Effectively Reaching Gen Z

In this episode we are joined by Pastor Savannah Waldner, the director of Z8, who shares the importance of reaching Gen Z with the truth of the gospel.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

Hey, thank you for joining us this time on the Leading Life Change podcast. Today we're excited to have a conversation about effectively reaching Gen Z with a special guest.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

We are so excited to have Pastor Savannah Waldner with us today. Our youth pastor at Life Change Church Harrisburg and Z8 director. I know a recent role. Pastor Savannah, why don't you talk a little bit about um who you are, your your your story a little bit, and then what you do?

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you for having me on. Um so my name is Savannah. I get to serve as a youth pastor and um gen or uh Z8 director uh through Life Light. Um I am married, I've been married for 10 and a half years. I have a 10-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old daughter. So um I love my family. I love, I love um just what God has blessed me with in that regard. Um, a little bit about me and how I got to to where I am. Um we had our daughter at age 19. And so we were young, young parents. Um, that kind of propelled us into the church world because I was like, oh my goodness, we have to, somebody has to teach our daughter about Jesus. Like, we can't do that. And so um we got involved in the church pretty quickly. Um, and um, we were discipled really well and we were loved on and cared for really, really well. And God has just taken us on a journey to um to hear, and it's all because of his goodness and his faithfulness. Um, but back when I was 14 or 15, I felt God call me into youth ministry. Um, and I said yes to him at that point in my life. But then obviously we got I got sidetracked with life and doing my own thing. And so when we got back into the church world, I was like, there's no way I can do youth ministry. There's absolutely no way. Um I one, I've made too many mistakes, and two, youth students scare me. They're so scary. And so I uh I just said, I will never do youth ministry. I will never, never, never do youth ministry. Um, but God reminded me of that calling that he placed on my heart when I was 14 or 15. And so just through open doors and his leading and his guiding, he has put me right in the center of youth ministry and young adult ministry. And it's been such a blessing, such an honor to get to do that. Um, and I'm just so grateful for how he has led us to the spot of getting to minister to young people.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

I love that. I love that. And I can see the call of God evident on you and Tyler and what the Lord's doing in your family, and we're so grateful to have you on our team.

SPEAKER_03 2:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

I know that uh there are over the years there's been a lot of conversation about generational distinctives, right? And I know that there truly are elements of every generation that a generation brings to the table, I think, in and culture. But there's also stereotypes. Yep. Right. And stereotypes would be more of the negative. Yeah. What do you feel when you think about Gen Z and some of those stereotypes that need to be like become strongholds that need to be pulled down so that we can reach them, so we don't just stereotype them and label them and then pass them over. Can you speak to that a little bit and what you're what you're seeing in Gen Z? Yeah. And and um, you know, how we can how we can come alongside that. Sure.

SPEAKER_00 3:34

Yeah. I think some of the stereotypes that um we hear often is um they are so far from God that they don't have that there's no hope for the future with Gen Z. Um, you know, we hear that they don't have an attention span, that they're just kind of um just everywhere all the time, no guidance, no leading. Um, we hear that they're just annoying, you know, especially the middle schoolers, the young ones. Um they're they're just so annoying. Um they just run their mouth all the time. You know, some of some of these negative things that we're speaking. Um, this has also been kind of labeled the anxious generation. Yes. Um, and that, you know, that's what we might see, but to label a whole generation as the anxious generation is kind of wild. We're putting that weight on them, yes, um, and we're speaking that over a whole generation. And I believe that words are so important and what we are speaking over a whole people group should not be negative, right? Should not be hopelessness, should not be um words of death, but truly words of life and encouragement. And so um, yeah, this generation is is facing a lot of of heaviness, a lot of anxiety, a lot of depression, um, a lot of temptations that um before it was harder to get into. Not that the temptations weren't there, it was harder to get into. Nowadays it's just everywhere you look, there's temptation and there's hardship. So I think as we um think about stereotypes, just the words that we're speaking over over this generation really should be life-giving and encouraging.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

That's good. That's good. I agree with that. And I that's what I struggle with stereotypes, and and you, you know, you be you're around people sometimes and they'll say, Well, those you know, those kids or those teenagers or this generation or those young adults, and and you're thinking, Man, as believers, yeah, our words ought to be different. Yep. And we ought to stand out with our words because we do speak life or death over people.

