What Gen-Z is telling the contemporary church

As a disclaimer for the readers, I am a student minister and attend both contemporary and traditional services each Sunday. I am blessed to have each style of worship where I serve, both of which I deeply appreciate. This article is not written in any way to bash, demean, discredit, or delegitimize contemporary worship styles and church expressions. They have an essential place in God’s kingdom. 

Instead, this article breaks down some of the weaknesses of more recent contemporary worship styles and church expressions and explains why Gen-Z finds them lacking. Their perspective is important for understanding why many in that generation have found themselves drawn toward more liturgical styles of worship, including Methodism, Presbyterianism, and Lutheranism, along with traditions outside of mainstream evangelicalism, such as Eastern Orthodox and Catholicism. 

Liturgical and orthodox churches are not immune to this either; sometimes tradition loses its direction toward Christ and becomes nothing more than a box to check. Yet, my purpose today is to help all of us, regardless of denomination or background, understand why churches that major in production while neglecting theological depth and spiritual authenticity are increasingly failing to reach and keep Gen-Z. I pray this is edifying and convicting!

What is happening with Gen-Z?

If you have been following recent headlines and studies, it is no secret that Gen-Z is now the generation with the highest overall church attendance, yet that does not tell the full story of which kinds of churches they are most drawn to. 

To be fair, Gen-Z has taken a significant amount of unnecessary criticism. Many have complained that Gen-Z is distracted, fails to work hard, does not take faith seriously, etc. But is it Gen-Z’s fault that they were born into a world where electronics are at the forefront of most businesses and daily life? Is it Gen-Z’s fault that the typical tradition of not playing kids’ sports on Sundays has been quickly evaporating? Is it Gen-Z’s fault that their parents’ generation now attends church less than they do? 

The numbers tell a story. Gen-Z does not seem to want entertainment and theatrics—they can get that on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat anytime they want—they want authenticity. And by authenticity, I do not mean emotionalism. I mean churches whose worship, preaching, and lives genuinely reflect Christ and pursue deeper relationships with him.

So, what would it look like if churches did that well?

It’s about more than the music 

According to a recent in-depth article by Christianity Today:

First, the Gen-Z worship divide is connected to how zoomer men and women understand faith itself. For many Gen-Z men, traditional worship is less about nostalgia and more about nonnegotiables. In their eyes, true faith doesn’t bend with the culture. It plants its feet, folds its arms, and says, This is what we believe. It hasn’t changed. It won’t change. Take it or leave it. This is a common theme in reporting on young men moving toward Orthodoxy. They want stability as a stark counterpoint to a culture characterized by constant reinvention.

Faithful women in Gen-Z tend to be more interested in personal authenticity and intimacy with God through personal devotion—it’s not that they don’t care about eternal theological truths, but they care greatly about an individual sense of honesty and vulnerability. Contemporary Christian music (CCM) lyrics are emotive and expressive. In CCM, an authentic faith proclaims, This is me—no filters, no pretense. I’m here, as I am, before a God who loves me. This too can be countercultural in an age dominated by curated personas, but it’s a starkly different expression of worship from that of more traditional liturgy. 

Contemporary Christian Music is certainly encouraging to listen to and is very popular in Christian culture. Platforms like Spotify and Apple Music make it very accessible, but this does not mean that just because Gen-Z listens to it on the airwaves, they also want to hear it in church. Those two things are not the same. This can be true, yes, but it does not tell the entire story. 

According to Luke Simon: 

On the one hand, some are flocking to more traditional and liturgical forms of Christianity like Eastern Orthodoxy. Though a lot of reporting on this trend has been more anecdote than data, a 2024 survey from the Orthodox Studies Institute found Orthodox parishes in the US have a rising number of converts, many of whom are young ex-Protestants. On the other hand, contemporary Christian music (CCM) is thriving, led by artists like Maverick City Music, Elevation Worship, and Forrest Frank. CCM was the fourth fastest-growing music genre in the US in the first half of 2024, and market research indicates younger audiences are driving much of this growth. 

While some could argue there is not enough data to suggest a definitive Gen-Z departure from contemporary styles of worship, there are other signs that popular contemporary worship music is perhaps too often the focus of churches rather than simply being a benefit. 

What about churches teaching sound truth and answering life’s hardest questions? Churches becoming shallow theologically was mentioned earlier as a significant factor. In some cases, the church has become so relevant that it has become irrelevant. 

If churches use contemporary worship for attraction and performative means, what message does that send to churchgoers, particularly Gen-Z? Are people coming and then leaving because they feel like they are not receiving truth? 

A 2018 Barna study suggests that many of the reasons Gen-Z is disillusioned with the church stem from theological issues. Young people are not getting answers to their questions (excellent questions that need to be answered). 

Churches can have both great worship and great theological depth, and truthfully, they need both. If we piece the data together, we may arrive at this conclusion: Gen-Z does not feel like some contemporary evangelical churches are answering their questions or authentically engaging God. So, they are going to places where they encounter authenticity and have their questions answered more fully. 

That is a reasonable conclusion. I am not writing that definitively, nor am I an expert on this topic, but I do see trends in our youth since I serve in this arena. And Gen Z should not be the only place where those trends are relevant.

Is Christ at the center of worship?

Now, this does not mean contemporary churches are a catastrophe and that they need to shift toward traditionalism—that would not be helpful in the slightest. Let’s be honest, many contemporary churches already embody exactly the kind of theological depth and authenticity Gen-Z desires. Likewise, many liturgical churches fail to offer it. 

The issue is not ultimately musical style but whether Christ is genuinely at the center of worship and discipleship. Neither style of worship is the “correct” one. What needs to change is the mission of the church. 

Are we trying to get people through the doors of the church and give them production-driven worship, or are we trying to minister to their souls and give them Christ? 

It is possible to be theologically deep and have incredible worship—that is not the debate here. At its core, it is not really the music, the style, or the liturgy—it’s the authenticity and truth of the gospel; it is what is behind those who lead worship and speak from the pulpit. 

What the church wins people with is what they win people to. These studies raise the possibility that some churches struggle to retain young people not because they are simply contemporary, but because younger Christians are looking for authenticity, theological seriousness, and genuine discipleship. Gen-Z is faithfully leading all current generations in church attendance—let’s give them what they are coming for.

God is not done with His church, of that there is no doubt. But in America, we must be sure our churches are not done with Him. Let us use this data to evaluate exactly what we are seeking to do with our music, service, and preaching. Gen-Z could be the generation to usher in the next great revival. All we must do is remain faithful in our service to Christ and His church and let Him handle the rest.