Pastor Tianen (pseudonym), who is from southern China, shared his thoughts on shepherding Gen Z based on his many years of experience.
Christian Times: Many pastors are overwhelmed by shepherding Gen Z. How do you think about it, and what's the possible reason?
Pastor Tianen: Parents sent their children to schools and entrust the education work to schools. While schools expect parents to supervise their children in completing their homework. In Christian families, parents need to restore the mode of family life in accordance with Christian culture.
Paul told Timothy: “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love in faith, and in purity.” The parental generation must set an example for their children, and their words and deeds should convey the principles of faith. Then the children can follow in all aspects of life.
During the pandemic, many kids attend online courses at home, so parents have more time to be with them. They consequently don’t learn the bad examples from school. In our time, parents and pastors may use various means to influence young people, such as music and videos. The churches should pass the words of faith in the form of new media, which can be used by parents to influence Gen Z. For Gen Z, parents with mature faith may have a greater influence on them than society.
Christian Times: How do you reach Gen Z? What kind of changes should pastors make?
Pastor Tianen: I think churches should adopt the model of family groups. In family groups, Gen Z could start to know the meaning of faith and how their parents worship. During the pandemic, we have met as family groups, which is close to daily life. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, it's difficult for young people to receive the truth told directly by pastors. They like interactive learning and communication.
If Christian families can live the gospel out, their good family relationships can be a testimony to their neighbors.
Christian Times: Gen Z is very much attracted by online games and entertainment, which may influence their pursuit of faith greatly. How can churches win in the attention battle?
Pastor Tianen: Churches are very religious and rigid. We emphasize preaching instead of relationships. We emphasize reasoning in lieu of living testimony. Churches need to attach great importance to new media platforms, for example, using music to draw young people's attention. There are game apps related to faith in other countries, engaging people of different ages. As society progresses, churches need to listen and advance accordingly.
Christian Times: Should pastors act like parents or friends, or both?
Pastor Tianen: Parents may mean authority, while friends only give advice. But in the Jewish culture, parents are responsible for creating a safe environment and being there for their children as they grow up. Children are property and need to be managed carefully, passing on from generation to generation.
The friend approach means that pastors don't make any decisions for them but advise and guide them so that they are not afraid of making mistakes. Parents can use the friend approach, guiding and protecting their children.
Gen Z may feel discouraged easily. They would leave quietly or close themselves off. But if we befriend and encourage them, they can be very brave and stand up again.
In short, the church needs to restore the faith of the parents of Gen Z. Churches should value the Christian family and restore the spiritual influence of family. It can be more useful than learning some theories in the church since the home is a place to practice faith. Fathers should stand firm in faith and take the role of the priest in the family. If the father does not pray together with his children before meals, or he does not love his wife, then it will be very difficult to pass the faith to children and give testimony to neighbors.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
继上次话题：中国教会如何牧养95后00后(三) 兴起90后的年轻牧者是最好的方式之一，一位牧者分享 基督徒要恢复对家庭和信仰传承。
来自华南的一位60后的天恩牧师（化名），在他与80-90-95后的长久接触中，对于教会该如何更好的触及并牧养好95后00后群体，向基督时报他分享了自己的一些牧养心得。
基督时报：您如何看今天教会的牧者、传道人面对95后00后这个群体时无从下手，一片茫然的局面呢？ 您觉得是什么原因导致的？
天恩牧师：家庭里家长把建立榜样和教育的工作丢给了学校，觉得教育是学校的事。学校又拎着家长努力督促孩子完成作业。但对于基督徒的家庭里，父母需要恢复基督文化的家庭生活模式。
在保罗的教导中，他告诉提摩太，不可叫人小看。你年轻，总要在言语、行为、信心、爱心、信心、清洁上都做信徒的榜样。其实要做榜样，就必须要先从上一代开始，父母要说话正面的，要在生活上面起居等，有一些付出和能力，让孩子在他的各个方面会跟着信仰的原则去生活。因着疫情的缘故，现在教会也不能教了。
因为我们教会里面比较重视家庭，但在这个疫情当中也有孩子有网课，父母反而更多时间跟孩子生活在一块。之后他就没有一些学校学里学来的那些坏榜样。在这个时代，父母，教会的牧者，可能要用各种不一样的方法，比如，用音乐、多媒体来影响这一代人。教会需要把可传承性的教材把它做成多媒体化，让 80-00后的人都可以上手。当95后00后与信仰成熟的基督徒父母生活在一起的时候，那个影响力或许比社会的影响力还大。
基督时报：您接触到那些非基督徒的 95 后、 00 后如何触及到他们？牧者需要做出怎样的改变？
天恩牧师：我觉得教会需要改成家庭小组聚会的模式。在家庭里面，让这些95后00后的或者更小的孩子看到信仰是什么，父母如何敬畏上帝等等。疫情期间，我们是全家聚会，比较生活化。牧者用正经的真理，除非有圣灵的工作，不然强加浇灌，效果是不好的。现在的年轻人喜欢的是互动式的学习和交流。
