Gen Z Are Leaning into Their Gifts—Will the Church Help?

Eighty-two percent of self-identified Christians and 97 percent of practicing Christians view developing their gifts as a way to grow closer to God, according to new research in Gifted for More, a recent Barna report created in partnership with Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Today’s article takes a look at how each generation perceives gift awareness and development, paying special attention to responses from Gen Z, the youngest polled generation and a group faith leaders have an opportunity to better engage by addressing this topic.

Gen Z Is Eager to Know and Grow Their Gifts
Across the board, younger respondents have bigger and more emphatic responses to the topic of gifting. This could reflect their generational ambition and passion as well as their youth as they navigate new seasons of personal and occupational development.

Practicing Christian Millennials are significantly more likely than those in older age groups to say it is “extremely important” for one to know or understand their unique gifts, skills and abilities (43% Millennials vs. 32% Gen X, 28% Boomers). Accordingly, practicing Christian Millennials and Gen Z are more likely than older generations to say they know their gifts at least “mostly well” (86% Gen Z, 89% Millennials vs. 82% Gen X, 76% Boomers).

Younger generations are significantly more likely than their older counterparts to agree they often define themselves by their gifts and talents when introducing themselves to others. One in four practicing Christian Gen Z and Millennials agrees strongly on this point, nearly double the amount of Gen X and triple the number of Boomers who say the same (24% Gen Z and 25% Millennials vs. 13% Gen X and 7% Boomers).

Christian Gen Z Name Friends as Greatest Supporters of Gift Development
Younger practicing Christians—namely Gen Z and Millennials—are significantly more likely to say they “definitely” have gifts they’d like to develop (69% and 56%).

When it comes to people and places who support gift development, practicing Christian Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to credit small groups with friends (54% Gen Z, 47% Millennials vs. 40% Gen X, 42% Boomers) and educational environments such as campus settings (30% Gen Z, 24% Millennials vs. 18% Gen X, 10% Boomers) as places where they can see gift development happening. Half of practicing Christian Gen Z (50%) name church as a place for gift development.

Nearly all practicing Christian Gen Z respondents (93%) say they have already invested in their skills, significantly more than their immediate elders, the Millennials, three-quarters of whom (78%) say the same. Even so, Millennials are still more likely than Gen X or Boomers to have already invested in their gifts (78% vs. 68% Gen X, 58% Boomers).

Is this an overestimation? Hyperenthusiasm? Or a true shift in the opportunities and priorities for adults coming of age today? It’s likely a combination of factors driving this seeming giftedness-boom, which ultimately relates to respondents’ stage of life; younger generations—currently making their way through school, work and the early stages of building their adult lives and families—are more likely than older adults to have gift development at the front of their minds.

These findings highlight an opportunity for churches to connect and engage with young adults further by offering teachings, small groups or classes that help identify and develop congregants’ unique gifts. Indeed, younger respondents are more likely than those in older generations to agree that someone has invested in helping them develop their unique skills and talents. This and past Barna research continues to urge churches to put time and effort into closing the gaps in how congregants’ gifts are supported.

Additional reading and resources:

• For more insights on giftedness in the Church, read Gifted for More, available on Barna Access Plus or for purchase in the Barna shop.
• Check out other Barna reports created in partnership with Lutheran Hour Ministries—Better Together, Households of Faith and Spiritual Conversation in the Digital Age— available both on Barna Access Plus and through the Barna shop.
• In addition to partnering with Barna on the Gifted for More study, Lutheran Hour Ministries has created a giftings assessment called EveryGift to help pastors and their people identify their unique skills and abilities. Check out the assessment and accompanying resources here.