By Carrie Williams
The church stands on the edge of a unique moment in history. Generations Z and Alpha are poised to lead a new movement, characterized by their passion for causes and their ability to mobilize communities.
These young people represent 86% of the United States population. Within our borders alone, there are 168 million individuals without a relationship with Christ – making the United States one of the top five mission fields in the world.
However, as students transition from adolescence to adulthood, stepping into church planting and missional living is riddled with challenges. If we fail to equip and empower these future leaders, the Great Commission risks stalling at a time when the need is greater than ever. Collaborative efforts among churches, campus ministries, and mission organizations are essential to address these obstacles and unleash the potential of this generation.
This article outlines three key obstacles that hinder students from engaging in church planting and proposes actionable solutions to overcome them.
1. Obstacle: Inspiring Students to See the Value of the Mission
The Problem:
One of the most significant challenges is helping students believe that the mission of spreading the gospel is worth their time, effort, and sacrifice. Many students view their faith as a set of beliefs to affirm rather than a mission to live out. While this generation values authenticity and purpose, there is a disconnect between “saying it” and “living it.”
Moreover, the church struggles to elevate the urgency of lostness – helping young people grasp the spiritual needs of their peers and the world. The reality of 168 million lost individuals in the United States alone underscores the need for a gospel-centered movement. Without a clear vision for missional living, students often lack the motivation to act.
What Can We Do About It?
- Envision: Help students capture a vision for missional living by sharing compelling stories of transformation. Highlight testimonies from peers who have stepped into church planting or missional living and seen lives changed through the gospel. Create environments where students can see and feel the weight of lostness and the hope of redemption.
- Engage: Provide experiential learning opportunities that connect head, heart, and hands. Initiatives such as mission trips, outreach events, and interactive workshops can bridge the gap between knowledge and action.
- Embrace: Strengthen relationships between young people and local churches. Churches should intentionally invite students to serve in meaningful ways, creating spaces where they can build relationships with mentors and develop a sense of belonging.
- Empower: Equip students to see their vocation – whether in ministry, education, business, or the arts – as a mission field. Commission them as part of the church’s mission, recognizing that the gospel reaches people where they work, live, and play.
If we do these things students will have a clear vision for their role in God’s mission, actively engaging in their communities, campuses, and the world. This generation will transition from passive faith to active discipleship, building relationships with local churches and mobilizing others toward the Great Commission.
2. Obstacle: Helping Students Discover Their Unique Missional Calling
The Problem:
Many young people struggle to see how their gifts, talents, passions, experience, and personality fit into the broader picture of God’s mission. Often, they believe ministry is confined to a pulpit or traditional church roles. Yet, God has uniquely wired each person for a purpose that goes beyond the four walls of a church building.
Without exposure to fresh expressions of church planting and hands-on experiences, students cannot fully grasp what it means to live out their missional calling. This lack of understanding leads to disengagement and a missed opportunity to empower students to become catalysts for transformation.
What Can We Do About It?
- Show: Increase awareness of how students’ gifts can be used in missional contexts. Highlight examples of gospel transformation efforts, such as house churches, community outreach initiatives, and bi-vocational ministry. Leverage social media and digital platforms to share these stories.
- Do: Provide practical experiences that allow students to try missional living or church planting firsthand. This could include internships, shadowing mentors or church leaders living on mission, serving on a church planting team, or participating in church ministry efforts. Experiential learning helps students discern their calling while building confidence and skills.
- Move: Shift the perspective of missional living. Teach students that being “on mission” means faithfully following Jesus in every aspect of their lives – whether they are leading a small group, mentoring a friend, or serving in a secular workplace. Encourage creativity in how they translate the essence of the church for their generation.
Let’s help students understand how their unique gifts fit into the Great Commission. Through hands-on experiences, they will discern their calling and embrace a broader vision of missional living. As a result, young people will see themselves as co-laborers in God’s mission, using their talents to reach the lost in fresh and innovative ways.
3. Obstacle: Developing a Clear Pathway for Leadership and Discipleship
The Problem:
While many students feel a desire to make an impact, they often lack a clear pathway to explore leadership in ministry contexts. This absence of structure leads to frustration for both students and churches. Ministries struggle to connect with the next generation, and even when they do, they don’t always know how to help students develop their potential.
In a culture that bombards young people with competing visions for their lives, the church must offer a compelling Kingdom vision. Without intentional discipleship and leadership development, students risk falling prey to a worldview that prioritizes comfort and self over mission and sacrifice.
What Can We Do About It?
- Create a Leadership Development Pathway: Design a simple yet flexible framework that guides students through stages of spiritual growth and leadership development. This pathway should include mentorship, theological education, and opportunities for hands-on ministry.
- Contextualize for All Ages: Adapt the pathway for various life stages, from middle and high school students to college students and young adults. Begin building a missional mindset early so students step into adulthood with clarity about their calling.
- Equip Leaders: Train pastors, campus ministers, and lay leaders to disciple students effectively. Equip them with tools to guide young people in identifying their gifts and stepping into leadership roles within their churches and communities.
Imagine with me if the young people in your church had a clear and adaptable leadership pathway. Students would transition seamlessly from discipleship into leadership, equipped with the tools and support they need to step into church planting and other missional efforts. This pathway would empower the next generation to carry the gospel forward with clarity and conviction and would be the future of the church, your church!
A Collaborative Effort for a New Generation
The challenges of inspiring, equipping, and developing young adults for missional living and church planting are too significant for any single organization to tackle alone. Collaboration among churches, campus ministries, and mission organizations is essential to create a unified approach that meets students where they are and propels them into their God-given calling.
By working together, we can:
- Provide compelling stories and vision that inspire students to engage in God’s mission.
- Offer hands-on experiences that allow students to see how their unique gifts can make a difference in the Kingdom.
- Develop clear pathways that equip students for leadership and discipleship, ensuring a smooth transition into missional living.
The stakes are high, but so is the potential. Generations Z and Alpha are movement mobilizers, ready to recruit others into causes they believe in. By empowering them to embrace the gospel mission, we can ignite a movement that reaches the 168 million lost people within our borders and beyond.
The future of the church depends on how we invest in these young leaders today. Let’s commit to equipping, inspiring, and sending them out to plant seeds of hope, renewal, and salvation in a lost and broken world.
