While many churches use small groups to build deeper relationships and community among members, this approach to discipleship isn’t a good fit for younger generations who are more likely to be wrestling with social insecurities and anxieties and turn most often to their mothers for spiritual direction, according to Christian research organization Barna.
In its February State of the Church release, created in partnership with personal growth platform Gloo, the Evangelical polling firm looks at “Discipleship Across Generations” and highlights how only about a quarter of people being discipled are part of a small group. It also found that “social insecurities and anxieties with ‘church people’” are one of the big stumbling blocks for younger generations.
“Compared to older generations, younger generations are more likely to say they aren’t in a small group because they don’t think they would fit in, are intimidated, fear getting hurt and worry people wouldn’t like them,” Barna researchers explain.
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“These patterns are true for both men and women, though young men especially feel they wouldn’t fit in or even that people wouldn’t get along with them, while young women especially say, ‘I don’t know anyone who goes to a small group and don’t want to go alone.’”
Although recent data show that most American teenagers are “very motivated” to learn about Jesus, Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) and millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) in churches are likely not getting to know more about Jesus in small groups because they assume they might not be welcomed or belong.
“There are plenty of other places for these communally minded generations to have their needs for relationships met, so it’s up to churches to communicate the unique value of small groups, as well as each churchgoer’s unique place at the table,” researchers said.
“Small groups may be one way of introducing or maintaining bridge-building relationships, which are rare to find in other spheres of life. Churches who value this approach may need middle-aged and older small group attendees (who are more likely to be represented in church anyway) to extend themselves intentionally toward younger churchgoers who may be nervous or standoffish.”
It’s no surprise, then, why Barna also found that when it comes to getting answers to questions about faith and spirituality, Gen Zers turn most frequently to their mothers.
Barna’s Gen Z research, produced in partnership with Impact 360 Institute, shows this generation trusting the Bible (39%), their moms (34%) and their pastors, priests or ministers (28%) the most with their spiritual questions.
And among Gen Z teenagers (13-17), there is a stronger trust in their family members when it comes to spiritual guidance, with 53% turning to their mothers for spiritual guidance.
“This trend extends to other authority figures, with teens being more likely than their older peers to trust pastors, their fathers or grandparents with spiritual questions,” researchers say.
As they get older, many in Gen Zers also lean toward self-directed spiritual searching, and are more likely to trust their own judgment on matters of faith.
Still, researchers noted that 80% of Gen Zers “agree their church has prepared them to understand issues in the world today from a biblical perspective.”
“Among practicing Gen Z Christians, the majority feels equipped to live out their faith daily (59%), with many noting that their religious beliefs are central to their sense of self (65%) and motivate them to make a difference in the world (62%),” researchers say.
“This data suggests that while Gen Z’s approach to faith guidance evolves with age, households and faith community continue to play a crucial role in their spiritual development. The challenge for church leaders and parents comes in bridging the gap between external, mentoring influences and this generation’s attraction to self-directed spiritual exploration, especially as they get older.”
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