Communities of Practice for Next Generation Ministries.
But by and large, if you're a children's ministry coordinator, a youth pastor, a young adult ministry leader — you're figuring it out on your own. Often without formal training. Often without peers who understand what you're navigating. Often feeling structurally marginalized within a denomination that says it cares about young people but doesn't always resource the people who actually work with them.
And here's the thing that really gets me: these leaders are shaping the future of the church. They're the ones helping young people grow in faith, building relationships, creating the environments where the next generation encounters the love of God. And too often, they're doing it alone.
So we want to experiment with something…
The Next Generation and Faith: What Are Today’s Youth Searching For?
For years statistics have pointed to declining church attendance and fewer young adults pursuing ministry. At the same time, new research suggests that Gen Z (born 1997–2012) is not necessarily rejecting faith itself. Instead, they are redefining it, reshaping their spiritual lives in ways that don’t always fit neatly into traditional religious categories.
So what does this mean for churches and faith communities in Canada? How do we listen to and learn from this generation? And perhaps most importantly, how do we create space for conversations about faith that reflect the realities of young people today?
Let Us Know - July 2/24
Every week we’ll ask a question to the community. We hope you’ll provide your thoughts and insights and engage with other lifelong learners on this journey of growth and development.
Let Us Know - May 7/24
Every week we’ll ask a question to the community. We hope you’ll provide your thoughts and insights and engage with other lifelong learners on this journey of growth and development.
Voices on Gen-Z and the Church
Recently, we completed our second Capstone project with some students who attend a Christian University. Their project was to assess the spiritual needs of Gen Z (those born between 1996 and 2010). We specifically asked these Gen Z students to do this work because they often don’t get a chance to research (speak for) themselves but lots of research is done on this particular generation.