{"id":2541,"date":"2024-06-03T17:16:17","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T23:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/newgenerationsexplorefaith\/?p=2541"},"modified":"2024-06-03T19:05:02","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T01:05:02","slug":"loneliness-and-gen-z","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/newgenerationsexplorefaith\/2024\/06\/loneliness-and-gen-z\/","title":{"rendered":"Loneliness and Gen. Z"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Practical Spirituality series<\/h2>\n One thing I learned doing pastoral visitation is how lonely many people are. Too many lose their spouse or friends, or get injured, and become hermits. Eating is a social function, so they don\u2019t eat. Loneliness is especially rampant among Generation Z. Over fifty-three percent report loneliness.<\/p>\n You can have fame, wealth, social media friends and likes, text a hundred texts a day, even have a family, and still be very lonely. Gen. Z is very digitally connected, but would prefer to communicate in person. We can make that happen. A little lonely music: Justin Bieber \u2013 Lonely<\/em> (Official Live Performance)<\/a>. Backstreet Boys \u2013 Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely<\/em> (Official Video)<\/a>.<\/p>\n Loneliness is hard on people\u2019s health and longevity. According to a Forbes <\/a>article, loneliness can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. And people who experience social isolation have a 32% higher risk of premature death.<\/p>\n Image of lonely by Microsoft Designer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n* ** \u201cIt is not good for the man to be alone, so I will create a companion for him, a perfectly suited partner.\u201d Genesis 2: 18 (The Voice)<\/p>\n ** *Also see Philippians 2:3-4, Proverbs 18, and Hebrews 13:1-25.<\/p>\n Ways to meet or engage people age 18 to 35<\/h2>\n*** ** ***Any idea that people in this age group aren\u2019t spiritual and don\u2019t need served by ministry is very uninformed. In this respect, they are like previous generations but feel less need for \u201creligiosity.\u201d<\/p>\n \nCreate an informal space in a church, home, or other place where people can just hang out, feel welcome, and be with others on select nights.<\/li>\nHave an evening meal for people in a church or restaurant where they can meet each other. Keep in mind that schedules vary and children can be a problem that requires babysitting or oversight with activities. So, from others\u2019 experience, scheduling needs to be very flexible.<\/li>\nThe Facebook dating site can effectively be used to find friends with this formula: Age ___, straight (or whatever), want to make friends of both men and women.*** ***\nOther friendship apps include Bumble For Friends, Friender, Atleto, Yubo, LMK, WINK, Hey! VINA, Plura, Patook, Meetup, and Peanut.<\/li>\nEngage a social organizer to get out there to meet people, find public places to make announcements, and get them together in a meeting space.<\/li>\nEngage a social media influencer to use various social media groups to locate and invite local people. They like to communicate digitally, so build a network from this where they can get announcements. Advertise. Create a church app.<\/li>\nHave events for this age group such as quick dating (get to know others), mixers, special interest groups, etc. The best romances start with friendship and attraction.<\/li>\nUnderstand their needs and serve them with assistance. On https:\/\/connexions.life\/<\/a> I list 27 life skills that would interest many of them, such as anger management, conflict resolution, and finding meaning and purpose. Be endlessly engaging, positive, enthusiastic, and genuine. Churches with more than one program for this age group show their interest and are most successful at engaging them.<\/li>\nMake videos and post them on social media. Make them warm and entertaining.<\/li>\nAvoid preaching and church doctrine. These are inherently laden with things they find unjust. Talk about genuine spirituality. Most like Jesus and genuine, active faith. Social justice and inclusion are at the top of their list.<\/li>\nEngage them in leadership positions or in service. They want this.<\/li>\nYou can build genuine community by being genuine, letting them lead, helping them explore their interests, being available for life, spiritual, and relationship counseling, and enabling meetings.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nOther resources<\/h3>\n**** 3 Things Making Gen Z the Loneliest Generation<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n 6 Ways To Engage Gen Z And Millennials On Your Team<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Forbes<\/p>\n Strategies to engage Gen Z with your continuing education program<\/em><\/a>. \u2013 Crowd Wisdom<\/p>\n 5 Ways to Engage Generation Z Volunteers<\/em><\/a>. \u2013 Volunteer Hub<\/p>\n 5 Ways to Engage Millennials and Gen Z in the Local Church<\/em><\/a>. \u2013 ibelieve.com<\/p>\n Understanding What Motivates Gen Z Is Key To Having Them Become More Active Within Our Church Community<\/em><\/a>. \u2013 Jesus Love Temple<\/p>\n 4 Ways to Attract Gen Z Volunteers to Your Program<\/em><\/a>. \u2013 Get Connected by Galaxy Digital<\/p>\n Connecting with Millennials: 5 Best Practices for Churches<\/em><\/a>. \u2013 Boxcast<\/p>\n How Can Your Church Attract Millennials [Gen. Z]?<\/em><\/a> Here Are 12 Keys \u2013 Reach Right Studios<\/p>\n 7 Secrets to Making Friends as an Adult<\/a><\/em>. \u2013 Marisa G. Franco, Ph.D., is a psychologist, former professor, and friendship expert. She has been featured in New York Times, Vice, and Chicago Tribune. She is the author of Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make\u2014and Keep\u2014Friends. To learn more about friendship, sign up for her newsletter.<\/p>\n How Adults Can Make and Keep New Friends<\/a><\/em>. Use of Proximity, Similarity, and Repetition. \u2013 Ahona Guha, D.Psych.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/h2>\n***** ** We can cure loneliness for all ages, but this is especially needed for Generation Z. All we have to do is be informed and try.<\/p>\n ** Probability Space<\/h2>\n ** What probability spaces can we open in our minds to find ways to defeat loneliness?<\/p>\n ** Potential Space<\/h2>\n ** If you think creatively and allow your mind to wander and explore loneliness, how can we help others?<\/p>\n ** ________________________<\/p>\n ** \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dorian<\/p>\n ** Our answer is God. God\u2019s answer is us. Together we make the world better.<\/p>\n ** Restore and recreate. Take time to celebrate life. Sing and dance regularly, even every day.<\/p>\n ** *****Bible scripture verses are New American Standard Version (NASB), unless noted.<\/p>\n Author\u2019s books<\/h2>\n Appease the Volcano<\/a><\/em>: What does God require from people? The voices of the ancients from many religions echo much of the same things: It starts with law, then mercy and forgiveness, then love.<\/p>\n The Prophetic Pattern: Ancient and Modern Prophecy<\/a><\/em>: How to distinguish the intent of various types of prophecies and oracles, both ancient and modern.<\/p>\n Preparing For the Future Of Work and Education<\/a><\/em>: Analysis of the kinds of jobs that AI and Robotics will displace, and the educational requirements for them. AI will replace or augment thirty percent of jobs. This is an in-depth analysis citing many authoritative sources.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Practical Spirituality series One thing I learned doing pastoral visitation is how lonely many people are. Too many lose their spouse or friends, or get injured, and become hermits. Eating is a social function, so they don\u2019t eat. Loneliness is especially rampant among Generation Z. Over fifty-three percent report loneliness. You can have fame, wealth, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4612,"featured_media":2544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1791,1785,1788],"class_list":["post-2541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-creating-friend-space-for-gen-z","tag-cure-for-loneliness","tag-how-to-make-friends"],"yoast_head":"\nLoneliness and Gen. 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