The Approach

Walking with our kids, grandkids, students, or athletes requires the ability to step into their lives. When our teens find themselves without hope, we want to judge their situation through our adult eyes. Instead, what if we remembered the times where we, too, felt that all hope was lost and used those instances to help us show them the hope we found in God? On this episode of The Approach, we'll look back on our own lives and think about the mountains God has moved and how we can best support our Gen Zers as they go through their own hardships.

Worry and anxiety seem to be topics we're all familiar with. But why are we so worried? Why are our kids so worried? Join Connor and John on today's episode as we talk through the factors playing into this generation's levels of worry. We'll also be joined by Jace Martin, a WGM employee who coaches varsity girls' basketball, as he prays over the next generation and all of us who walk through life's ups and downs with them.

Is our hurried nature causing us to miss the people around us? If so, how can we change the posture of our hearts so that we begin to see others and recognize their needs? On this episode of The Approach, we're going to invite God to show us some ways that we are keeping ourselves busy and how we can make more room for Him. We'll also think about the people He has placed in our lives and how we can pray for them.

A typical answer given when someone is asked how they're doing is, “Busy.” It seems that we are running at an unsustainable pace, leaving our tanks on empty. While this is a reality for most people, for Gen Z, it is the context they have grown up in and they often know nothing different. On today's episode, we'll talk about why we find ourselves in such a hurried pace of life, what that does to our spiritual journeys, and what are some ways we might find a more sustainable and life-giving pace as we walk with the next generation.

How do you share the Great Commission with a generation that is largely unfamiliar with it? It takes intentionality, exposure, and prayer. On today's episode of The Approach, we're joined by Dave Jacob, the founder of The Center for Missionary Mobilization and Retention and the Director of Mobilization at World Gospel Mission. Dave also hosts a podcast called The Missionary Mobilization Podcast where he discusses various topics and resources regarding missions and missions mobilization. In this episode, Dave offers wise insights into Generation Z and practical ways to engage the next generation with the Great Commission!

Is leading your family part of the Great Commission? Absolutely! It's making disciples right where you live, and we get to do that each day when we lead our families well. Today on The Approach, we'll go over how dynamics have changed over the last several decades, and the ripple effects these changes are having. We'll discuss how families have changed in the past, what they look like today, and the family that Jesus is creating right now, here on earth.

What does holiness look like? And how do we communicate that to the next generation? At WGM, one of our core values is holiness. But the problem is, we—you, me, the church—don't know how to communicate it very well to the next generation. Some of the language we use is dated and hard to understand, and at times, the next generation doesn't see us living out holy lives. Today, we'll listen to a chapel service that Connor Owen spoke at a few months ago where he talked about what holiness could look like in the next generation.

Part of living like Jesus is being fully present with others. But are we doing this well? And if not, how can we? On today's episode of The Approach, we'll discuss and pray about how we can be intentional and present in our parenting and in our walk with the next generation.

Every dad, no matter their background, wants to win as a father. And today on The Approach, we'll talk about the impact that this movement is having on the kingdom all over the world! On The Value of Intentional Parenting (Bonus Episode) we sat down with Jason Braun and Matt Crittendon from Dad Camp to talk about the ways God is moving around the world through fathers and how you can use the image of Jesus in your parenting.

As we journey with the next generation, we're praying that they find their truest form of self in Christ. Jesus and the Apostle Paul tell us this throughout the New Testament, that the only way to find who we truly are is in Him. How can we help the next generation live into who they were made to be? Join us on this episode as we pray over our unique identity found in Christ.

On this bonus episode, we sat down with the lead pastor of College Wesleyan Church, Steve DeNeff, to discuss shifts taking place in culture and how they impact the next generation. As someone who has led the local church for decades, Steve provides his take on the next generation, culture, the stories that shape us, and humanity. This is a conversation you won't want to miss—and it will help you better live out the kingdom of God while walking with the next generation!

Today on The Approach, we'll pray over Gen Z as they are sent where God has called them! We'll talk about how we can help the next generation create space in their lives so they can be formed into the image of Jesus. If they can do this, they will be released into classrooms, athletic fields, friend groups, and many secular settings. And it sounds an awful lot like missions—ordinary people, formed in the likeness of Jesus, going into the places He has called them.

On this bonus episode, we'll listen to John Rinehimer's recent talk at a conference focusing on the next generation. John discusses Gen Z, the Great Commission, and how the power of abiding could impact the next generation! If you've been wondering, “Why Gen Z?” this episode will help answer that question, and it might even grow your heart for the next generation.

Listen to our latest episode of The Approach as we pause our normal rhythms to pray over the stories that are shaping us and the next generation. On The Story that Shapes Us (Part 2), we'll reflect on the story of Israelites, distraction, and the freedom found in the story of Jesus, and how this can impact our lives and the lives of those we are walking with.

Stories shape us, inspire us, and call us to action. What stories are shaping Generation Z? In generations past, the story of Jesus was a starting point for many. That's no longer the case, meaning new stories are competing for the attention of Gen Z. Today we'll talk about what those stories are and how can we pray for and walk with Gen Z as they seek to live out the story of Jesus in their lives.

