Engaging Generation Z: Raising the Bar for Youth Ministry

by Tim McKnight

A holistic approach to reaching Generation Z in your local churchTo disciple the youth in our student ministries today, we have to understand the unique characteristics of Generation Z, and apply lessons learned from recent decades of youth ministry. In this thoroughly revised second edition of Raising the Student Ministry for a New Generation, pastor and professor Timothy McKnight brings a wealth of new insights, resources, and guidance for reaching today's adolescents.Following an overview of the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of Generation Z, McKnight provides youth pastors and volunteers with a complete plan for discipling adolescents through the local church. This includes practical advice on topics such • Engaging parents in youth ministry• Holistically guiding students in their beliefs, behavior, and affections• Equipping adult leaders who can serve as role models• Working with pastors, staff, and church leaders• Helping parents develop rites of passage for their children as they move into adulthood• Raising expectations for adolescents to encourage them to grow toward maturityBased on years of personal experience and practice, Engaging Generation Z provides everything youth ministers need to equip, grow, and encourage today's generation of young people to follow Christ, and to take their student ministry to the next level.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Leadership, Evangelism

200 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2021

About the author

Tim McKnight is the author of Engaging Generation Z (2021 Kregel), No Better Gospel: George Whitefield's Theology and Methodology of Evangelism (2017 Seed), and editor of Navigating Student Ministry (2022 B&H Academic).

He is the Director of the Global Center for Youth Ministry and Associate Professor of Missions and Student Ministry at Anderson University's Clamp Divinity School in Anderson, SC. Tim also is the lead pastor of a multiethnic multigenerational church plant, Mosaic Church of Anderson.

He received his Masters of Divinity in Missions and his Ph.D. in Evangelism, Missions, and Church History from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He pastored churches throughout Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He is also a veteran, having served as an infantry chaplain in the U.S. Army deploying on Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2002). He is also a black belt in Kenpo Jujitsu and is a certified NRA basic pistol instructor.

Tim lives in Anderson, SC with his wife Angela and their four children.

Reviews

[Bojan Ostojić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and honest book, summing up lots of insight from different sources. It is sound and instructive but not prescriptive, challenging the reader to evaluate the approach to youth ministry.

[Jeff Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on youth ministry I’ve read since “Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry.” It’s a must-read for youth ministers, pastors, church leaders and parents. It’s time to rethink youth ministry and prepare today’s youth to be today’s church.

[Silvia Sabovíková · Rating 2 out of 5]

still haven't learned the art of dnf (esp if I already lose interest at the start)

[Will Standridge, II · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Tim McKnight has written a spectacular about how to raise the bar for Youth Ministry in the context of Generation Z.

My field isn’t quite “Youth Pastoring.” I’m a Higher Ed. Admissions Professional who works with Christian High-Schoolers every single day. I work with Youth Ministers and students to help Christian students transition into full adulthood at a Christian College.

McKnight gives the kind of advice in this book that I’ve seen exemplified in the best Youth Ministries I’ve worked with. These Youth Groups do exactly what McKnight encourages leaders to do—“treat youth like young adults moving into adulthood” instead of children finishing childhood. This conception of Youth Ministry provides us a different paradigm for thinking about ministry, and he spends the rarest of the book expertly unpacking this theme.

Another strength of this book is that McKnight has obviously done his research on this particular generation and how to contextualize our message to them in a faithful way that still trusts God’s Spirit. He takes landmark books on GenZ like Twenge’s “iGen” and pulls out the factoids and knowledge someone particularly interested in Youth Ministry would need to know. Sociologically, this book provides as good an overview of GenZ as I’ve seen. It was even quite helpful for me in my context.

Further, as a Church History nerd, I found his middle section on the history of Youth Ministry fascinating. He integrated so many movements into the history I had never thought of. I left that section with a new sense of hope that God usually starts his revivals in the young of a new generation. I pray He does again.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, his short chapter at the end on “Rites of Passage” is the secret sauce that ties the whole work together. Sociologists, philosophers, and theologians are slowly waking to the fact that our generation has lost these rites and it is doing great harm to our students. McKnight gives wonderful practical advice on how to integrate these important moments into the life of the Church.

