Associate Professor of Missions and Youth Ministry Dr. Tim McKnight has been teaching students in the College of Christian Studies for years, many of whom are members of Generation Z. Through his interactions with his students, it did not take McKnight long to recognize the need for the church to engage this generation that is much larger and more diverse than our country has yet seen.
With this calling in mind, McKnight wrote Engaging Generation Z: Raising the Bar for Youth Ministry to serve as a godly aid for those who are teaching, parenting, and leading members of Generation Z.
“Generation Z has tremendous potential because of its volume and diversity to reach people from every tribe, tongue, and nation in the United States and around the globe,” McKnight said. “If we disciple members of this generation with the gospel and teach them to make disciples, we will see a tremendous advancement of the gospel through the members of this generation.”
In Engaging Generation Z, McKnight gives an analysis of the new difficulties that the church is facing in our expanding culture. But, as the title suggests, McKnight says that the church’s response should not be to shy away from these issues, but to “raise the bar” in its interaction with Generation Z.
“Most of my students are older members of Generation Z,” McKnight said. “My interaction with them reaffirmed the belief I express in the book that, if we set our expectations high, students will rise to meet them.”
McKnight’s book is already poised for success. On the first day of its release, it was the No. 1 new release in Amazon’s Children & Teens Christian Education category. However, McKnight’s focus is not on recognition for his book, but the sharing of the gospel.
“I pray that the book helps youth ministers, parents, and churches to work together in discipling students,” McKnight said. “I pray that it encourages people to engage members of Generation Z with the gospel of Jesus Christ and disciple them to become Christ-followers who advance the gospel and the Kingdom of God.”