Many Christian teens are simply unprepared for the world that is waiting for them.
With the best of intentions, we bubble wrap our kids and create Disney World–like environments for them in our churches, and then wonder why they have no resilience in faith or life. Students are entertained but not prepared.
Students Are Entertained But Not Prepared
They’ve had a lot of fun but are not ready to lead. When the pressure to conform is turned up, Christian teenagers tend to wilt if they do not have the confidence that only comes from knowing why they believe what they believe.
As one teenager told me, “following Jesus today is hard because sometimes you feel like the only one.”
Gen Z has been discipled by their smartphones, taught sex ed by Google, and conditioned to assume that just because they believe something makes it true.
Gen Z Least Christian Generation to Date
Gen Z—the generation following the millennials—is also the least Christian generation to date. According to a new Barna study I led over the last 18 months on behalf of Impact 360 Institute – 34 percent of Gen Z’s religious affiliation is either atheist, agnostic or none.
In fact, teens 13-18 years old are twice as likely as adults to say they are atheist. And just three in five 13- to 18-year-olds say they are some kind of Christian (59 percent)… [Read the rest of my article on Fox News here ]
Wake-Up Call
Awareness can be a gift. But only if we do something about it. Many students are walking away in their hearts and minds in middle and high school long before they walk away with their feet in college.
It will become increasingly uncomfortable and socially costly to follow Jesus in the is post-Christian culture we are living in today. Most teenagers are unprepared. Are your kids ready?
Just showing up at church for the goldfish, pizza, and candy is not enough. We must train and disciple students for the world they are actually heading into.
If you want to give your Christian student a confident faith, then I encourage you to get them some apologetics and worldview training. I am the director of two life-changing summer experiences for teenagers at Impact 360 Institute. I think both Propel and Immersion would help your son or daughter resist the pull of secularism and relativism while building a stronger faith of their own. I hope to see them this summer!
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