> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thepulse.org/en/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Episode 3: The Christian Gen Z in Germany: Where Do They Stand on Culture, the Gospel and Justice? - URL: https://thepulse.org/en/christian-gen-z-in-germany-episode-3-culture-gospel-justice/ - Published: 2024-05-06T08:16:53.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-06T18:36:04.000Z - Description: I surveyed almost 1,000 young Gen Z Christians in Germany. The data not only shed light on where these young Christians stand; they also raise questions for teaching and practice in church and youth ministry. - Author: Thorsten Attendorn - Tags: Articles, #target-leaders, #topic-culture, #target-parents, #topic-research, #age-teens, #age-young-adults, #target-educators, #translation-pending #### ****About the series “What Makes Christian Gen Z in Germany Tick?”** Gen Z is on everyone’s lips, in the media and in Christian youth ministry too. If you want to know more about this generation based on data, you look to the US or the UK. Surveys often don’t focus specifically on the Christian world. What really makes Christian Gen Z in Germany tick? Thorsten Attendorn took part in the Barna Church CoLab “Discipling Gen Z” and ran his own survey of almost 1,000 young Gen Z Christians in Germany. In this series he shares insights and ideas from the CoLab and puts the results of his survey up for discussion. - [Episode 1: The Christian Gen Z in Germany: The Most Open Generation Ever](https://thepulse.org/en/christian-gen-z-in-germany-episode-1-the-most-open-generation/) - [Episode 2: The Christian Gen Z in Germany: A Vulnerable Generation](https://thepulse.org/en/christian-gen-z-in-germany-episode-2-a-vulnerable-generation/) - [Episode 3: The Christian Gen Z in Germany: Where Do They Stand on Culture, the Gospel and Justice?](https://thepulse.org/en/christian-gen-z-in-germany-episode-3-culture-gospel-justice/) - [Episode 4: The Christian Gen Z in Germany: Honesty Is Everything](https://thepulse.org/en/christian-gen-z-in-germany-episode-4-honesty-is-everything/) - [Episode 5: The Christian Gen Z in Germany: Between Zeal and Guilt](https://thepulse.org/en/christian-gen-z-in-germany-episode-5-between-zeal-and-guilt/) What attitude does Christian Gen Z in Germany have toward the society around them today? Where does this generation stand on justice issues, and how far do they trust themselves to make an “impact” on society? In this context, how do they see the gospel and following Jesus? ## Serving people in need: faith practiced “Jesus-like” Caleb Chung is a high school senior from Colorado Springs and, despite his young age, has already been fundraising for World Vision for more than eight years. Caleb stresses that working for justice has a direct discipleship dimension for him: supporting disadvantaged people is faith practiced “Jesus-like,” deeds of faith and not just words. A question for Caleb: “Isn’t ‘justice’ an ideologically loaded and contested term? Doesn’t today’s culture sometimes take justice to mean different things from what God reveals in the Bible and in the life of Jesus?” Caleb’s answer (paraphrased): “True, it’s a contested term. Justice is important, but the Bible comes first. Whatever we do bears the stamp of Jesus. We bring our activities in line with the gospel, with the truth, with Jesus. But,” and here are Caleb’s own words: > “It is wrong, if people lack basics, and that suffering has no response.” (Caleb Chung) Caleb doesn’t want to use differences in definitions and concepts as an excuse for not working toward more justice. When he works to give more people in the world access to clean drinking water, he is living out his faith: he is giving food to the hungry. ## Discipleship formats that fit Along with Caleb, Barna also invited Clark Giansanti (a junior at Biola University in California and a member of the Global Leadership Summit’s NextGen Ministry) and Cece Metts (a high school student on Chicago’s West Side) to the Church CoLab. From them we learn: many in their generation are ready to get involved in similar ways and are looking for places to serve and for mentoring focused on discipleship. Clark stresses that fitting formats for discipleship and community are needed to build trust in a generation that is distrustful (especially of institutions): Less up-front teaching or group settings, more one-on-one relationships of lived discipleship. Community, relationships and trust are important factors. > When it comes to Gen Z getting involved, what’s needed is not delegation by leaders but empowerment and mentoring. Clark: “We don’t want to be just entertained, we are followers, too, and we want to learn how to follow. Seek us out, call us by name, show us the love of Jesus, one by one!” In the breakout room, a youth pastor passes on his most important lesson: This generation doesn’t want an appointment with a leader who uses a time slot for his own agenda, but informal yet serious encounters. One teenager’s words hit me hard: “Can we just talk!?” ## Gen Z: a justice-minded, activist, self-confident generation Gen Z is generally seen as especially activist, particularly on justice issues. The Barna Open Generation survey found, for example, that 34% of teens worldwide are “very” motivated (and another 44% “somewhat”) to do something about unfair or undeserved treatment of people in society. By Barna’s categories, 24% of teens worldwide are “justice motivated,” 51% “justice oriented” and 25% neutral. According to Barna’s research, however, there is a clear gap (20 to 30 percentage points) between theory and practice, and not only in this generation. In other words, the strong motivation for justice doesn’t show up to the same degree in concrete priorities and actions in life: “belief does not always correlate to action”. Many in this generation also believe (44% “strongly,” 43% “somewhat”) that their generation has the ability to make a positive and meaningful impact on the world. And they are