Quick tips for Empowering Gen Y and Z to participate in shaping the way we do all aspects of church

1. Make sure they are not alone. It can be daunting when you are the one token voice supposed to represent a whole age group. We suggest you invite at least two or ideally more from any generation onto councils, committees etc  

2. Assign them a mentor. Ask a mature member on a committee to take a younger member under their wing. Met with them before a meeting to go over that will be discussed and debrief them after. 

3. Help younger generations to understand “why” we do what we do, not just the “what” we do. There is a temptation to teach younger generations to do things “our way.” A better strategy would be to provide mentors who say “this is how we do it now, how would you do it differently?”   

4. Increase the relational component of planning and leadership meetings; Gen Y and Z value relationships far more than they do formal processes or procedures.   

5. Give these younger folks time to process what they are participating in before demanding great insights from them about new ways to do things that will engage their generations better.   

6. Young people don’t have to be on a committee to have an impact if there is a mechanism for their voice to be heard and considered in these councils/ sessions. This could be as simple as ensuring that the terms of reference for any group requires each committee member to connect with at least two appropriate people under 30 and ask them for their input into any relevant issues.   

7. Invite them to be the “crap-ometer”. Because gen Y and Z are culturally very disconnected from Christendom and very sensitive to inauthentic language and behaviour, run your ideas and communication past them first.  

8. This is not a call for older generation leaders to abdicate their leadership rather a challenge to make room at the table for younger generations.