One thing that I found interesting about this class was our discussion about Gen Z and what the disconnect is between that specific generation and the church. After our class discussion on what the possible problems are, someone in my group mentioned that today’s generation just does not have an accurate understanding of what the Gospel is. I feel that in this culture full of influence from the media, celebrities, and a secularized education system, the Gospel’s true definition has been lost in translation.
Gen Z’s only perception of the Bible is Christianity, and what the world assigns to that category of religion. The Gospel is not just rules, do’s and don’ts, and service every once and while. The Gospel is the sacrifice of Jesus. The work that Jesus completed in saving all of mankind through dying on the cross and resurrecting again.
We have been talking about how innovation and entrepreneurship can relate to the mission of the church and what we could possibly do to reach Gen Z. And I think that something we could do to reach this generation is to make the Gospel known to these people. The basis of our faith is not in Church attendance or rule following, but rather the fact that through the cross Jesus died in our place so that we might be freed from the bondage of sin and that we can spend eternity in Heaven with him. I think these kids need someone to lay out the Gospel to them in a way that is fun, inviting, and true to the word of God. The Gospel is simple so I don’t think that whatever outlet is used to reach the people needs to be extravagant. But rather it needs to get down to the basics in an engaging way.
When we listed other problems such as family issues, sex, drugs, and legalistic barriers, I feel that those stem from a distorted view of what Christianity is and what the Gospel is. If we can use entrepreneurship and innovation to create a program or a business to reach this generation that is falling away, it would be a great way to embrace the idea of redemptive entrepreneurship.
I definitely agree with you about our generation not understanding what the gospel really is and what it means. I think that a way to help our generation is to really have the church come alongside them as mentors and leaders and guide them through the struggles that they are facing and help them to understand how the gospel can help them with these struggles, by showing them the love of Christ!
I love how you’ve captured the importance in knowing and finding beauty in the “simple Gospel” — I think that is something that can so easily be overlooked. Especially in terms of evangelism, getting caught up in the details (can be a good thing), but also can take away from being able to effectively reach audiences in a genuine way. I loved reading your thoughts!! Great post 🙂
I agree that maybe we shouldn’t focus so much on how to get more people to attend church but instead find a way to first get the gospel out there. Generation Z needs to see the “whys” and the “hows”. Generation Z loves following people and movements that are counter cultural, we need to bring more attention to the Gospel and to people who live out the Gospel. Great post!