I was recently asked to share with a group of youth workers about the “challenges and opportunities” facing the next generation.
What struck me about the invitation wasn’t the topic itself, but the assumption behind it. They were acknowledging the challenges are real, but so are the opportunities. And our ability to impact the next generation will be directly related to how intentionally we face the realities in front of us.
As church leaders we are entrusted with the privilege and responsibility to shepherd the next generation. These are the top four realities we have to wrestle with and have answers for if we are going to reach the next generation.
1. They are shaped by algorithms, but aching for authenticity
One of the most common complaints about the next generation is how much they are on their phones. And no doubt, the algorithms are shaping what they watch, buy, and believe. Virtual friends are on the rise and information overload is at an all-time high. And in this current AI saturated culture, every video is watched with skepticism as to whether it’s authentic or AI generated.
What makes this especially significant is that many students are growing up in a world where connection is constant, but trust is fragile. They are more connected than any generation before them, yet can struggle to know what or who is actually trustworthy. They can access endless content, opinions, and voices with a swipe, but access has not produced clarity. In many cases, it has only produced confusion, skepticism, and exhaustion.
The other side of this is if everything in their world is optimized, then authentic belonging, imperfect community, unfiltered stories, and faith lived out become compelling in its opposition to their digital world. If we are accessible, consistent, and care for them genuinely, we will have a compelling voice in their lives. If we don’t offer that, then the algorithms will continue to disciple them.
This creates a defining moment for the church as the algorithms are exposing their hunger for something different. When students encounter relationships that are steady, conversations that are honest and humble, it stands in sharp contrast to the online world they navigate every day. What feels ordinary to us may feel revolutionary to them.
2. Mental health is their shared reality, but vulnerability feels risky
The other day my son came home and he seemed very distressed, but not wanting to talk about it for a few days. Now this was very concerning for us, mostly because he was almost always in a good mood and rarely in his life has shown much emotion at all. As his dad, I couldn’t wait to find out what was wrong, and the days in between were agonizing. When he did finally feel comfortable enough to share, I was surprised by what he said. It was none of the things I had guessed it might have been in the days in between, but instead was about his friend, whom he had self-diagnosed as depressed and was struggling to know how to help him.
Two things about this experience has really stirred me. First, mental health issues are not just affecting the one going through them, but they are carrying the mental health of their friends on their shoulders too. Mental health is universal for this generation. They either are in the midst of their own struggles or walking alongside a friend who is and the weight of that by each one in the next gen is heavy.
Second, to be vulnerable about it with an adult, including parents, pastors, coaches, etc. feels incredibly risky. Even when they have a close relationship with them or are able to trust them with other personal issues. And it’s not just because they think we will judge them or try to fix it for them. They literally think we wouldn’t understand.
3. They desperately want mentors, but struggle to find them
I lead an organization called the Intern Academy, on mission to build a pipeline of leaders for the church and help with our leadership crisis shortage. When I’m on college campuses and meet with ministry students, a common theme is rising and that is their desire to be mentored. They recognize the challenges of ministry are changing and the expectations are more demanding. And though they aren’t going to do ministry exactly like I have (just like I’m not doing ministry exactly like the generation before me did it), they are more open than ever to being mentored.
The problem is they are struggling to find someone to mentor them. Some of the reasons impacting that is many leaders in previous generations weren’t mentored so they don’t really know how. Another reason is older leaders don’t have time, or they are too prideful or insecure. The truth is the next generation is desperate for mentoring. The opportunity in front of us to intentionally mentor will have massive implications one way or the other.
What they are looking for is not just occasional advice or someone to admire from afar. They are looking for proximity. They want access to someone’s life, not just their leadership. They are asking questions like: Can I see how you handle pressure and how you make decisions or how your faith holds up when things are hard? This generation isn’t impressed by titles or platforms, but they are drawn to leaders who are willing to be known, to be honest about their failures, and to share in the process of growth. Mentoring for them is less about information transfer and more about relational formation.
4. They are spiritually sensitive, but institutionally opposed
This is a hard thing for us to be experiencing. On one hand, we are so ecstatic to see the spiritual responsiveness of this generation. They are passionate about the gospel, bold in sharing their faith, willing servants in social justice causes and hungry for intimacy with Jesus. This is incredibly good news.
On the other hand, they are institutionally opposed. And for those of us who have given our life to the church, that can be hard to process. How is it they are so spiritually sensitive yet pushing back against the church? They are spiritually hungry, but not always biblically rooted. Can’t the church help with that? And our pressure to grow bigger is colliding with their desire to grow deeper. Don’t they want to see the church grow?
These realities are not problems to solve as much as they are invitations to respond. The next generation is showing us, with surprising clarity, what they are hungry for. They want authenticity, understanding, mentoring, and depth.
If we have the humility to listen and the courage to adapt, the impact will be both deeply relational and profoundly transformative. The future of the church will not be shaped by how well we preserve what has been, but by how faithfully we step into what is needed now. And if we get this right, we won’t just reach the next generation, but they’ll stand on our shoulders and go further than we ever could.
