Where Are All the Young Missionaries?

Free Church leaders, I ask you to dream with me today.

There are 1,600 EFCA congregations across the United States. Imagine what would happen if each one committed to raising up one new ReachGlobal missionary or family in the next ten years. ReachGlobal’s missionary force would quadruple from 500 to more than 2,000.

Imagine what that surge in global workers could do for the Kingdom of God—how many pastors could be trained, how many children in poverty could receive an education, how many churches could be planted. It’s undoubtedly a God-sized dream.

If you are with me on this dream so far (and I hope you are), we must clear one major obstacle: we need to figure out how to mobilize the next generation.

ReachGlobal is launching a new initiative to attract Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012), and we’re excited to share that with you. But first, let’s talk about this challenge and how EFCA churches can help.

A steady decline in young missionaries 

Since 2017, the number of young people applying to serve with ReachGlobal has steadily declined. Though older generations have continued to join ReachGlobal and numbers have remained steady (even in light of a surge in retirements), Gen Z is far more conspicuously absent than previous generations.  

In Mobilizing Gen Z, authors White and Erlacher report that Gen Z is less likely to hold a biblical worldview than previous generations, tends to avoid risk and feels less certainty about the future. Social media presents this generation with confusing and contradictory viewpoints on missions, making them suspicious that missionaries may be equated with colonizers and uncertain whether sharing their faith is compassionate or necessary.

Unfortunately, their parents aren’t helping. Barna’s research indicates that only 35 percent of engaged Christian parents of young adults say they’d definitely encourage their child to serve in missions, and nearly half of these parents agree that “I’d rather my child get a well-paying job than be a career missionary.”

Something needs to change. The Great Commission isn’t finished. More than 3 billion people—40 percent of the world’s population—are still considered unreached with the gospel. Though indigenous missionaries are becoming more common, there are still countless places where American missionaries are desperately needed. Yes, our local churches have their own issues and ministry contexts to address, but the American church is still the richest and best-resourced in the world—and therefore, it remains responsible for engaging in worldwide missions.  

A new strategy 

So, what can we do?

First, we need a new missions mobilization strategy. Elaborate annual missions conferences or occasional missionary pulpit supply won’t be enough to attract this generation. Gen Z doesn’t breathe the air of the Jim Elliot martyrs or even an environment saturated in Christian values. Instead, they are surrounded by increasing anxiety, a bombardment of global problems, inwardly focused politics, cynicism regarding the mistakes of past missionaries and half of their friends deconstructing their faith. 

What they need is a fresh vision of the vast scope of God’s redemptive history for the world and how God has uniquely gifted them to play a part in that story. They need to look up, beyond the anxiety of doomscrolling, and increase their capacity for awe and wonder at what God is doing in the world. They need to look out and see that their unprecedented technological and global perspective has uniquely prepared them to reach the nations. 

Gen Z is hungry for authenticity in a world of AI and digital misinformation, as well as genuine relationships in an era of isolation and loneliness. The best way to tackle both of those challenges? Get missionaries in front of your young people. Not just five-minute cameos or cursory prayers. I’m talking about regular, interactive, intentional times of discussion and teaching from missionaries or missions-minded people connected to your church—the smaller the group, the better. 

And of course, send your young people on short-term trips but make sure those experiences are just as much about vision as serving, where participants will have opportunities to engage deeply with on-site missionaries.

Encourage Q&A sessions. Tackle head-on some of the questions Gen Z is wrestling with (as referenced in Mobilizing Gen Z):  

• What need is there for support-raising missionaries?  
• Is it even ethical to raise support? 
• How is missions any different from cultural superiority?  
• Can God use people on the mission field who might not be gifted in preaching but are gifted in technology, the arts, sports or physical therapy?  
• How can I possibly push past the fear of being canceled for sharing my faith?  
• Is giving up comfort and security worth it?  

Barna’s The Future of Missions research concluded that “a close relationship and regular interactions with a missionary will do more to rouse your church for global ministry than just about anything else could.” 

Missionaries beget more missionaries. Ask any young missionary how God called them into missions, and it will likely include rubbing shoulders with other missionaries. And if your church doesn’t support many missionaries yet, contact Stewart Humphry at connect@efca.org. He will gladly get you in touch with missionaries represented in your EFCA district.

Introducing a new missions pathway for Gen Z 

My team and I at ReachGlobal have developed a new strategy on how to attract Gen Z, and I would love for you and your EFCA church to join in. This initiative integrates Gen Z’s desire for mentoring, personalized ministry opportunities and flexible timelines to create a missions pathway just for them. It’s called Explore ReachGlobal. 

Explore ReachGlobal enables young adults to take the next step on their missions journey with a three- to 12-month experience, where they will join established missions teams and be discipled in ministry as they explore God’s will for their lives. This initiative will help young people discover how God can use their unique background and gifts to build His church around the world.  

Despite the challenges in recruiting Gen Z for missions, I’m confident God will use this generation to continue the quest to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth. There is no greater privilege than to actively participate in Christ’s final command for His followers—so let’s put that vision in front of our young people.  

Is your church ready to take on the goal of raising up one individual or family as ReachGlobal missionaries in the next 10 years? Dream with me and then join us as we make His name glorious around the world! 

Are there young people at your church interested in taking the next step in exploring missions for a longer term? Send them to the Explore ReachGlobal website and contact us at explorereachglobal@efca.org.