SPEAKER_02 5:37

Absolutely. I think that too, it's important for the church to recognize just how much of a mission field there is in that generation and the potential that that's there in that generation. While, yes, there's some unique characteristics that that seem to set them apart from other generations, and it might be things that annoy those other generations and cause them to label them, maybe mislabel them a little bit. But I think that when we start to look past that and recognize what God can use, how God can uniquely use those things for the kingdom and and and understand that like obviously the goal of the Lord isn't changing, but but the methods change, right? We've talked about that before, that sometimes the methods changed and who knows what God has in store for this generation as they become lifelong followers of Jesus, as they hear about the gospel and they have conviction for the gospel and how they're gonna use like who God uniquely created them to be, and the things that we might look at and be like, man, that's a problem you got to get fixed. Um, God might use that very specific thing to help them accomplish something that wasn't able to be done before. You know, you were talking about the calling of God on your life, 14, 15, and sometimes we get sidetracked with life, but God never forgets the call. And so, like, even when I was in youth ministry, like my whole thought was okay, if I can get these kids to recognize the call of God on their life, like if we can get them to get a glimpse of it, and that's why like ministry that what you're doing, reaching Gen Z, young adult ministry, all this stuff, I think is so important because in the midst of all of the challenges they face and the difficulties that they face and how prevalent it seems in this generation, if we can get them to catch a glimpse of the call of God on their life, then who, you know, yeah, there might there might be seasons where they're wrestling with their faith or where they're it seems like they're off the path, quote unquote. But we know that God's a faithful God and that He doesn't forget the call. And so who knows, you know, what God is gonna do with that.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

Absolutely. I think it's such a cool thing to actually watch young people wrestle out their faith. It's hard, but it's so cool because you know at the end of that wrestling match, you know they might walk away with a limp, but they are so secure in who God is and who God created them to be. So I think that's something that um we we should actually like, hey, talk, talk to the Lord about that. Like figure out what you believe and why you believe it. Go deep with your roots with the Lord. Um, you know, have those hard conversations with leaders, with pastors. Um, you know, if your parents are believers with your parents, um, with mentors, have those tough conversations, have those tough conversations with God. Um, you know, it's okay to to to kind of like figure out um the the depth of who God is. And sometimes that looks looks a little wrestly. And um so then you can walk away knowing without a shadow of a doubt um who God is and who he created you to be.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

