The Evolving Landscape of Faith: Digital Ministry and the Future of Gen Z

Welcome to a conversation with the world’s leaders combining faith and technology. As the digital media landscape rapidly shifts, we continue to explore how advancements in technology can lead to opportunities for digital ministry.

A Surprising Shift: Gen Z, Faith, and the Future of Women’s Ministry

According to recent research, we’re seeing that female Gen Z are outpacing young men in leaving the church. Female Gen Z, ages 18 to 24, especially that sort of young adult group of young women, 38% of them don’t identify with a faith. Then that’s 28% amongst teens.

It used to be that women of all ages were sort of leading the way in spiritual formation and faith formation of their family in church attendance and church engagement, all of that. But now we’re seeing that men and, when we’re looking at especially at Gen Z, that young men are outpacing young women. It really is something that should cause alarm and cause action from church leaders today.

Identifying the Gen Z Demographic

For the sake of our research, Gen Z is defined from ages 13 to 24, ranging from teenagers all the way up to young adulthood. This is a generation of digital natives who have never known a world without the internet. In our latest research, we separate them into two distinct groups:

  • Teenage Gen Z: Ages 13 to 17.
  • Young Adult Gen Z: Ages 18 to 24.

Doing Ministry in an AI World

In the latest episodes of the Digital Ministry Podcast, we unpack the hype, hope, and hard work behind AI and ministry. Host Nick Runyon chats with leaders to uncover how AI is transforming the way churches share their message online, making digital outreach easier and more effective than ever before.

The conversation focuses on how advancements in technology can lead to opportunities for digital ministry, including:

  • AI Tools and Content Ownership: Discussing the impact of AI on content creation and how it can help teams be more efficient.
  • AI Agents: Exploring how tools like OpenAI's Operator feature are currently being used for tasks such as research and inbox management.
  • Content Strategies: Sharing secrets to creating compelling short-form video and growing an online audience.
  • Digital Engagement: Exploring the crucial balance between outreach and follow-up in the digital mission field.

Youth Ministry and Transformative Experiences

Join us for an unforgettable summer experience where faith meets fun. Our 2026 camp is designed to inspire students to discover salvation, deepen their relationship with Christ, and form lifelong friendships. Take a break from everyday life, encounter God in a fresh way, and get ready to be transformed.

We tackle questions, challenges, and confusions across the spectrum of student ministry issues. From teaching styles to production styles, from parental engagement to digital engagement, we'll be talking about it.

Note: Illuminate Ministries is happy to work with anyone who is needing a scholarship to attend Z Experience. If you are in need of a scholarship or you have someone willing to sponsor your weekend, please use promo code SPONSOR at checkout.