PNW Youth Worker Connection Reflections
By Phil Berlin, Youth Pastor, Irvington Covenant Church
Last week’s Youth Workers Connect with Jinny Olson and Tim Ciccone provided a lot of information to consider for those who currently serve in youth ministry. The topic of the day was ‘Anticipatory Leadership’ with specific reference to Generation Z. Jinny challenged us to not be afraid of the future, but to be prepared to help our students live amid challenges that may seem on the periphery today.[1] Tim provided several perspectives from Generation Z that will become more normalized in the years to come. [2] Two of these perspectives were particularly impactful to me and I believe the entire group as well.
First is the heightened importance of individual freedom, this will become more of a guiding force behind everything from sexuality to political activism. At the same time, understanding this is the first generation to grow up with the unlimited power of the internet always at their fingertips. Albeit this information is vast it can be curated by based upon likes and dislikes. In other words, those who agree or see the world similarly will be followed, and they will block those differ. This curated experience may become more common in Gen Z this is not new to many of us. We see this today in where we choose to get our news and current events, and who we look to for the interpretation that information. In many ways, what is happening in Gen Z is just an update of how we have modeled our use of freedom in the church. Rather than wrestling with differences and disagreements to seek opportunity to learn and mature, we have advanced divisions and have found more ways to silo ourselves.
The second is acceptance, and where the acceptance is found. Generation Z has grown up in a world where conversations via social networks is normative and will more and more replace face to face conversation. Our students will not need to look too far acceptance because it will arrive on their phone, but at the same time they will not have to look for to be ignored or disregarded. And, here I wonder which side will the church be on. Will we be a force drawing our students to the Lord, letting them know that God loves as they grow into who they are #nofilter? Or will we distance ourselves by seeing their experimenting as turning away from the faith or their challenge of things we consider fundamental an attack against the church?
As Kohelet has told us in Ecclesiastes ‘there is nothing new under the sun’. As a result, issues like freedom and acceptance may look very different in the years to come, but understand much of this is a reaction to the example prior generations have provided. We may have said all of the right things, but we have taught many lessons though how we have chosen to learn and who we have chosen to demonstrate love to.
Our time together with Jinny and Tim was rich and I believe impactful for all involved, but these few thoughts were simply scratching the surface. These types of conversations need to continue among youth workers, but will need to spread to our pulpits and throughout our congregations as we continue to minister in the years to come.
[1] Jinny suggested a couple of resources to help us consider Anticipatory Leadership: The Anticipatory Organization: Turn Disruption and Change into Opportunity and Advantage by Daniel Burrus and a podcast by Craig Groeschel https://www.life.church/leadershippodcast/anticipatory-leadership/.
[2] Tim provided suggested this resource to help consider Generation Z: Meet Generation Z: Understanding and Reaching the New Post-Christian World by James Emery White