That's so good. You mentioned a little bit, Pastor Nate, about how um how the message doesn't change, but the methods do, right? And I I've always believed that. But we are living in a time right now that is so spiritually confusing because there's churches that once we're anchored to truth that are drifting. Yeah, yeah, and yeah, young people that are hearing different messages from different people, and there's so many more voices in culture today that they listen to. And my, you know, I know you're on the front lines of Z8, you know, Gen Z ministry. So my my question would be, especially for leaders that are like, okay, how do we communicate to these young people in in an information-inundated time when they're hearing all kinds of things and uh they're beginning to think, well, you know, what about sexuality? Yeah, and and what about identity and and and what's culture saying? Maybe this is okay, and and and if the people say it enough, then lies can become truth. So help us understand how to have conversations with them, how maybe to approach them and and bring it with grace, but also truth, you know, keeping anchored in truth, but demonstrating grace because sometimes I think people get angry, yep, trying to fight for faith and and truth that that it's not with grace, yeah, right. And and we need that balance, but maybe share a little bit about that and how you navigate those conversations with young people.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Yeah. Um, I always, always, always go back to the Bible. Everything has to be pointed back to the Bible. And, you know, we hear it, this this online pastor or this influencer said this, and it's like, okay, well, let's look at that in the Bible. Where do like how where did they get that from? Let's look at it with in the Bible. And I think the best pathway to be able to do that is relationship and having conversations with students. Um, they get influenced enough, they have so many voices, but what they don't have is people to sit down and have some of those tough conversations with. Um, because a lot of them are asking questions, they have the questions, and all they're hearing is maybe somebody from a screen or somebody distant from them that's speaking to them. So they don't know what to do with these questions, they don't know how to um hear both like they don't they don't know what to do. So they're kind of sitting there and like, well, if if the influencer is the only one talking to me, then I guess that's who I have to believe. Um so my approach is hey, be is being very relational. Like, yes, for youth group, we do a sermon and I believe in preaching the gospel 100%, but I believe that they are going out for coffee with students and sitting with students. And if they have a hard question, don't immediately go, oh my goodness, that's wrong. So you're wrong, and you know, freak out at them. Like, well, where did you get this belief from? Where, where did you, where did you pick up that from? Or why do you believe that? And just begin that conversation so that's so they're kind of getting to the truth. Um, we're I'm walking alongside them, we're walking alongside them, but we're not kind of just hitting them over the head with the Bible or with scripture, um, because everything that I will say is pointed back to scripture. Um, sometimes I just walk alongside them to help figure it out. Um and some that some of that just kind of depends on where I'm at relationally with the students. Um, but I believe that as, you know, as a youth pastor, it's not just my responsibility to have relationships with these young people. Um, it is really the church's church's responsibility to have relationships with the young people. So when they come to you with questions or concerns, or I heard this or this church did that, and I'm confused. I don't, I'm not sure what I believe about the situation. Um, I'm struggling with my sexuality, I'm feeling same-sex attraction, um, I'm struggling with porn, you know, when they're coming to you, I would I would ask, do they even feel safe enough to come to you with those questions?

SPEAKER_02 12:47

Um if we want them to, you know, if our heart is for them to wrestle and find their faith, you know, you talked about watching students wrestle with their faith and like really try to figure out what they believe, what God is revealing to them. You know, we want that to happen. You know, we want them to have a like a desire to find the truth. And I think that that's, you know, the social media generation, like we've there's so much false truth. There's so much like lies that happen that now this generation just has such a hunger for the real thing.

SPEAKER_03 13:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:21

And they can, they, they can tell when somebody is trying to pull the wool over their eyes. Yeah. And so I think as much as we can give them a hunger for the truth of the gospel and encourage them to, you know, whether that's through discipleship, personal devotion time, to really seek that out and not just take the word of you know a social media post um and and and build a theology around that, but to develop that and flesh that out. I think we just have to continue to just push, push them that direction. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

Absolutely. I'm a firm believer that the local church is God's idea, yeah. Right, and and the hope of the world. We see that in scripture, God's the theology around the church, which means it's the hope for Gen Z. Um, and yet I personally have sat back over the years and even in various generations, I've watched the church um make mistakes and how they approached, and and it's almost like that poisons their view of the church and it and impacts them. So what are some of the maybe common mistakes that you see in churches and church people that really create barriers to Gen Z and engaging with the church and coming into the church, whether it's youth group or it's Sundays, that you would you would just speak to and say, Hey, here's some here's some things that you know maybe you think you're doing well. You maybe think that's you know, maybe it's the right heart, but it's not the right expression, and it's not received or perceived as you are portraying it. And um and how how how can we do it better with that? How can we roll out the red carpet to Gen Z and churches and say we want to minister this generation? We believe revival comes through the the younger generation, that's history.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

