“Meet Generation Z,” by James Emory White, is a book primarily focused on helping readers understand Generation Z (young people born between the years 1995-2010), as well as give some insight on how the church can better minister to them. Of course, the challenge to any such work on a generation that spans young children through current college students is that research findings are still early, and tend to be focused more on the older end of the generation – we just can’t survey eight year olds the way we can older teens and college age young adults.

The strength of this book is the first third of the book, labeled part one (the book is divided into two parts); White’s summary and exploration of what the research is telling us about Generation Z. He explores the impact on a generation that has grown up with an exposure to technology like no other generation, views on race, their sexual fluidity, and the reality of being a generation that has grown up in a post-Christian culture. It’s critical for older generations to recognize the realities that are shaping young people and the fact that none of us have experienced a childhood like they have. I may have been a teen, but I do not know what it is like for my children to be teens in 2018 America.

Part two frustrated me somewhat. White details his church’s approach to ministry to Generation Z, which is good and has some great practical ideas. But there are also times where he comes across as blaming Generation Z for some of the challenges they present; the reality is, though, they are the product of the culture that has produced them. Their lack of Biblical knowledge, or views on sexuality, are not some sort of generational agenda – it’s simply opportunities for us to learn in grow in our approaches. He also includes the transcripts of three sermons he gave at his church as examples of ways to teach to Generation Z on topics relevant to them; one on gay marriage, one on spirituality, and one on the topic of why we should believe in God. As someone who spends the bulk of his time working with Generation Z, while these are topics they care about – the sermons were more how I would approach it with the congregation as a whole, not as a lesson geared towards teens.

For me, the real value to the book is in the first third; part two is a mixed bag to me. Having said that, there is not much out there on Generation Z and this is a good first step. It’s definitely good for church leaders to check out, but it has limitations.