Gen Z and Barriers to Spiritual Growth

Is spiritual growth more challenging for Gen Z than other generations? While every generation has encountered barriers to growing in their faith, young people today do encounter some unique cultural challenges. Here are a few of the barriers to faith we are seeing today:

• Constant distraction due to the pervasive presence of technology. This can make it hard to be still, reflect, listen and learn. 
• Unprecedented access to information. This can create a sense of possessing knowledge and in turn suppress a felt need for mentoring, guidance, and input from others.
• Decrease in face-to-face interactions and emotional intelligence. This can hinder much needed community and healthy relationships and result in a sense of loneliness. 
• Focus on self-determined identity and truth ("you do you"). This can hinder the pursuit of understanding one's identity based on biblical truth. 

While these challenges are real and can be difficult to overcome, there are several key practices that mentors, leaders, and parents can use to engage Gen Z effectively in their faith journey. Here are a few:

• Practice humility; seek to understand the perspectives and experiences of young people before offering input or advice. 
• Ask open-ended questions and actively listen. Be discerning about what God might be doing in a young person's life and encourage them in that. 
• Give specific affirmation. With everyone promoting themselves online, young people can feel lost in a crowd. Looking them in the eyes and speaking truth and encouragement that is specific to them can help motivate them to pursue who God has called them to be. 
• Encourage them to set aside time daily to reflect, pray, read, and journal. Help them identify what would work best (time of day, setting a reminder, how to start, etc.). 

Gen Z is desiring to grow spiritually. Identifying the unique barriers they face, and supporting them in their journey, can make a difference. For more on this topic, check out this month's episode of The Leading Tomorrow Podcast.