And and and if we want to see revival and God use this generation, then we have to be willing to say, hey, with grace, with truth, we're rolling out the red carpet. And we want them to know that that this is their house too.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Yeah, yeah. Um I f I firmly believe in youth ministry. Um, I don't believe that it should be a separate, like separate from from church in general. So some um some churches operate that youth ministry is just its own, almost its own church. Yeah. So then there's no um mingling of generations. There's just like youth ministry happens at this time, and then they walk into a church building on Sunday, they're not greeted, they're not welcomed, they're not loved on, they're not cared for. And so youth ministry is so important to have a youth pastor and youth ministry, you know, all of that. However, it should be one, a cohesive church, um, one body. Um, I also think even in youth ministry, sometimes it's really um trendy to have the hip cool people like serve as small group leaders or um, you know, the ones that are wearing the baggy clothes, the hat, you know, the the ones that can can bring hype and excitement. And I think for a while churches were filling, filling youth ministry with those kind of people. Um, and on the outside, it looks fun and exciting, but there's no depth. Um, in our youth ministry, we have um a lot of our youth leaders in in Harrisburg um are older, 50 and older. Um and that was scary for me at the beginning, straight up, but I have found that it has been so rewarding to have 50 and 60 year olds serve in youth ministry because depth. And they love the students. They're not there for hype, they're not there to get an applause, they're not there to like rah-rah, rah. Like they are there because they love the students and there's wisdom and there is depth in them. So watching 50, 60 year olds pour into the next gen or like the next generation and the students, it's unbelievable. Um, our our greeter, she does check-in at youth and she's 60. She celebrated her 60th birthday with us and um at youth group, and she wasn't there one week, and the students were asking where she was. Wow. She doesn't get up and do games, she's not shouting and hollering, but she's there for the students. And so I think um being very mindful of who is in the youth ministry serving, not there for hype, not there just because, but people who love the students and are there to point them to Jesus. That's awesome. Um, I think I think that's important.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

I love that. I think that's amazing. Yeah. In fact, I I one of the things I wrote down was intergenerational. Yes, yes, yes. The older teaching, the younger. Yep. Yep. And what you're speaking to right now is critical for the discipleship and the holding of a generation spiritually so we don't lose them. You know, we need to be investing in them.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Yeah. And I think pulling, you know, pulling them in to serve. Yes. It's actually very scary to let can be scary to let young people, you know, run the sound, this in the sound booth or run tech or, you know. Um, but to have them come alongside you and serve, man, that that's kind of the glue to keep them in the church. Um, I love watching young people help in kid ministry or helping um, you know, on the worship team or whatever that looks like, even on a Sunday, they might not be the best at it, but they're but they're so teachable and they're willing to, they're willing to be taught. So um I think just pulling them in and again, it goes back to relationship. It goes back to just sitting alongside somebody shoulder to shoulder, teaching them how to run slides or teaching them how to pass the offering bucket or teaching them how to because it's so much more than that, right? It's so much more, and it's really just creating this place within the church saying, Hey, you belong here. You absolutely belong here, and we actually want you here. Yes, you're not just loud and annoying and crazy, like we want you here. You're so special to this church, and we notice when you're gone. Like even saying, Hey, I missed you, I missed you on Sunday, I missed you on Wednesday, you know, and not like, oh, you this is this check mark that you have to be at church, but we noticed you were gone. And um, we just want to know that you have a place, you have a place here.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

I think it just speaks the heart of the Lord to them because and reveals the heart of the of God to them, because for a generation that whether intentionally or unintentionally has been made to feel like isolated or less than or, you know, uh, I think that when when that happens, when we convey love and care and we speak value to them, it like you said, it's the glue, it's the glue that holds it together. We've got one uh student that serves on our worship team, and just her being in the room, like when, you know, she doesn't always speak up, but sometimes she's like got fantastic questions where she's like trying to, you know, develop her faith and like learn, like figure out what she believes. But just being in the room when discipleship's happening and like giving her the opportunity to be around that, she has had so much buy-in to the to the church, she's been incredibly faithful, and I mean we're we're we're seeing a lifelong follower of Jesus being made right in front of our eyes.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Yeah, I love that. And I also think about how a lot of these young people that are coming into our churches they don't have the parental support. Yes, right?