motivated much more by peers from their own generation than by family members or other “role models.” ## Christian Gen Z in Germany: Who should take action for justice? Jesus: yes! Churches: them too. Me? Not really. The respondents from Christian Gen Z in Germany fall well behind here: their own motivation to do something about injustice is twenty percentage points lower than among Gen Z in Germany in general, at 13%. Instead, about 50% of them see the churches as responsible for addressing injustice, well above the average for Gen Z in Germany (20%). The respondents affirm that Jesus stood up for justice more than twice as often as the German Christians in the Open Generation survey (about 80% compared with 37%). ![Bar chart, Christian Gen Z in Germany, Open Generation Germany and US practicing Christians. I am motivated to do something about injustice in society: 13%, 27%, 58%. Churches should play a role in addressing injustice: 51%, 20%, 72%. Answers “very motivated” and “a major role.”](https://thepulse.org/en/content/images/2026/11/christian-gen-z-chart-3-3-en.png) Taking action against injustice? The church rather than me: Christian Gen Z in Germany compared with Open Generation Germany and US practicing Christians It’s surprising that Christians from a generation seen as so engaged hold themselves so little responsible, especially when they see Jesus, whom they follow so wholeheartedly, so clearly as an advocate for justice. Part of the answer will surely be the ever-present gap between theory and practice; perhaps “justice” is also too abstract a topic to draw concrete personal motivation from; perhaps the reluctance also comes from the polarizing culture wars that are sometimes fought in the name of “justice.” Two comparisons are interesting: - The comparison group of US practicing Christians that Barna used in the Church CoLab showed strong motivation for justice at 58%, far outstripping the figures from the Open Generation study and those of my survey (13%). And that’s even though Christian Gen Z in Germany sees Jesus’ commitment to justice much more clearly than US practicing Christians do (80% to 48%). For the “Americans,” in turn, it matters much more that Jesus’ teaching does good than that it is true and trustworthy (48% compared with 17% among Christian Gen Z in Germany). Could it be that Americans have a more pragmatic and at the same time more convinced approach to such good works? - Other surveys have found that Bible engagement strongly boosts motivation for justice and self-efficacy: about 80% of “Bible-engaged” Gen Z worldwide (twice as many as the global Gen Z average) want to make an “impact” and actively work against injustice. Among Christian Gen Z in Germany, it’s different: Although the participants are highly engaged with the Bible, clearly fewer of them show motivation for justice than the average of their generation. It seems that, starting from a firm anchoring in biblical theory, a stronger bridge into practice could well be built. ## Gen Z and the gospel: a familiar culture of conversation Savannah Kimberlin tells us that Gen Zers think it’s important to talk about their personal faith and are used to doing so. Globally, almost 90% of Gen Z had at least one conversation about faith with a non-Christian in the past year. Andy Byrd of Youth With A Mission (Hawaii) believes this is an “activist” generation that is ready to commit personally to mission too, but he points to the gap between joyful readiness and a weak foundation: among “committed Christians,” only 20% know the biblical Great Commission, but more than 50% are ready to go into missions. When it comes to conversations about faith, however, almost 40% of the Open Generation say it is wrong to have conversations about faith in the hope that the other person will come to the Christian faith. Such conversations about faith usually happen (over 80%) within personal relationships. Most Gen Zers experience positive emotions in these conversations (especially calm and peaceful, but also proud, joyful and excited) and afterward feel more confident (85%) and motivated to share their faith again (65%). It’s striking that those who actually have such conversations benefit much more from all kinds of faith activities than those who don’t: whether prayer, church attendance, Christian music or personal Bible study, the active “faith communicators” find all of it much more helpful for growing in their faith. ## Christian Gen Z in Germany: moderate motivation The survey of Christian Gen Z in Germany found that about a quarter of respondents feel “very” comfortable (another 50% “somewhat”) sharing their faith with other people. These figures fall well below those of US practicing Christians (74%/21%). Could it be the phrase “I am comfortable”? After all, having such conversations and having good experiences with them is quite typical of this generation. ## Obstacles to conversations about faith with non-Christians What are the biggest obstacles that keep non-Christians from getting into a conversation about faith with a Christian? Barna gave us the following pointers on the content, goals and methods of personal evangelism: - The biggest obstacle is a “judgmental” attitude toward their personal faith (42%) or their lifestyle (37%). At the same time, 81% of them don’t yet consider it “judgmental” if someone simply disagrees with them. - Accordingly, whether the Christian across from them seems comfortable sharing their faith is judged most of all by whether that person is able to listen without judging (72%) and doesn’t push conclusions (57%). Across all groups, people value interest and listening (rather than answers or judgment), care (rather than pressure) and honesty (including about doubts). - The most appealing “method” of passing on faith is felt to be letting actions speak instead of words (23% “very appealing”). Another survey found the top 3 methods of passing on faith to be: talking concretely about faith (71%), living out the Christian life (41%) and