Christ is Love and it should be made known that his grace abounds for all without any form of judgment –
Gen Z seems to be moving away from the traditional, formal religious practices that previous Generations have followed. They are more inclined to fill their spiritual path, rather than follow the rules and rituals of the general concept of religion, most especially the Christian religion.
According to Pew Research, Gen Z is the nation’s least religious generation. A typical Gen Z religion can mostly be seen in their names as they find it boring and uneventful to be a religious person.
They believe that they should not tie down spirituality with any religious archaic practice as they believe that these religious practices make Christianity kind of boring, and they do not have the privilege of enjoying or exploring their youthfulness in a more civilized manner.
Let’s say they want to have a sense of belonging without actually belonging to the world, this makes most backslide as there is an almost thin line between a typical Gen Z Christian and any other worldly Gen Z out there.
An Average Gen Z raised in a typical Christian household would grow up to feel the need to break free of most religious beliefs that were used to nurture him, and they now see the Christian hood as a form of strict religious identity and in their way of finding ‘freedom’ and ‘belonging’ they often bow to peer pressure and give in to their worldly pleasure.
On the other hand, some backslide at a point in their lives but are now using their newly discovered beliefs to create an environment where the typical Gen Z won’t feel like they are being restricted and forced to enjoy a boring religion.
The population of Christian Gen Z is gradually growing, and part of the reason is the religious spirituality idea of the believing Christian.
Christian content creators on social media are doing a great job in making Christianity more lifestyle-oriented than the traditional idea of overly religious religion and along the line, as you get to grow in faith yourself your walk with Christ will determine your personal spiritual beliefs.
1 Samuel 16:7 ~ For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
The above verse is what is referred to when questioned about their fashion choices. while these long-established churches do not agree with this. Gen Z believes that you do not need to put on a long gown, cover your head, or strip yourself of all sorts of jewelry before you can get God’s attention or before you can become acceptable to God. They believe you can dress religiously without your heart even being right with God so what is the essence of trying to dress religiously?
They make use of social media platforms to spread the gospel without making it sound like “Give your life to Jesus or you go to hell!”
Many Gen Z in this movement use platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to share their personal experiences and beliefs. They also follow and engage with accounts that share inspirational stories and messages related to them. Some people even use no technology like video editing apps to create and share videos about their faith which is stigmatizing social media because of many immoral contents being found on it.
If you scroll through the internet and you come across Christian content you will find one thing in common, it is based on “Love”, and “Acceptance” of whoever you are or you were.
This new path of Faith has its disadvantages as the majority don’t feel pressured to do anything and this might lead to a lack of discipline causing them to fall off but fortunately, grace abounds for all.
Paul writes in Romans 5:20, “Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.” He also writes earlier in Romans 5:17, “Much more will those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
As a Christian either Gen Z or any other age bracket what do you think about this new path to faith? Drop your feedback in the comment section below.
In recent times, there has been a rise in different paths to faith among younger Christians, including those in the Gen Z age bracket(including me). This can be attributed to various factors such as increased access to information, exposure to diverse perspectives, and a desire for authenticity and relevance in their spiritual journeys.
Some common characteristics of these new paths to faith include:
1. Emphasis on relationship: Younger Christians often seek a personal, intimate relationship with God rather than relying solely on traditional religious practices.
2. Questioning and exploration: There is a tendency to question and critically examine religious beliefs and practices, seeking a deeper understanding and personal conviction.
3. Openness to diversity: Many young Christians are open to engaging with diverse perspectives and are willing to learn from other religious traditions and secular philosophies( like the one they taught me in Sch last semester)
4. Integration of faith and social issues: Younger Christians often desire to address social justice issues, environmental concerns, and other contemporary challenges as part of their faith practice.
5. Authenticity and transparency: There is a preference for authenticity and transparency in religious communities, with a willingness to discuss doubts, struggles, and personal experiences openly.
Ultimately, the new paths to faith reflect the ongoing dialogue between faith and culture. As generations evolve, new expressions of faith may emerge, shaped by the context in which they or we live.
I think it’s great that Gen Z is This new ways to connect with their faith, whether through digital mediums, social media or other means. It’s important for people of all ages to have the opportunity to explore and express their spirituality in ways that feel meaningful and authentic to them.
And in a world where technology is constantly evolving, it makes sense that religion and faith would evolve with it.
This new path of faith might have some disadvantages but not as much as the advantages.
There are lot of christian pages on social media that has/have been of great help.
For example, sometimes I don’t have time or do forget to read my Bible but with the help of the Christian pages I joined online,I have the opportunity to always go through or rear some word of God. Words that will enlighten me and awake the dead or dying Spirit in me.
True! This new path of faith that has been employed by Gen Z tend to bring people more closer to Christ, most people do not feel judged and they feel free to share their pasts and their mistakes, and also repent and turn away from their sins.
Wow!what a great discovery “Gen Z,to me personally really it’s a new path to faith brought about by technology. Salvation is far above the physical attributes tagged by man. It’s spiritual and it’s principles are laid in the Christians’ mutual(the Bible). Let the whole world agree on new principles to faith, mind you,the standard of God is ever sure! The Christian,both the 21st century and the traditional should let our foundation be vast on the doctrine of the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit who God has given us as our guide. May good God help us all to make heaven. Amen.
Regardless the age bracket, be it Gen Z, millennials or the 60s…. The beautiful thing is that the number of people that get to know who Christ truly is increase by the day. Overtime, we see Christians that thirst for Christ and passionately serve him, even though those set of people are tagged born again Christians because Of the way they behave and dress in the society, you can easily tell that oh! This is a believer.
And now, where we have the evolution of technology and civilization, Christianity has seem to take a new path or change’s following the evolution of technologies. We should be thankful that we have men of God that preach the gospel and adopt the new path of faith that suit the present era of the society, so Christians can serve God and still follow the trend.
99%of youths and educated adults have huge presence on internet and to me the best strategy that you can use to get these people is reaching and communicating to them where you find them the most, spread gospels online, worship online, establish prayer meetings online, via zoom, google meet and other platforms that can accommodate your audience. I personally have diverse platforms where I worship online.
In a nut shell, I believe that this new path of faith will do more good and promote Christianity as it is not limited to the four corners of the church unlike traditional Christianity, that you have to get to church meet your pastor before praying and doing other things.
The Gen Z don’t have that time!. Kudos to those that uses their online platform to proclaim and promote Christ. I pray we won’t miss the heavenly race we all are in, Shalom.
Seriously
This new path the Gen Z are treading now is mind blowing
May God lead us all through the right way