SPEAKER_03 20:59

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

Some of them are in pretty serious situations at home. Yeah, they come in, they need spiritual dads and spiritual moms and people pouring into them that care about them, yeah, that that are watching out over their soul, that are discipling them. And so I love that you're saying that this is this can't be a silo. Yeah, it has to be holistic church life. And while there's ministry that obviously is geared towards them and their friends, and I think that's important, and you hit that, there also has to be a you know, a very intentional um decision to bring them into the family of God. And I love that because you know, and some of them go with their parents on Sunday somewhere else, and that's great. But hey, if you don't have a church home and you know, and we want to invite you Sunday, and we have a place for you, and we have a place for you to serve. I love that too. And I think we you know, for too long it w in the church over the years, it's been like, well, you know, they're not ready, or you know, they gotta reach this age or they gotta be this mature. And I'm thinking, man, we miss so many opportunities when we don't turn that generation loose.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

This generation will rise to the bar that you set it.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

If you lower the bar for them, that's that's what they're gonna hit. But if you heighten the bar for them within holiness, within serving, within expectation, they will hit it. And they're such a purpose, they're they're purpose-driven. They want to know what their purpose is. Why am I here? What am I here for? Why did God create me? Right. So if we're helping drive that, whether it's exploring talents or gifts or just being a part of something, that all goes into their purpose. And so being a part of something bigger than themselves, they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They're really not as self-focused as I think we make them out to be. We're just not giving them enough opportunity to point to other people and focus on other people. So I think giving them as much opportunity as possible, whether they're ready or not, there's wisdom and there's guidance, and that's what leaders are for. Um, and so the fact if I can work myself out of a job that with young people, that'd be fantastic.

unknown 23:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:02

I think that's like that's an important factor to remember when we bring in seasoned believers into the conversation and into that discipleship process is we're teaching, we're teaching this younger generation how to how to connect those dots of like serving out of the a love for the Lord and what sacrifice looks like in the context of our relationship with God, what faithfulness looks like in our relationship with God, and and and what you know what like how serving can be rewarding as a way to honor the Lord with the work of our hands. And so a lot of times that take that takes a long time to develop that that mindset to a place where you start living your life in that in that lane. But when we bring seasoned believers alongside people who have who have wrestled through that and like they're at a place where everything they do is like they're offering it to the Lord and they're living in that in that lane. When we can start to be that example to the younger generation, it just it it's like putting fuel on the fire. You know what I mean? Like it furthers the process so much faster. It just like energizes it. And uh, and they're they're passionate. They're they're passionate. They wanna, like you said, the bar that you set for them, they're gonna they're gonna reach it or they're gonna want to reach it, they're gonna try. And so, and so if we set it in front of them and say, hey, this is this is how you do it. This is what honoring the Lord looks like. Yeah, yeah. Uh, when they see that, they're gonna be like, oh, well, then that's what I want to do.

SPEAKER_03 24:42

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

Absolutely. I think that's so important, you know. I think the fire alarm's going off. That's okay. We can we can push through it. Hallelujah. Hey, Pastor Savannah, I I think about um what God's doing in this generation that sometimes people don't see. Yeah. Um, and I I think about some of the Z8 nights. I know God's moving in Harrisburg and Wednesday nights and Sioux Falls and Wednesday nights and God's doing, but I think about like these hundreds of young people coming out for a worship night.

SPEAKER_03 25:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Um, not even necessarily connected with their own church, but it's a it's a it's a community, you know, event where they're coming together and they're just hungering after God. And I've seen some of those, you know, I've been in some of those meetings, I've I've I've observed some of the things. Can you share a little bit of what you're seeing in this generation that gives hope to you that I think you can declare out to churches and pastors and leaders to say, hey, listen, um, you may see one thing. Yeah, and we know that media always portrays one thing, but you really need to hear what's happening in this generation.

