Why Gen Z Is Ambivalent about Church

Author: Abigail Robert
December 05, 2024

I am a part of Generation Z. Though many describe me as an “old soul,” and I often find myself out of sync with my peers, I take pride in being Gen Z, for several reasons. 

• Even though we were born into a world of screens, we quietly search for something that feels real.
• We understand how science and technology can change the world, which makes us even more curious about what can be only spiritually explained. 
• We are highly relational, deeply sensitive to our own emotions and the emotions of others. 
• We have a genuine desire to act on our convictions—whether that’s through raising our voices through hashtags or pursuing careers that partner innovation with advocacy to address societal needs—even when we’re jaded by the world around us. 

These are all attributes that, hypothetically, would make Gen Z Christians passionate about church. 

• Through participating in worship, they can experience the presence of Christ through the preaching of His word, the singing of His praises, and the receiving of the sacraments. 
• In the fellowship of a congregation and pastor, they can be truly known, free to express their genuine struggles and successes. 
• Doing charitable work, they can serve others and bear the burdens of their brothers and sisters in Christ. 
• They would bring their characteristic humor, practicality, authenticity, and life into church ministry. 

Unfortunately, most young adult Christians are not actively involved in church. This is no surprise. For many traditional churches, it is rare when an 18- to 25-year-old joins a church. Seeing this, more senior members and spiritual leaders are starting to ask, “How can we make our church a more attractive environment for young Christians?” 

While the church can and should be focused on reaching younger Christians, this question can quickly become a slippery slope into church dysfunction. My belief is that the church should not cater to any specific generation. Rather, it should be structured and function according to God’s word, seeking to glorify God alone. The inherent truth, goodness, and beauty of God’s word, Christ’s sacrifice, and the work of the Holy Spirit should be what make a church attract anyone, regardless of age. 

Here are a couple of examples of what could happen if churches overemphasize reaching young adults. If the church were to prioritize modernizing the music, it would risk losing the rich doctrine found in traditional hymns. If it were to invest money into adding technology into the service or creating a fancy church app, it could put at risk the financial resources that otherwise might go to missionaries or local charities. When churches focus on reaching younger Christians, sometimes detrimental trade-offs are introduced. Besides, at the end of the day, Gen Z Christians won’t really care about a hipper worship style or a QR code in a bulletin. They have bigger concerns.

According to a recent study by the Barna Group¹, young Christians bemoan the lack of friends their age at church. Social gatherings, fighting injustice, and support groups are also missed in their church experiences. These issues, not outdated tech, might deter young Christians from being more actively engaged church members. 

Additionally, this study polled young adults on why they do go to church. As it should be, “growing in faith” and “learning about God” were selected among the top reasons to attend, but community involvement, small groups, and multigenerational friendship were not.

These results reveal a tension in what young Christians want from church. On the one hand, they say that opportunities to fight injustice are low on their list of reasons to participate. On the other, they say this is comparatively high on the list of things they would like to see more of. 

Such dissonance in the data highlights why young adult Christians are not active church members. I suggest that, to adapt a phrase from President Kennedy, they are too concerned with what the church can do for them rather than what they can do for the church. 

Here’s what I mean: 

• If young adults are looking for friendship, they should seek intergenerational friendships rather than holding out for someone else their age in the pews. 
• If they seek social gatherings outside of services, then they should help organize them. They could host a post-service luncheon—or at least contribute a meal. 
• If they want opportunities to fight injustice, they should join the church’s community outreach board and work on partnerships with local Christian organizations. 

Rather than looking for opportunities to be spoon-fed, passive participants in church, young adult Christians should be excited to pick up the torch and lead with the gifts that God has given them. 

I can testify that being an active participant in my local church in Houston has been incredibly life-giving. Because I have specific responsibilities, I feel a greater sense of obligation to attend services each week, and this regular attendance has greatly fostered my faith. Recently, after feeling a desire for a women’s group and recognizing the need for someone to take the initiative, I spearheaded the re-establishment of the church’s Lutheran Women’s Missionary League.

My friends Helena and Elizabeth, who are also part of Gen Z, joined me. Together, we co-hosted a High Tea and Embroidery event for the women in our church. It was a huge undertaking. We washed, gathered, and transported all the china, baked all the food, made all the teas, designed all the displays, etc. It was worth all the effort. The more senior women in our church were so touched by our thoughtfulness and enthusiasm for rekindling women’s fellowship that it brought tears to their eyes—and mine as well. 

Experiences like these remind me of the message in 1 Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” To my fellow young adult Christians, let our age not be an excuse for poor church participation. Let’s take bold steps in our church communities to catalyze the change we wish to see.

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Abigail Robert is a Classical Studies and Biosciences student at Rice University in Houston, Texas. She is the author of Forget Me Not: Memories of a Memory Caregiver.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash.

¹“What Young Adults Say Is Missing from Church,“ Barna Group, November 13, 2019, www.barna.com/research/missing-church/.

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