If you’re at all involved in Youth Ministry or the Christians of GenZ—read this book.

[Nickolas Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If a youth pastor wants to change the way they see Student Ministry, this book is the one who offers new lenses to look through. Much of what McKnight says is not brand new but it’s something that is lost in our ministry and churches today. From Gospel-centered ministry to orthodoxy, orthopathy, and orthopraxy in our student ministry, this book doesn’t give a system to install but a biblical way to engage Gen Z and help them be countercultural.

[Laura Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big on generals and low in specifics in a way that makes the book fairly repetitive

[Anna Enderle · Rating 3 out of 5]

although I struggled with the relevance of this book for my current season of life it wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever had to read for a class

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half is on the history and underlying philosophy of youth ministry and ministry to gen z. I felt like it took a while for the under-girding philosophy to be developed. However, I really liked the half on practice. I think McKnight highlights the right things and points youth leaders in the right direction. I particularly liked the last chapter on developing rites of passage for youth as they grow up.

[Devin Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fair read. His approach can be summed up in that youth ministries do not challenge our kids to the degree they are capable. He uses what data is available from Gen Z so far, which isn’t much, but makes a larger point in that this generation is very capable of we would just provide the leadership and encouragement.

[Joseph Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid intro to youth ministry, balancing critiques of past methodology with ideas to restore the effectiveness to youth ministry. McKnight loves what he does, and it comes through in the book. Very practical, easy to read, but not without some specific calls for changing our approach. Great read for youth ministers!

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim has provided a template for youth ministry (and all-around church ministry) that seeks to (as the subtitle indicates) raise the bar for youth ministry. It's time for youth ministries to move from entertainment to edification from the Word of God. Thank you, Tim!

[M.J.Swan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly forgot I read this and this forgot to review it. Another book for class. It had some good stuff but honestly I hated the attitude of the author. He felt very self righteous and it bothered me consistently throughout the book.

[Monica Whitfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very repetitive. Made it difficult to read. I like the concepts discussed but think it could have been done more concisely.

[William Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was the classic example of what Mark Sayers called “offering technical solutions to a dynamic world.” I found it to be preachy, assume a lot about the state of my ministry context, all for McKnight to say “just disciple people like Jesus does.” I was also really annoyed that he talked out of his ass on several topics, and on other he quoted outdated or subpar materials to support his claims.

I learned a bit from the book, but if he took out all the content bemoaning the wretched state of the world as he sees it it might be 3/4 the length it is now. Don’t waste your time

[Keith White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was searching for a book that would give ideas for ministering to the Generation Z youth we find all around us. Truly the harvest is plenteous and the workers few. This book did not disappoint me. It is chocked full of ideas and references for further reading that are well worth the effort.

I found the book quite inspiring and providing a good basis for renewing our vital youth outreach in our churches today.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the book I expected. This was more of "reasons why to engage gen z" with very little practical advice in "how to engage gen z". I was already sold on raising the bar for youth ministry, I need tools to do that. This book didn't provide that. Two stars because the last two chapters gave me some ideas or sparked my thinking to try some ideas.

[Gary Belhomme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book on reaching and raising generation Z for Christ

I love the passion of Tim McKnight for reaching generation, Z and effectively communicating to today’s church leaders that these young people need to be trusted with leadership now!

[Nathan Hardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good look at the current generation, their struggles, great potential, and how youth ministry methods are doing at reaching and discipling them.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has a positive view of and willingness to engage Gen Z. A bit heavy-handed on doctrine, but it could be in response to the lack of importance the culture at large has.

[Emily Schatz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Robert Sutherland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't underestimate or segregate youth in your church.

Teach them orthodoxy (right thoughts), orthopathy (right feelings), as well as orthopraxy (right actions).