Nearly half of Christians make a decision to follow Christ before age 13, and 77% do so before 18, noted Shane Pruitt, who underscored the critical importance of next-generation ministry. “If we don’t reach them by age 18 or in their college years, we completely lose an entire generation.”
During a breakout session during the recent New Mexico Evangelism Conference, Pruitt, national next generation director for the North American Mission Board, provided guidance on effectively reaching and discipling Generation Z with the gospel.
Pruitt, who has spent years ministering to youth, college students and young adults, shared eight key principles for connecting with what he calls the “Revival Generation.”
Among his principles, Pruitt emphasized relying on the Holy Spirit’s power rather than gimmicks, preaching God’s authoritative Word rather than self-help pep talks, and empowering young believers for ministry now instead of treating them as the “future” church.
Today’s church
“They are the church right now,” Pruitt declared. “If they have the Holy Spirit, they have spiritual gifts that some of us don’t have. We need to raise the bar for them instead of lowering it.”
Pruitt also highlighted Gen Z’s thirst for truth amid struggles with mental health, sexuality and gender identity. While urging compassion, Pruitt challenged the church to speak biblical truth into these areas rather than remaining silent.
“The world has tried to bully the church into silence, saying these are just political issues,” Pruitt said. “But these were biblical truths before they were political statements.”
Joined by Evan, a NAMB journeyman, Pruitt modeled intergenerational dialogue, with Evan encouraging vulnerability from leaders to cultivate openness among young people.
Desperate for truth
As the largest generation in the U.S. — comprising 72 million young people — Gen Z represents a large missions field but also great potential for spiritual revival, Pruitt noted.
Equipping the church to engage them could fuel awakening.
“They’re desperate for truth,” Pruitt stated. “When they hear the Word of God preached, that’s what they need. Preach the Word – they can handle doctrine and theology.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Brittany Barrett and originally published by the Baptist New Mexican.
