If you haven't already heard Generation Z are showing signs of wanting to find out more about Christianity! This is such an encouragement, especially as this is often the demographic (people born between 1997 and 2012) that churches want to engage with!

How do we know this?

• The 87% increase in UK bible sales since 2019 has been attributed to Gen Z (SPCK).
• Since 2018 church attendance amongst Gen Z in England and Wales has increased considerably. According to the Bible Society 16% of 18-24-year-olds  now attend church, whereas in 2018 this was only 4%! And the increase is more amongst young men than women, with prayer being part of their spiritual practice along with a desire to learn more about the Bible.
• Non-churchgoers amongst this age range are also showing more interest in spiritual matters with 31% saying that they'd attend church if asked by a friend or family member, and 56% saying that they'd be happy for a Christian friend to pray for them.

Despite this encouragement I am also aware that engaging with Gen Z will be challenging for churches. Discipling young people in how to read the Bible, and developing authentic personal relationships with them should not be a problem for most Christians. However, connecting with them in the first place could be more tricky.

Where are Gen Z to be found on the internet?

 This generation is highly active on Social Media and most of its information from here. Gen Z has distinct preferences when it comes to social media as follows:

• Instagram: Approximately 71% of Gen Z engage with Instagram daily.
• TikTok: Around 70% of Gen Z use TikTok daily, spending 2 hours per day on the platform.
• YouTube: A similar number of Gen Z (70%) use YouTube each day.
• BeReal: Less than 30% of Gen Z use this newer platform daily.

Gen Z will engage with websites, but these need to be visually appealing, seamless, attention capturing, and mobile friendly. 

How can churches respond to try to engage Gen Z?

1. I would encourage you to set up an Instagram account. Use powerful imagery and short videos to share stories of transformation, community engagement, and the impact of faith. Ensure that this feed appears on your website so that young people can immediately see what's happening at your church.
2. If you can I'd look to set up a TikTok account, or if that is too challenging then why not have a YouTube account, not just to post your sermons on, but to answer questions about faith and life.
3. Why not have a Young Adults folder within the website that is more interactive? Include inspiring videos, events, and testimonials in video form. Have a page about community outreach and transformation and provide a virtual tour of the church, and have a Q&A section where Gen Z can ask a question and then it is answered.
4. Make your website interactive with plenty of calls to action and sign ups for youth events, volunteer opportunities, or community projects.
5. Encourage your congregation to engage with the young people in your church. Chat with them before or after the service, invite them to your family meals, and offer a listening ear.
6. Provide mentors for young people to talk to so that they can chat about their fears, ask questions, and be seen and heard.
7. Provide a space where young people can get together, enjoy getting to know one another, and read the bible together.
8. Run a Youth Alpha.  If this is too daunting why not work together with other churches and run a course together?
9. Have bibles in a modern translation to give away.
10. If you have young people who are migrants then try to engage with them. This has to be done sensitively because these young people will likely fall under safeguarding procedures, but invite them to all your youth events and find out about them. With this demographic mentors can be very influential and have a significant role to play.
11. Pray! This is probably the most important thing to do. Ask the Lord to bless your endeavours, cover your young people with prayer (retired church members are excellent at this!), and pray for direction on what to do to help Generation Z find faith.

 Be Encouraged!

 It can be daunting for most churches to try to engage with Generation Z, but be encouraged as they have a real hunger to know more about Jesus, and what the bible is saying. This is such an exciting opportunity, and with prayer and intentional steps to have things in place to offer young people there is a real opportunity to be had.