inviting someone to an event (35%). - The most negative are Bible quotes as proof of Christianity (34% “not at all appealing”) or sending Christian digital or online content (27%). ## Out-of-touch Christianity? Culture-compatible discipleship? The survey moves onto demanding ground, in theory and in practice, when it comes to attitudes toward today’s culture. These questions also show the widest spread of answers in the whole survey. One question aims right at the heart of the tension between Christians and the world: “Would you like to find a way to follow Jesus that connects with the broader culture you live in, rather than being separate from it?” About 30% “definitely” want (40% “somewhat”) a “culture-compatible” rather than a “separated” way of following Jesus; about 30% say no (8 percentage points of them strongly). ![Bar chart, Christianity out of touch? “Would you describe Christianity today as out of touch with reality?” Definitely 10%, somewhat 43%, not really 30%, not at all 17%.](https://thepulse.org/en/content/images/2026/11/christian-gen-z-chart-3-2-en.png) “Would you describe Christianity today as out of touch with reality?” Answers from Christian Gen Z in Germany Another question is a tough one too: “Is Christianity out of touch with reality?” There is more agreement than disagreement: 47% deny that it has lost touch with reality, 17% of them “absolutely.” At the other end of the scale, 10% “definitely” see a loss of touch with reality, 43% “somewhat.” US practicing Christians answer quite differently here: 71% deny that Christianity is “out of touch with reality” (59% of them strongly), and 29% affirm it (11% of them strongly). > The skills needed include not only “countercultural courage” but also compassion, and this seems to be what creates the ambivalence. It is revealing to connect these answers with other statements about the respondents themselves and about their churches: - 97% agree that the Bible has teaching that is relevant to today’s world. Only 29% strongly agree that their church is equipping them to live faithfully in a secular world. - On a personal level, “people-pleasing” is a phenomenon in this generation, in Christian circles too: 19% of respondents say they need other people’s approval to be happy. 16% see themselves as outsiders. ![Bar chart, counter-cultural? “Would you like to find a way to follow Jesus that connects with the broader culture you live in, rather than being separate from it?” Definitely 31%, somewhat 40%, not really 21%, not at all 8%.](https://thepulse.org/en/content/images/2026/11/christian-gen-z-chart-3-1-en.png) “Would you like to find a way to follow Jesus that connects with the broader culture you live in, rather than being separate from it?” Answers from Christian Gen Z in Germany In its study *Faith for Exiles*, Barna put forward the thesis that “resilient disciples”¹ stand out, among other things, for cultural discernment and a way of life that doesn’t simply conform to the culture. The skills needed include, and this seems to be what creates the ambivalence, not only “countercultural courage” (the courage to live out and bear witness to your faith, but also the wisdom to live alongside people who hold other beliefs) but also compassion (interest in and understanding of the needs of the underprivileged and marginalized, and compassion that moves the heart to active, intentional action and help, including through churches’ intergenerational programs). ## Conclusion and next steps **In short: characteristics of Christian Gen Z in Germany** - A clear view that Jesus stood up for justice; comparatively low personal motivation for justice; in Jesus’ teaching, what is “true” matters much more than what is “good” - Comparatively few with strong evangelistic motivation - Divided views on whether Christianity has lost touch with reality; many want discipleship to connect with the culture rather than be separate from it **Springboard for your own youth ministry** The following questions can help you check the survey results in your own youth group and talk about the topics in more depth: - What do you say to someone who says Christianity has lost touch with reality? - Where in your surroundings do you feel a tension between “following Jesus” and secular “culture”? - How can your church support you in living as a disciple today? - How motivated are you to talk with others (especially non-Christians) about your faith? What have your experiences been? What obstacles are there? Do you hope the other person will come to faith too? - Do you think Jesus and the Bible stand up for justice? How important is that to you personally? What can you or your church do in concrete terms? - Do you want to “make a difference” in the world or in your surroundings? - Can you explain why Jesus’ teaching and Christianity are “good” for people and for the world? - What might be the reasons you still don’t do something you recognize as good and right (for example, standing up for the poor)? What can help you change that? - Why do people experience Christians as “judgy,” and can or should we do something about it? - What could be the reason a young Christian feels like an outsider or a “people pleaser”? ⬅️ [Back to Episode 2](https://thepulse.org/en/christian-gen-z-in-germany-episode-2-a-vulnerable-generation/) ➡️ [Continue to Episode 4](https://thepulse.org/en/christian-gen-z-in-germany-episode-4-honesty-is-everything/) ## Resources - Barna, [Reviving Evangelism in the Next Generation](https://shop.barna.com/products/copy-of-reviving-evangelism-in-the-next-generation-us-digital-report?ref=thepulse.org), 2019 - Barna, [Faith for Exiles](https://shop.barna.com/products/faith-for-exiles?ref=thepulse.org), 2019 - Barna, Engaging Generation Z, 2021 --- ¹ Resilient disciples: attend church at least monthly and are involved beyond worship services; trust firmly in the authority of the Bible; are personally committed to Jesus and believe in his death and resurrection; want to change society as an outcome of their faith.