SPEAKER_00 25:47

Yeah. Um, yeah, so um just kind of a little bit about Z8. Um, you know, the mission for Z8 is to reach Gen Z, bring light into darkness, and to make Jesus famous. Um, and we our whole mission is to go after Gen Z with the gospel, with the truth. And so we have these Z8 worship nights, and um, they're with churches in Sioux Falls because we want, we believe and we know that it's not just every church on their own, but all gospel preaching churches as one body. So we really encourage um churches to come together, young people to come together and worship the Lord. Um, so we have worship, um, which is mainly young student-led. Um, so most of our worship team is Gen Z, young people, um, just a heart for the Lord and using their gifts and their talents for the Lord. So that's awesome. Um, we have um a testimony that is shared from a young person, a Gen Z student, um somebody on the Z8 team, and they just share what God has done in their life, how Jesus saved them, how he something he brought them from. Um and so they share their testimony and then we preach the gospel message. Um and that's what a Z8 night is. That's that's it. There's no hype, there's no games, there's no um like extra draw. It's just worship and truth. That is it. And hundreds of students are coming out to those. Hundreds. I mean, we've had anywhere from 400 to 750 just in the Sioux Falls area. Um, and you go, why? Why is that? Because they're hungry, they're looking for truth. Like Pastor Nate said, we we call it Z8 because um there's this, there's this statistic that says that Gen Z has an eight second, um, eight-second attention span. And our CEO, Josh Brewer, he he was like, you know what? I don't think it's an attention span. We believe that it's an eight-second filter that says, hey, they're gonna see if something's true in eight seconds or not. So you have eight seconds really with Gen Z to and they're gonna see if this is true or not. And if they believe there's truth in that, then you have a hook, then you have a hook. And now what do you do with that? Well, we present the gospel, we present the truth. Um, and so it's been, you know, we see a lot of churches, a lot of people going after hype and excitement and like, ah, we gotta bring in the masses. And it's like, hey, hey, just stick, stick to what scripture says, actually, just come together. Um, we see our team is there to pray for one another. You know, students are coming up with heavy, heavy things. Wow. Heavy, heavy things. And our students, our Z8 team, they're just praying. So it's peers praying over peers. Man, that's so cool when there's the boldness and encouragement for young people to pray over young people, for them to live out that boldness. Um, and so yeah, worship, prayer, the gospel, testimony. Um, and we're seeing revival take place because revival really starts in individual hearts, and that's just turning to the Lord and and really going, I'm going after, I'm all in, I'm going after you, Jesus. So what God is doing through the young people um is pretty cool. And one of the greatest, one of my greatest things that I get to see is churches coming together. You know, they're not separate by youth groups, they're not separated by denominations. They're like, hey, we're hungry for this one thing, and we're all here for this one thing, and that's Jesus. And so um, you know, we went on tour, Z A went on tour um back in the spring, and um, we had a young girl out in Sioux Center, Iowa, and she walked in and she was just walked in very nervous. And you could tell that she was very nervous. And she I I greeted her and she was like, This is this is the first time I've walked back into anything church related. I've I've just really, really struggled. So this is my first time coming back. And I was like, okay, fantastic. But again, that safe place of somebody coming in. Yeah. Um, and that night she gave herself her life to the Lord and full surrendered. And by the end of the night, her hands were raised and full surrender. Um, and some of the team got to pray with her. We gave her a new Bible, and it's just like, man, one life, one life. And that's happening all over Sioux Falls in surrounding communities. Um, we have people that are driving two, two and a half hours just to get to a Z8 night because they're hungry, they just want to worship the Lord and they want truth. And so um, we love getting getting to partner with churches to do that and to just minister to this generation.

SPEAKER_01 30:13

That's awesome. To kind of go along with that, my my youth pastor that I grew up under was a phenomenal youth pastor. I mean, he and he reached the hard kids, the the kids that were far from God. They I mean they just he just had a love for them and was honest with them, preached the truth to them. And um, I remember when I was getting ready to go into youth ministry uh as a youth pastor, and I said, Hey, Pastor Fred, I said, Can you give me just if you had one thing to say to me about youth ministry, what would you tell me? He said, Quentin, he said, Worship and word is all they need. Yeah. And I was like, wow. You know, because we feel that pressure of, man, gotta get him here, gotta give away an Xbox, gotta serve pizza. And not that those things at times don't fit, you know, they might might fit, but you're right. It's the authentic, it's the real, it's it's worship, encountering the presence of God, um, which we have to be people of his presence. Yeah, right. Yeah, and uh, it's giving the unfiltered word. Yeah. And and then the relational aspect of that. You know, I think those things can change, transform a generation, and it's happening.