Friendship has the power to refine us and shape us more and more into the image of Christ. On today's episode, we'll hear a story about how one friend helped shape our host, and we'll take time to pray and invite God to help the next generation find and form friendships that help them become more like Jesus.

Friendship has change for Generation Z. They can communicate using memes and gifs and social media, whereas previous generations used landlines. How can adults walking with Gen Z model life-giving and formative friendships? Where do we as Christ-followers get the model for these types of friendship? We'll discuss and pray over that as we look to walk with and pray for the next generation.

We all desire to be in relationship with others, but sometimes we let technology get in the way of those relationships. We also know that we have a God who desires to be in relationship with us, and it's in this relationship with God in which we are sent out to journey with others. We'll look at the power of relationships with God and others and pause our normal rhythms to pray over ways we can be in relationship with the next generation.

Technology has changed relationships and how we interact with others. We'll dive into what that looks like and some of the impacts this is having on Gen Z on this episode of The Approach. As you walk with the Gen Zer in your life, we hope this conversation and time of prayer will provide you with some ideas of how to model biblical relationships.

On this episode, we'll take time to pray about what we are allowing to form our lives. Sometimes, the things forming us are making us like Jesus; sometimes, though, we're being formed into something other than Jesus. Today, we're creating some space to talk with God about what what is forming us and our Gen Zers so we can better pray for and walk with them as the next generation seeks to journey with Jesus.

What types of narratives are the next generation being told? And which ones are they listening to? Often, what we are told about ourselves is what we believe to be true. However, the thing we think is true of us may not actually be true. So, as we seek to help the next generation find their identity in Christ, we should remind them of this reality and use words like chosen and adopted, holy and blameless, faithful and forgiven. Join us as we pray that Gen Z will begin to find their identity in Christ and allow that to be the reality that shape and defines who they are.

On this episode, we're going to continue off of our conversation from I Need a Guide (Part 1), but now we're going to begin praying over how we can become guides to the Gen Zer in our lives. We know that Gen Z is looking for a guide to journey with them and to help them as they seek to use their entrepreneurial spirit and gifts God has given them. Our prayer today is for a renewed spirit as we look to guide this generation, and a mindset that realizes that no matter the size or scope of your influence, God can use it as He seeks to build His kingdom here on earth.

Oftentimes, the younger generation brings energy and excitement to situations, while the older generations bring the wisdom and experience. How can we bridge that generational gap to use the strengths of both the younger and older generations? Studies are showing that a majority of the emerging generation want and value mentoring, and that includes the Gen Zer in your life. Join us as we talk about how you can pour into the entrepreneurial spirit of Gen Z—guiding them with the wisdom of someone who has gone before.

As we talked about in Building Trust (Part 1), trust is at an all-time low in Generation Z and the world in general. On this episode, we're going to pray about how to build trust within Gen Z, and we'll use Scripture to help us do that. It's important that we remember trust is not based on our circumstances but, instead, on the One in whom we place our trust. For the show notes, go to www.wgm.org/buildingt-trust-part-2.

Trust is at an all-time low in our world, and this is impacting Generation Z. Having never known a world before 9/11 or a country not in a war, the emerging generation needs adults and mentors who will walk with them during the ups and downs of life so that trust in God can be built. Laura Needer will join us to pray that trust can be built through these relationships.

In Abide (Part 1), we discussed the need for abiding in God. Often what keeps us from abiding is the constant distractions that are present in our lives. On this episode, we guide you through prayer as we ask God to remove distractions in our life and our Gen Zer's life.

Abiding is the dynamic and life-giving process of remaining in Jesus. What is keeping us from abiding in the life of Jesus, though? Are we as a culture too distracted, and what about Gen Z specifically? We believe that abiding is more than one spiritual discipline but is a way of life. This topic will be one that we talk about many times, but on this episode, we're going to introduce abiding, the reason for it, and what keeps us from doing it.

In part 1 of our first episode, we discussed the great opportunity that exists within Generation Z. Now, we are giving you some prompts and space to pray over the Gen Z'er in your life. Join us as we begin this journey of faithfully praying over the emerging generation and asking God to stir their hearts.

Generation Z represents the largest Gospel opportunity in American history, according to the Pinetop Foundations. In this episode, we talk about the rate at which Generation Z is leaving the church, how that can be turned around, and the role other generations can play in that movement. John and Beth Muehleisen join us to pray over this great opportunity and Generation Z.

Each generation has unique challenges and God-sized opportunities. They bring their own strengths, weaknesses, and perspectives to spreading the Gospel as part of the body of Christ. So we want to invite you to pray for an awakening in the emerging generation. This is The Approach, where we help you walk with the next generation as they seek to use their gifts, talents, and experience to journey with Jesus and participate in the Great Commission. On this microcast we want to give you a snapshot of the next generation and provide you with tools to disciple, empower, and pray for the next generation, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, mentor, or friend. Each episode, we'll cover a topic, a quick fact about Gen Z (you might've heard them referred to as Gen Zed), read a verse to mediate and pray on, and then we'll bring on a guest who will pray for the next generation. We can't wait to see what God is going to do in and through you as we walk with Gen Z together. Tune in on September 7 for Episode 1: Great Opportunity