Some 80 pastors and youth leaders gathered together for a special training on reaching Generation Z. The ancient capital of Bulgaria Veliko Tarnovo hosted the training from March 31st to April 2nd, 2023. Jonatan Tejel, EUD Youth Director and guest-speaker, captivated the audience from the outset: He presented a detailed comparative analysis of several generations, starting with Baby Boomers and ending with Generation Alpha. Why we are who we are and why the next generation is who they are? The reasons and differences are numerous – such as the mission opportunities. “Gen Z is the one that has more connectivity when it comes to technology, they are always chatting on mobile devices. Gen X, my generation, did not have that. We were communicating face to face. To be outside, do activities is not easy for Gen Zees. It is up to us to motivate them to do so. This is what makes the Church different than it was in my youth. Gen Zees will get moving if we give them the reason to do so,” highlighted Tejel. Got you interested in the diagnosis and treatment of the generations? Invite Jonatan over!
Actually, one of the group activities that the attendants got involved in was to find ways to reach different Gen Z personas – the World Changer, the Digital Native, the Adventurer, the Entrepreneur, the Gamer, the Influencer, the LGBTQ+, the Fashion Addict.
Rigorous Bible study is a challenge in the age of instant gratification. Snapchat, Tik-Tok and Instagram are much more appealing to the young people. However, if they – and we – use some creating methods, the Bible comes alive. Heart monitor, the Funnel, the Weather Report, the Ladder-Climbing and the Vantage Point can distill the message of God to us.
Teenagers of any generation were hard to reach and Gen Zees are no exception. The training participants learnt 20 tips to connect with teens – and each creative way builds upon the previous one forming a logical chain with excellent overall result. Then, each pastor sat with his youth leader to develop a Sabbath program targeting the young people in their church.
Both pastors and youth leaders appreciated the training. “It was very important to organize such a meeting in Bulgaria. The young people have a lot of things to say to the pastors and vice versa. And when two generations meet, the work becomes much more fruitful and we can keep moving forward in our work for Jesus,” recapitulated the weekend Petya Gotseva, Youth Director of Bulgarian Union.
“The best part of the training was exchange with the pastors,” says Nino Marinov, a youth leader working with 16–20-year-olds. “We tell them how we think and they tell us how they think. We just tried to find solutions to some problems and I was amazed how well we can work together. This was really cool thing.”
So, do you want your pastors and youth leaders to understand each other better? There is a solution! Invite Jonatan over!
