see that, as a result, Gen Z long for meaningful, face-to-face relationships. For example, in one Christian community, the youth pastor noticed that young people are not impressed with goofy ice breakers or games that are often associated with youth programs—they simply want to be taught the Bible and develop friendships with their peers and even with older generations.
• Gender Equality in the church: Gen Z are much more aware and intolerant of the gender divides present in society, but are especially put off by this in the context of religion. Because many churches still espouse practices that keep women from holding positions of leadership or speaking roles, the lack of value alignment pushes them away from traditional faith and spirituality. In fact, this has led to a new, inversely proportional relationship between young women leaving church as opposed to men.
• Seeking Truth: They want to engage in the hard questions and topics of life—meaning, purpose, origination—and they have low religious literacy with which to even attempt to filter them. Less than 4% of Gen Z hold a Bible based worldview. They are looking for ways to answer life’s most basic questions and engage with purpose, and they aren’t sure how to do that. They feel like religion often ignores or placates these deeply begging questions they wrestle with, so they search to fill in these belief gaps with other systems and worldviews that are much less likely to include a religious context. In the Christian context, it is noted that “Even if the Christian label isn’t attractive, Gen Z is willing to talk about deep things—questions about injustice, identity, the meaning of life” (TCG.org).
• Transcendent Experiences: Although now less rooted in traditional religion, Gen Z still hunger for spiritual and transcendent experiences. They may search for them in yoga, meditation, connecting with the beauty of nature, or even types of contemplative practices from a variety of religions. There is an authenticity and even an imperfection they desire to see—less performance, services that don’t feel overly timed, or traditions that have become void of their intended emotional connection. 
• Social Justice Programs: Coming of age with full integration of the internet and social media, national and global conflicts that elevate social and racial disparities and human suffering are more visible than ever, and Gen Z are highly motivated to feel engaged with the alleviation of these problems. Even though they realize their role may be small, being a part of something bigger than themselves fills them with purpose, meaning, and connection to the overall improvement of the world. The volume of complex and heart-wrenching events they have been exposed to has fundamentally shaped who they are and how they want to interact with the world. In other words, they want much more than a weekly service. From a Christian perspective, the Bible instructs Christians to care for orphans, widows and the poor, thus, religious buy-in for Gen Z requires the authentic integration of these instructions and values to be played out in churches and among their members. When they do not see this alignment, they perceive it as hypocrisy and instead seek this fulfillment through whatever outlet allows them to connect with these cultural issues in the most meaningful way. 
• Authenticity: The Gospel Coalition reports, “When asked how a Christian could appeal to them, Gen Z’s first choice would be ‘seeing how the person behaves.’” Gen Z pay so much attention to how Christians and other traditions represent their faith. They are conscious of and thoroughly averse to any form of hypocrisy, almost to the point of a jaded expectation. “Fewer of them know a real-life Christian. Often their conceptions of religion come from the media” (TCG.org). If the bulk of their exposure to faith is in the major news headlines and not through people who live into their values, it is no wonder Gen Z have become weary and disillusioned with organized religion. 
• Reconciliation: One issue that Gen Z have with Christianity is the ultimate reconciliatory relationship in the sin/Savior message; it does not immediately resonate with Gen Z. What instead draws them towards religion is the potential for other forms of reconciliation—restored relationships, to emotional healing, community support, and to transcendent experiences.

How can the church adapt to appeal to Gen Z?

The Thrive Center exists to walk with people on their path to spiritual health, whatever that may look like for them. We do believe, based on research, that not only is there a distinction between healthy and unhealthy spirituality, but that there are also specific components that must be present for a thriving life. Gen Z are open to spiritual experiences on the whole, but not all the belief systems presented to them are healthy. Using our THRIVE model, we want to offer suggestions on ways to bring Gen Z toward a faith that offers healthy answers to their core longings, meeting them where they are in ways that resonate with their experiences and perceptions.

The THRIVE Model: 

Transcendence: Gen Z are highly open to spirituality and they seek out transcendent experiences. Offering times of reflection, where they can become aware of God and connect with transcendent emotions like awe, and develop habits around joy and gratitude, can provide authentic and unscripted transcendent experiences for them. 

Habits: They crave environments of consistency, routine, structure, and predictability. When they engage with church, these desires are the same. Modeling consistency in our integrity provides feelings of safety, and by providing predictable weekly rhythms in services and weekly groups is soothing in the midst of a volatile and unpredictable world.

Relationships: After being tethered to phones and other tech, they crave in-person community. Offering opportunities for gathering, socializing, and growing in like-minded ideals is deeply meaningful to Gen Z.  

Identity and Narrative: There is so much outside “noise” in the world today, and it is a breeding ground for confusion and inconsistency over what Gen Z believe about themselves. Reminding Gen Z of who they are and whose they are will help them discover their values and how they can live congruently with them in their own unique roles in the world.

Vocation/Purpose: Gen Z are particularly driven to find their purposes in the world. They want their lives to count, even if it is in a small way, by being part of something bigger than themselves. Religion is also particularly driven by purpose—seeing the love of God spread to others through the actions of people. Outward-reaching activities that impact the individuals and the local community alike, appeal to their longing for purpose and meaning.    

Ethics: The ethical system of Gen Z is different from previous generations in that it is much more of a sliding scale of moral relativism. Religion is a belief structure that informs our values and how they turn into actions.  

References

Gen Z Women Leaving the Church in Unprecedented Numbers

Over Half of Gen Z Teens Motivated to Learn About Jesus

Five Characteristics of the Gen Z Church

Why Gen Z is Returning to God

Gen Z and the Transformation of American Adolescence

6 Things Christians Should Know About Gen Z

An Inside Look at Gen Z’s Spiritual Practices

Understanding the Challenges of Gen Z

Faith unbundled

Why Even Secular People Should Worry About Gen Z’s Lack of Faith

Gen Z More Spiritual Than Millennials

What Does Gen Z Value?