SPEAKER_00 31:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's you know, that's our heart behind Z8. It's we're not here to be the local church, we're not here to be the church, we're here to bring students together to worship, to evangelize, share the gospel, and we highly encourage every single young person to get plugged into a local church. Who's your youth pastor? Who where are you going to church on Sundays? That's good. Um, and and to just really encourage that because that's where discipleship happens, and that's so important. And we bring them in through, you know, through worship and the gospel unfiltered, unfiltered Bible. Um, and then it's like now, now you need to have people to come alongside you and help you wrestle out your, you know, help you with the questions, with the hard things, um, help you, help you along this journey.

SPEAKER_02 31:57

Yeah. How how can someone, if there's somebody that's listening that's interested in doing a Z8 night, like what's the process to partner with local churches um to have you guys come in and facilitate a service? What does that look like?

SPEAKER_00 32:10

Yeah, the best way is to go to the um Lifelite website, it's just lifelite.org, and then there's a Z8 tab, and it has um something that says like get us here somewhere, like an event. Yeah, like how do I get how do I get involved? Um and so uh yeah, and we just kind of go through the process. I reach out to them um and then just find a time that works and um a time that that we can come out. Um, so like this this in the summer, there is a state fair and they called us and we're like, hey, um, in Minnesota. So Minnesota's not always easy to get Christian things at a at a community event, and they've tried really hard for years. And so this is the second year that they get to have a faith and family night. Wow. So a state fair was like, hey, we want we want to reach the young people in Minnesota. So can can Z8 come out? So this is the first year we're going out to a county fair, and um, it's just exciting because it was like, that's the question. Can we bring the gospel and can we worship? And if the answer is yes to those two things, we will come. And so um, yeah, it's exciting. It's it is exciting.

SPEAKER_01 33:25

That's so good. That's so good. You know, I was thinking, and I know we're getting towards the end, but I uh I was I was thinking about a young man that attends your youth group from Harrisburg. And we were all together last night. What a beautiful night that we got to just enjoy ministry together and with our campuses and um bapt baptisms and all that, and uh, but anyway, we're putting away stuff and I'm trying to get in there and and help. And and uh this young man who I didn't really know, I mean, he probably knew me because we podcast in or we we broadcast into Harrisburg, and he and he said, Pastor Quentin, he's talking to me a little bit, and it was just a little bit of you know general conversation, and then he started going deep in some questions, theological questions, and actually said, Hey, I want to give you time, I want to give you good answers. I don't want it just to be like we're putting things away and you know, kind of dismissing them because I know that's important, right? That we take the time to look at them, not look past them. And um, so I said, Hey, let me get your information, write the questions down, I'll respond to you, which I will. And um, because I want to answer those questions. Well, come to find out this kid has a story. Yeah. I mean a big story. Big story of how the Lord is changing him. Yeah. You want to speak to that a little bit?

SPEAKER_00 34:41

Yeah. Um, you know, I I think he would be a great student that kind of gives an overview of what I see in Gen Z. One that is hungry, one that doesn't have necessarily an easy life, but they know he's experienced truth and now he lives that out. Wow. Um, and he just got to share his he's actually on the Z8 team as well. So um he just shared his testimony. Um, but it you know, it stems from his mom was very young when she was pregnant, and her family really wanted to get her to get an abortion, and she decided not to. She felt him kick at like it was like four or five weeks, so kind of just unreal, like just miraculous. Um, and so she goes, I can't, I can't do it. I have to, I have to give birth. And so kind of, you know, even seeing that process from 17 years ago and to now, and just the hunger and the desire that he has um for for truth and to share the gospel and to just be all in for Jesus, I think is is really um just encouraging to see that and encouraging. Um, and there's times that he'll ask questions and I go, I I have no idea. Like you're you're you're asking questions that I don't know. So again, it's kind of like let's let's let me let me like work through this and then I'll get back to you. And I think that follow-up is so, so important because that now they're like, okay, I want to see if you're real, exactly. Like just like on the platform versus off the platform. And um, I think that's so important. So I love that he's reaching out to pastors and just getting just getting familiar with with um the Bible and truth. And he carries his Bible everywhere, every single place that you see him, you will see his Bible. And if you can't see it, it's because it's a Gideon Bible in his pocket. So it is there. I can promise you that. Um, in his school, you know, he's sharing the gospel, and um he's he's he's inviting students to church. One of the students that got baptized last night at our outdoor service was one of his friends that he invited to Harrisburg. So both young young men come to church by themselves on Sunday mornings, um, and then they come to youth groups, youth group on Wednesday nights, and um not with their families, but with their church family. So I think that's super exciting and encouraging. Um, but man, these kids are out there, and I think it's just creating that space for us to be like, hey, we see you, we're not looking past you, we see you, we want to talk with you and just love on you a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

