For a number of weeks, we have reviewed current research outlining the trends/patterns of belief and practice among the new Gen Z culture (born 1998-2015). To an age that struggles with identity, lives with anxiety over their financial future and the prospects of a stable employment, and often hides behind technology and social media as a “screenager,” parents often find themselves ill-equipped and under-resourced in discipling their Gen Z’ers to live responsibly in the world.  It is here that the church can have one of its greatest ministries: disciple and equip the parents of Gen Z youth so that they can disciple and influence their kids.

Recent research by the Impact 360 Institute (their book, Gen Z) show that a high percentage (90%) of active Christian parents want their children to grow deep in the Christian Faith, and 59% see it as their responsibility to be the primary agent in this discipleship process.  That’s good news!  When teens were asked if they felt that they could share their greatest struggles, concerns, and faith-issues with their parents, a sizable majority (79%) said “yes.”  That’s also positive!  The problems come when you delve into the subjects/topics that most professing Christian parents feel they are not equipped to disciple their teens.  Among them are the following (p. 84, Gen Z):

• Historical evidences for Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection (only 40% have had a discussion with their teen, meaning 60% have not discussed)
• The biblical presentation of gender in God’s created order (only 40% have discussed)
• Science and the Bible (only 36% have discussed)
• The biblical portrait of marriage and sexuality (52% have discussed. That’s right: just a little over half have even discussed the Bible’s teaching about marriage!)
• Christian worldview: integrating biblical truth into daily life/career (only 24% have discussed)
• Other topics, such as moral and spiritual relativism, racial and ethnic tension and diversity, and having a balanced engagement with technology so that they can interact inter-personally with others fared even lower on the scale.

What these survey statistics reveal to me is that there is a vast number of Christian parents who feel ill-equipped to disciple their teens because they don’t know many of the central tenets that the Christian Faith addresses on these issues.  In short, the parents need to be discipled so that they can disciple their teens.  In my judgment, that’s one of the primary ministries that the church can and should be doing with parents today.  If local congregations would spend time discipling and equipping parents in apologetics, science and the Bible, biblical gender identity, Christian worldview, and the evidences and effects of Jesus’ life and work in history, I believe we would see a significant change in the right direction both in the evangelistic impact upon Gen Z teens as well as the depth of their spiritual maturity in the discipleship process.

As a grandfather, let me conclude today’s blog with an appeal to grandparents, even great-grandparents who are mature in their Faith.  Now is the time for you to rise up and be the patriarch and matriarch of your family!  Now is the time for you to start a ministry in your church to disciple your adult children so that they can evangelize and disciple your “Grandchildren Z’ers” in the truths of the Christian Faith.  For many of you, you have the time, health, and ability to do this, so go for it!  I believe you will be amazed at the number of parents of Gen Z children (some of them your own family members) who would be eager to learn if you took the initiative to get something like this started.

The time to act is now.  Be the proactive leader of your family and take the time and resources to equip your adult children/parents and the parents of other Gen Z children in your church with the tools they need to disciple our youth.  This is an investment of profound spiritual proportions.