Z is just the beginning!

Z is just the beginning, because with Jesus, the last will be first.

Through what God has called me to do with my life, I’ve traced the story of Gen Z for more than the past 10 years. This hasn’t been planned on my part. When I began my time as youth pastor at St Mary’s and Sale West in Greater Manchester, I said to the Lord that I wanted to be there long enough to see an entire generation through the youth ministry. What I meant was that I’d be there at least 7 years – the length of time it took for a young person to travel through high school. I spent almost 9 years at St Mary’s. Almost all the young people I worked with there were part of Generation Z. Then I spent three years at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, the third year of which I mentored 11 students of all ages – around half of them Gen Z. This was a setup from Jesus to prepare me for leading St. Marks Academy, where the majority of our students are young leaders who are part of – you guessed it – Gen Z.

To state the obvious, I have observed that my calling seems to have tracked with the growth of Gen Z. I was working with this generation when they were teenagers and am still working with them now they’re in their 20s.

In March 2023 I wrote Shaken: Revisited, where I told the story of earthquakes that underlined my original post Shaken. In March 2023 a movement of prayer began sweeping through US university campuses, and I believe the movement of God that began in a particular way at that time has continued to build since! 

In the past few months, we have witnessed many Gen Z people showing up at St. Marks seeking God. Believers have a fervent desire to pray. University students at the church are often the most committed attendees of prayer meetings. At a summer camp with the church family, I was moved as I heard them softly singing worship songs late into the evening, opting to give more attention to Jesus rather than just attend the ‘fun’ activities on offer. Gen Zers who don’t even know God have been turning up at church because they realise they need Him. And this isn’t just happening in Coventry: I’ve spoken to people elsewhere in the UK who are seeing exactly the same kind of things happening. Those who had a nominal faith as children or teenagers are showing up in church and telling us ‘I know now’s the time to start taking my faith seriously’. I look around at our 5pm gathering and see 60 or so Gen Z people sandwiched between a few older people like me (yes I’m serious! I’m one of the oldest members of the congregation!) and think, This is what I dreamed of seeing years ago… this is what countless faithful believers prayed for for years… it’s happening!

Back in March 2023 I realised this: Generation Z is not an anxious generation that God is responding to with peace, rather it is a peace-carrying generation that the enemy has tried to steal from, because it is the good news of peace that is our footwear. If he steals peace he steals our forward movement. The feet of those who bring good news and proclaim peace are beautiful. 

Why is Jesus the Prince of Peace, not the King of Peace? Perhaps it is because of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, and so the Kingdom has come, but peace is still coming. The King is here, but the Prince is a King who is still coming.

In the past 2 years we are seeing the steady rise of Gen Z believers; a new revival wave of Jesus followers who are unconstrained by the past limitations on believing God, and are ready to explore a new landscape of faith like we’ve not seen in our lifetimes.

And recently, I was at the Revitalise Summit, and before a session from Stephen Foster, Rector of St Aldgate’s Oxford, about what God is doing with Gen Z, I had a moment of God speaking to me first thing in the morning: “Gen Z is just the start, because the last will be first.” What God is doing now is just the start of something that’s coming. Generation Alpha is next (those born in the 2010s to round about now) sociologically, and I believe they are next spiritually: what God has been beginning with Gen Z I think we will see continue with Gen Alpha. The world had a bleak view of the prospects for Gen Z, and a crushing diagnosis of mental health issues… but God saw something different. He saw a peace-carrying generation. He saw those whose heels turned the tide of history, whose footprints tread a new path of prayer and bring good news. He saw the start of something new! And Gen Alpha comes next.

Just the other week a church leader of a semi-rural parish church told me their church of around 80 was just about to begin a Youth Alpha course with 20 participants. This is a healthy church with good leadership and a heart for God. But it’s still remarkable. Their youth leader subsequently told me that this Youth Alpha course was requested by the Christian young people, so they could invite along their non-Christian friends! Think about it… Gen Alpha. Requesting Alpha… for their non-Christian friends. Gen Z are just the beginning. Gen Alpha are coming, and evangelism is a huge part of what’s coming.

I’ve been in the UK ministry scene for 20 years, and I know for a fact it’s not always been like this! Something is happening right now that I’ve never seen before, on this scale and with this regularity! So if you’re part of a church, pray for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Get ready to welcome them. Get ready to disciple them and be discipled by them. They are teaching me right now, of worship, of evangelism, or the importance of being ready for Jesus to return.

What are you seeing God do among Gen Z and Gen Alpha? Leave a comment and let me know!