Okay, that's awesome. What you said about um, and I think this is important, you highlighted that that if you say you're gonna do something for a kid, if you if if if they ask you questions, I'm gonna get back to you, or you say, Hey, let's go for coffee, don't tell them that unless you mean it. Yep, right?

SPEAKER_03 37:28

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 37:28

Because that's the real, the authentic. Yeah that can I trust you.

SPEAKER_03 37:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:32

And um, it doesn't matter who you are. You might be a youth leader, you might just be a person in the church, you could be a pastoral leader, that you're real busy. If you tell them you're gonna do something, you need to follow through with that because that credibility means a lot.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

Yes, and and they are kind of in they have broken promises all over. People tell them one thing and then do something else, and so they that's what they're gonna start to believe. And we don't want to wear that badge of of um uncut promises. That's right. And so um, I think that's very important, that follow-up.

SPEAKER_02 38:01

So good, so good. Well, hey, we're wrapping up. Um, but Pastor Savannah, would you be willing just to um just to pray for those that are listening? Um, just for God to really instill a heart for this generation, yeah, yeah, and uh, and for you know, us to obviously just be willing to reach and do the hard work to reach them um and and really to have faith for what God has in store.

SPEAKER_00 38:24

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, I thank you. God, I thank you for this generation. God, I thank you for placing them here for such a time as this. Um, God, what the world may throw words at them or um stereotypes over them. God, I just pray a protection around this generation. God, I know this this is a generation that is bold, um, that is, that is um ready to share the gospel, that is ready, that is hungry for the word, um, that is hungry for your presence, that is hungry to just be with you. So, God, I just pray a protection around them. God, I pray for um people's hearts, especially within the church, God, for them also to begin to see that hunger inside of these young people, to, to catch the vision, to catch the heart behind this generation. God, I pray for a willingness for for um leaders and and other people, seasoned believers to come alongside these young people. God, there are so many wise older people within the church, and I pray for opportunities for these wise older people to pour into this younger generation, to walk alongside of them, to have opportunity to just love on them and point them to you. Um, God, we know that you were very, Jesus, we're very relational when you were here on the earth. And I pray that we have that same heart posture towards this generation. God, I pray that we are people of words of encouragement, words that lift them up, words that um build them up and speak life over this generation. God, I pray that we have that any words that come out that um that are kind of in our heart that we want to speak negative over this generation, God, that those words would just be silenced, that they would not fall upon this generation. God, I pray for hearts to be stirred, for for um, for the church, for us as believers to um just begin to, if we can't, if we can't serve, if we can't minister to them, to begin to pray for them, to begin to just lift them up in our prayer closets, in the war room and in just our lives that we are praying for this generation. Um, God, if we're frustrated with this generation, if we see something we don't like with this generation, would we have hearts to come to you about that and not our friends, not other people, but just you. So God, I just pray you continue to have your way in this generation, continue to move mountains in this generation. God, I pray, pray for breakthrough over this generation. Um, I pray for the people, the seasoned people who have testimonies to begin to share that testimony with these young people so they know that you're faithful, that they know that you're good, and that they know that you have a plan and a will for them. Um, God, would you just bless them? Would you just bless um um the people who are listening? God, the leaders, the people who are excited about um this generation. And God, would you just give them vision? Would you give them wisdom? And would they just be um so enamored by your love that they can't help but pour that out by uh to the next generation? God, we love you so much and we thank you for this generation. We give it all to you in your name, Jesus. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 41:21

Amen. Amen. Well, thank you for joining us this time on the Leading Life Change podcast. We'll catch you in the next one.