Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a phyigital (this new word is a combination of the words “physical” and “digital”) conference led by Dr. James Emery White. This church and culture conference was hosted in a physical place (Dr. White’s church in Charlotte, NC), but also in a digital space (my laptop).
The idea in the conference that struck the deepest chord in my spirit as it relates to Gen Z and Generation Alpha (the generation after Gen Z) is that churches are going to have to get phygital whether they like it or not. In fact, in order to attract the next generation into a physical building called church, the church will first have to greet the next generation online through their website and social media presence. The church website is the new front door. Before the next generation attends your church’s physical service, they will have to first attend your church’s digital service (on FB live, YouTube, church website, etc.). In fact, the next generation today is most likely to first invite their friends to church by saying, “check out our website.”
This is because the world that the next generation understands the most is the digital world, not the physical world. The next generation often struggles with face-to-face communication because their primary way of connecting with others is online. {The stats and information to follow come from Dr. White’s conference} This is why the next generation is often lonely (3 out of 10) and say they have no friends (1 out of 5). Besides being highly isolated, the next generation is highly individualistic with 2 out of 3 saying they don’t need or want anyone to help them grow in their faith. It doesn’t help that slightly less than half of Christians will reach out to help others in their church grow in their faith.
Digital discipleship is becoming a real thing. Churches are being forced to help stair-step the next generation into physical community through the avenue of digital community (i.e., digital small groups and forums). This is because the next generation’s favorite way to communicate (in the form of face to face communication) has dropped from 50% to 30% in the last six years. Churches will have to hire online pastors to help facilitate digital small groups and video chat rooms through apps such as House Party, Kick, Fam, Tribe, ooVoo, Airtime, and FB messenger. Digital natives call this online interaction “live chilling” and these apps have become the new 3rd place. Online pastors will be utilized to beef up their church’s online presence (websites, social media and marketing, etc.), offer online prayer rooms, and answer people’s spiritual questions through online conversations, etc..
People engaging the world through their phone is the new norm. The church begins by engaging the next generation digitally. Once physical engagement finally does occur (the person attends your church campus), the engagement must be digitally served and enhanced by the phone. Get used to hearing “Bring out your Bible and your Phone” before the start of the service.
Churches will be forced to offer in-service Apps that will allow all generations to have an interactive experience while at church: Imagine ordering coffee and checking your kids in before you get to church, recording sermon notes while digitally following the Scripture/message outline, downloading a praise song you just heard, and then receiving e-vites to send your online friends as soon as your car leaves the parking lot. The next generation is used to everything being an instant customized experience set up just for them (individualistic and tailored by analytics). This is why the next generation doesn’t go into grocery stores unless the store offers them an experience like a cooking class, live music, or taste samples (this in-store experience would be considered a date night for 20 year-olds). I mean, why would they when after all, they can go to the grocery store to have someone deliver the already-ordered groceries to their car (and never even have to get out). This is why 30-40 percent of grocery stores will close in the next decade. This is why you will see many brick and mortar banks close shop. This is why Best Buy just stopped selling CD’s (Gen Z only listens to music through its streaming services). This is why the education industry will have to radically altar the way they offer learning (for ex., take attendance with Twitter, post assignments on Slack, and hold office hours at 10 PM on Zoom). Because the digital revolution (especially with the advent of the Smartphone in 2007) itself has rewired the next generation’s brain and has changed not only when, where, and what the next generation learn (Google search, Ted Talks, Podcasts, You Tube services, Online do-it yourself tutorials, and online courses), but “how they learn.”
A huge shift and might I mention, generation difference has occurred in how the next generation communicates and relates to others. For instance, online dating now is fast- becoming the only dating. Robots have supplanted the role of matchmaker. Tinder, Ok Cupid, and Bumble have taken the place of community.
It is the church’s responsibility to step in and build generational bridges by offering authentic relationships and functional community through a family-like atmosphere. The digital to physical gap can be be bridged! Real people still matter! It’s just that now, physical people in the church will need to go to great lengths (the extra mile) to help its digital natives become comfortable in physical environments. At the same time, much grace must be given to help the next generation learn how to engage people in face-to-face conversations (both individually and in a group setting). The great irony is that many in the next generation who say they are lonely and want to have friends are bad at making friends. They are not socially gifted and can at times be socially awkward. If the church doesn’t help the next generation overcome these deficits by offering real community, who will?