Gen Z is spiritually hungry. Try these 3 questions to move the conversation closer to God

Stories of spiritual renewal are pouring in from across the country. Gen Z is more spiritually open than preceding generations and it seems the noise from the ‘quiet revival’ grows louder by the day.

From openness to encounter

Christians on the front lines of sharing faith feel ecstatic to see the Spirit move so visibly after a long season of slogging it out. However, we could miss the opportunity to help this generation find full and free life, if we don’t know how to help them shift from spiritual openness to seeking the Son of God. 

My wife and I have been asking young people if they are spiritual for over a decade now. It all started when we responded to the Spirit’s nudge, moved to a small Oxfordshire market town, and began to reach out to youth in the schools and community. 

We quickly realised that the teenagers we came into contact with had very little history with the church and very little residue of the Jesus story left in their subcultures. We knew we needed to build trusting relationships to serve as a bridge to the gospel and we grew excited as dozens of youth responded to our initial invitations to explore the Christian faith. 

But it didn’t take long for the excitement to turn to frustration. As the weeks went on, it seemed like we were answering questions young people simply were not asking! And it could have been the sugary drinks and biscuits on offer, but it felt like we were shouting the gospel, rather than sharing a message that sounded like good news. 

The bottom line is Gen Z is spiritual, but they don’t know what it means

We knew we needed to find new starting points that could overcome what we’ve termed the ‘relevancy barrier’ and would stir curiosity from the start. Our wrestling led us to create the Stir Course, a twelve-week ‘pre-Alpha’ experience that aims to stimulate spiritual curiosity before attempting to transfer truths about Jesus and Christianity. The first session of the Stir Course starts by asking, “Are you spiritual?” then sets out to stir up several spiritual longings that lie buried deep below the surface of our secular cultures.

We’ve seen this simple “Are you spiritual?” starting point unlock indifference and kickstart countless journeys to Jesus. That’s why we feel especially encouraged by the recent reports. A new openness has emerged with as many as 64% of Gen Z identifying as spiritual (Belief in Britain). Even the ‘statistic sceptics’ among us should be thrilled that younger generations’ default position is no longer “I’m an atheist”.

We sense that the Church stands on the brink of a huge opportunity. And if you’re feeling you’d like to get caught up in the swell of what the Spirit is doing, we offer three questions, from our own experience, that can help this generation shift from spiritual openness to seeking after the saviour.

1. “Are you spiritual?”

This one is easy. It’s especially easy when spirituality and increasing church attendance is making headlines not only in Christian media but national news outlets as well. “Have you heard the news? Would you say you are a spiritual person?” We’ve found this question is one of the quickest ways to cut through the “I’m not religious” smokescreen. Give it a try and listen to what they say. 

2. “What do you think it means to be spiritual?” 

The most frequent reply we receive is, “I’m not sure…maybe, like, ghosts and stuff?” (actually, we hear a different ‘s’ word used, that probably shouldn’t be printed here!) 

The bottom line is Gen Z is spiritual, but they don’t know what it means. You can help them make sense of it and you can give them a new language to describe it. And keep it simple because it can quickly get too philosophical and too technical to be practically useful.

We define it like this: “You are more than a body and a brain. You have a spirit or a soul. Better yet… you are a soul. You have spiritual longings that can’t be explained by physical matter alone. But we are not going to try to prove it to you. We want to help you experience your soul in action.”

When we enter an unfamiliar world, learning new language is such a crucial element that not only helps us make sense of our new surroundings, it also gives us the tools we need to experience new realities, including spiritual ones!

3. Can we introduce you to God?

Finally, we’ve learned to make this observation and ask this final question: “You sense that you long to connect with someone or something more. You may not believe it yet, but we believe your soul longs for God. Can we start introducing him to you?” 

This is the kind of truth that sounds like good news. For years the cultural narrative found in our books, films, and friendship circles across countless countries has communicated the following: “The answers lie deep inside you.” But a generation who struggles with identity, and who feels saddled with the weight of personal shame, has found this sort of wisdom, unsurprisingly hollow. “If I have to find meaning deep inside myself, it’s hopeless.” That’s why this generation senses they must look beyond themselves. 

The renewed spiritual landscape opens up several new starting points (and will also require several shifts) for faith-sharing. We’re praying you join us in trying these three simple questions.

Let’s see what the Spirit stirs!  

Download the free Faith Sharing Fast Tracker: 20 Questions to Stir any Soul, Anytime, Anywhere