Is Gen Z beyond the reach of the church? A conversation with Aaron Pierce
Aaron Pierce, the International Mission Director for Steiger International, answers with an emphatic no in his latest book, Not Beyond Reach: How To Share Jesus with the Young, the Deconstructed, and the Non-Religious.But that’s not to say significant obstacles still remain, especially in our post-Christian and hyper-wired yet lonely culture.In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, Pierce and Dr. Mark Turman dive deep into the challenges and opportunities of Christian outreach with the emerging, global, digitally native generation.They talk about how Christians can effectively engage with Gen Z by striking a balance between being immersed in the world and holding onto biblical principles.They also touch on the idea of deconstruction, the role of technology, and dealing with a post-Christian culture.Pierce also stresses the importance of starting spiritual conversations and intentionally pursuing relationships with nonbelievers, guided by an understanding of the gospel and a love for people.Topics00:58 Aaron's Childhood in Amsterdam01:44 Discussing Aaron's New Book: Not Beyond Reach02:09 The Role of Steiger International02:48 Aaron's Personal Experience and Perspective on Amsterdam03:06 Aaron's Unique Childhood Experiences in Amsterdam05:56 Aaron's Testimony and Passion for Missions16:02 Understanding the Global Youth Culture17:42 The Influence of Technology on the Global Youth Culture19:52 The Impact of Secular Humanism on the Global Youth Culture25:43 Understanding the Concept of Digital Natives28:07 Understanding the Young and Nonreligious28:48 Deconstruction of Faith: A Cultural Shift31:53 The Struggle of Loneliness and the Search for Love32:17 The Role of Love and Affirmation in Modern Society33:08 The Challenge of Loving Without Affirming34:30 The Missionary Mindset: Engaging with the Secular World41:33 The Importance of Intentionality in Building Relationships48:49 The Power of Spiritual Conversations50:20 Understanding the Gospel and Sharing Your Story51:20 Closing Remarks and GratitudeResourcesNot Beyond Reach: How To Share Jesus with the Young, the Deconconstructed and the Non-Religious by Aaron PierceSteiger InternationalHow to Know a Person by David BrooksPodcast episode transcript (PDF)About Aaron PierceAaron Pierce serves as the International Mission Director of Steiger International, a global mission organization dedicated to mobilizing followers of Jesus to reach young people who would not walk into a church.Growing up as a missionary kid in the heart of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Aaron witnessed the life-changing impact of the Gospel through his parents' ministry, who founded Steiger as a missionary movement. This experience ignited a deep love for Jesus and a strong desire to live a life fully dedicated to following Him.Aaron is deeply passionate about inspiring and equipping followers of Jesus to live lives of radical faith and to courageously share the message of Jesus in our increasingly secularized culture. His prayer is that God would raise up a radical missionary movement that will transform the Global Youth Culture for Jesus.Aaron’s most important role is his role as husband to Jennifer and dad to Asher, Selah, Hudson, and Wesley. Aaron and his family live in Minneapolis, MN (USA).About Dr. Mark TurmanDr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.About Denison ForumDenison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.