如果基督徒的家庭愿意这样做，加上生活上的见证和好行为，就可以影响95后00后的邻舍了。因为他们看到你的喜乐,而我们家就苦哈哈的，容易生气打个小孩，这个时候可以有见证福音信仰。
基督时报：网络游戏和娱乐对95后00后的吸引力是很大的，甚至大过了他们追求的信仰，今天的教会如何在“吸引力的比拼”中取得胜利呢？
天恩牧师：我们现在教会都比较宗教化、模式化；说较多，关系少；道理多，生活见证少。比如用音乐的方式，你只要有一个媒体平台就可以吸引到他们。所以教会当重视，多媒体、社交媒体的应用，像国外的 APP 里面有很多让不同年龄段可以参与玩的信仰类的游戏。社会在进步，教会需要学会倾听和接纳他们的软弱和不足。
基督时报：你怎么看教会里，牧者的家长和朋友是这两种角色，您觉得哪个更好？还是两个都有必要？
天恩牧师：因为家长式，可能是一种权威，而朋友是提建议。但是如果你在犹太文化里面，家长是要负责营造安全的环境、陪伴你成长。因为孩子是产业，要经营，一代一代一直传下去的。
朋友的方式就是我不替你做决定，但是我建议你，引导你。使你在学习选择的过程中不怕错误，你能够勇敢面对。家长要可以用朋友的方式，要引导，要给予，要有保护。
95后00后的年轻人，很容易打退堂鼓，喜欢不告而别，或者躲起来。但是实际上，如果跟我们跟他们做朋友，你鼓励他两下子，然后他就可以勇敢的站起来了。
总而言之，教会需要恢复95后00后的父母这一代人的信仰。教会当重视基督徒的家庭，要恢复家的属灵的影响力。可能会比我们只是去教堂听一些理论，还要来的实际，因为他们有实践的方法。家庭里面的父亲是祭祀的位置，你就要站出来。如果爸爸不站稳，你不带孩子做祷告吃饭，你也不爱孩子的妈妈，那家庭中要传承信仰和想邻舍见证你的信仰就难了。
话题•中国教会如何牧养95后00后(四)| 根本还是基督徒要恢复对家庭和信仰传承的重视
Pastor Tianen (pseudonym), who is from southern China, shared his thoughts on shepherding Gen Z based on his many years of experience.
Christian Times: Many pastors are overwhelmed by shepherding Gen Z. How do you think about it, and what's the possible reason?
Pastor Tianen: Parents sent their children to schools and entrust the education work to schools. While schools expect parents to supervise their children in completing their homework. In Christian families, parents need to restore the mode of family life in accordance with Christian culture.
Paul told Timothy: “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love in faith, and in purity.” The parental generation must set an example for their children, and their words and deeds should convey the principles of faith. Then the children can follow in all aspects of life.
During the pandemic, many kids attend online courses at home, so parents have more time to be with them. They consequently don’t learn the bad examples from school. In our time, parents and pastors may use various means to influence young people, such as music and videos. The churches should pass the words of faith in the form of new media, which can be used by parents to influence Gen Z. For Gen Z, parents with mature faith may have a greater influence on them than society.
Christian Times: How do you reach Gen Z? What kind of changes should pastors make?
Pastor Tianen: I think churches should adopt the model of family groups. In family groups, Gen Z could start to know the meaning of faith and how their parents worship. During the pandemic, we have met as family groups, which is close to daily life. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, it's difficult for young people to receive the truth told directly by pastors. They like interactive learning and communication.
If Christian families can live the gospel out, their good family relationships can be a testimony to their neighbors.
Christian Times: Gen Z is very much attracted by online games and entertainment, which may influence their pursuit of faith greatly. How can churches win in the attention battle?
Pastor Tianen: Churches are very religious and rigid. We emphasize preaching instead of relationships. We emphasize reasoning in lieu of living testimony. Churches need to attach great importance to new media platforms, for example, using music to draw young people's attention. There are game apps related to faith in other countries, engaging people of different ages. As society progresses, churches need to listen and advance accordingly.
Christian Times: Should pastors act like parents or friends, or both?
Pastor Tianen: Parents may mean authority, while friends only give advice. But in the Jewish culture, parents are responsible for creating a safe environment and being there for their children as they grow up. Children are property and need to be managed carefully, passing on from generation to generation.
The friend approach means that pastors don't make any decisions for them but advise and guide them so that they are not afraid of making mistakes. Parents can use the friend approach, guiding and protecting their children.
Gen Z may feel discouraged easily. They would leave quietly or close themselves off. But if we befriend and encourage them, they can be very brave and stand up again.
In short, the church needs to restore the faith of the parents of Gen Z. Churches should value the Christian family and restore the spiritual influence of family. It can be more useful than learning some theories in the church since the home is a place to practice faith. Fathers should stand firm in faith and take the role of the priest in the family. If the father does not pray together with his children before meals, or he does not love his wife, then it will be very difficult to pass the faith to children and give testimony to neighbors.
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
Gen Z Series: Christians Need to Value Family and Inheritance of Faith
