Arches National Park is an impressive and awe-inspiring collection of rocks shaped by centuries of wind and water erosion. In a similar way, culture shapes who we are. The movies we watch, songs we listen to, news outlets we consume, and messages we share all form the way we think and act. From a technical standpoint, this shaping is what scholars call one’s worldview. In a nutshell, a worldview is like the lense through which ones sees the world.
According to research conducted jointly by Barna and Impact 360 Institute, “Americans’ beliefs are becoming more post-Christian…” Statistically speaking, only 4% of Gen Z (people born between 1999-2015) have a biblical worldview. What does this statement and stat mean in practical terms? Two out of three of these young adults do not agree lying is morally wrong. One-third say gender is how a person feels inside, not their birth sex. And almost half think happiness is defined by financial success. There is no doubt our culture is shaping the next generation in ways that are radically contrary to traditional values and, more pointedly to our concerns, contrary to biblical values. Sadly, each of these ideas have consequences and, as John Stonestreet from the Colson Center notes, bad ideas have victims.
Despite the negative impact of culture on today’s society, I encourage you to view today’s challenges as an opportunity—an opportunity to make an eternal difference. Consider: God has allowed you to be alive during this remarkable period in history. Most likely, if you are reading this article, you are a follower of Jesus and involved in Woolsey Baptist Church or some other Bible-believing church. What an opportunity the Lord has given us to not sit back and watch others be shaped by culture but rather to be a change agent for the good!
While there are many steps we should be taking to address this complex challenge, I want to point you towards one action everyone can and should be involved in: prayer! over the past few months, I have added a prayer segment to my personal devotional time using our church’s prayer guide for families. This guide includes prayer requests from a variety of ministries including B4Connect, K5Connect, B4Zone, K1Bridge, Roots, Good News Club, Thrive, and Student Connect Groups. It also lists every family with children birth through 12th grade in our church and each of the “faith trainers” serving in these various ministries. A big thanks to Sheila Wright for putting this resource together each month!
You can access the prayer guide online or find a printed copy on the prayer table in the Connection Center. Instead of bemoaning the way our culture is eroding away the next generation, will you join me and pray God raises us world changers from the babies, toddlers, children, and students in our church family?