www.thegospelcoalition.org
Be Willing to Learn from Gen-Z
Boomers like me tend to wax critical of the “lost generation” of people born roughly between 1997 and 2012. We read articles claiming this generation is glued to their phones and ruined by social media. We hear they’re anxious and depressed. We see they have short attention spans and diminished social skills. Sometimes they even wear pajamas in public or sweatpants to church! We wonder what will become of Gen Z, the first generation to have a life experience shaped so much by electronics and social media.
But a few weeks ago, I spent six days alongside thousands of Gen Zers, and if I’d ever given up this generation as lost, I earnestly recant my position. I was at CrossCon, a three-day conference conceived by David Platt, John Piper, and others. Held every year over the Christmas break, the gathering aims to help 18-to-25-year-olds deepen their understanding and love of the gospel, the local church, and missions.
Cross began in 2013 with about 3,500 participants, then dipped to around 2,000 attendees in 2016 before beginning to grow. This year, it swelled to 18,000 young people—so many that organizers had to split the conference into two back-to-back events. Next year, Cross will be moving to a 60,000-seat arena in Saint Louis.
Let me tell you why those 18,000 Gen Zers caused me to rethink my attitude toward them.
1. Gen Zers are hungry for truth, and they don’t need it to be truncated or gussied up to apprehend it.
What’s so remarkable and heartening about the steady increase in Cross participants over the years is that the conference, though aimed at a young crowd, has few bells and whistles to attract them. There were no strobe lights, rock walls, or gimmicks designed to keep their attention. Though the stage was hip and the merch was—I think the term is “lit”—Cross’s attraction is simply the gospel itself.
Every talk, every book, every bit of that merch was saturated with the clear message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the dire need for that message to reach the nations. Cross is unapologetically Calvinistic and complementarian. I didn’t hear anyone complaining about that. What’s more, the most enthusiastic reception this year was for a couple of septuagenarians in sweaters, John Piper and Alistair Begg. Why? Because these men consistently speak the truth, grounded in God’s Word, with the sole purpose of making the gospel known to the generations—not relevant but known.
And this so-called lost generation was eating it up.
2. Gen Zers take the Bible seriously.
I was among the bookstore volunteers at Cross, and my wonder never diminished at the unrestrained glee I saw over piles of books. Gen Z went shopping for Christian biographies, biblical commentaries, and thick tomes on systematic theology.
I heard over and over as I checked folks out, “I’m so excited!” in reference to titles such as J. C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, or John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life—not to mention Scripture journals and Bibles.
Defying boomer complaints that peg them as incapable of sustained attention or profound thought, these Gen Zers bought 92,000 books—actual physical books—and received another 90,000 in giveaways. That’s an average of 10 books per participant!
3. Gen Zers are capable of sustained attention.
Each of the events this year encompassed three intense days of speakers, panel discussions, Q&As, breakout sessions, theologically rich worship, missionary testimonies, and encouragement that began early in the morning and didn’t relent until 11:00 p.m. With each passing day, I was struck by the lack of empty seats at any given time.
Defying boomer complaints that peg them as incapable of sustained attention or profound thought, these Gen Zers bought 92,000 books.
From the moment the doors opened in the morning, young people came pouring through. They milled about the exhibitors, bought books, or chatted in groups. But when it was time for a session to start, nearly every person was seated and ready. Journals were out, pens were poised, and Bibles were ready to be opened.
When the music started, the attendees were on their feet, singing earnestly. When it was time to pray, heads were bowed and the room fell silent. And when a speaker was at the podium, eyes were fixed on the stage or the massive screens, glancing away just long enough to jot some notes.
This attention and focus didn’t diminish from the first day to the last.
4. The Holy Spirit is working mightily in the hearts of Gen Zers.
At the end of each day, as I made my way to my hotel via the skywalk that stretches above Louisville’s main street, I encountered huddles of young people, with God’s Word and journals open, animatedly debriefing what they’d heard that day. One late evening, I happened on an impromptu hymn sing in the hotel, with around 50 Canadian kids gathered around a piano. They kept at it for over an hour.
Early in the mornings, as I reversed my steps, I passed lone participants having quiet time in a tucked-away corner of the lobby, Bibles open in their laps. There wasn’t a phone in sight.
5. Boomers should spend more time with Gen Zers.
Boomers, instead of lamenting this generation, what can we do to serve the youth and young adults in our church? How can we shift our attitude toward Gen Z from pessimism and cynicism to optimism, appreciation, and encouragement?
Psalm 145:4 compels older generations to “commend [God’s] works to another, and . . . declare [his] mighty acts.” Let’s pray for God to help us find ways to speak into this generation, who are decidedly not too distracted or impervious to the great call of Jesus Christ and his marvelous gospel.
How can we shift our attitude toward Gen Z from pessimism and cynicism to optimism, appreciation, and encouragement?
I turned 64 a few days before the conference. I can guarantee that this wasn’t how I was spending my Christmas break 45 years ago. During my time at Cross, I saw 1 Timothy 4:12 played out before my eyes: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
From now on, I’ll apply Philippians 4:8 when thinking of Gen Z. Because what I witnessed at Cross, sweatpants notwithstanding, was indeed true, honorable, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and definitely worthy of praise to the One who calls and commissions.
New Posts (Home)
ChatBox
Popular Posts 
Game Zone
Top PodCasts
