Westmont Magazine The Faith of the Young Christian Student
By Matt Smith '21, Admissions Counselor
Editor’s note: During the past academic year, Matt Smith ’21 and Lauren Petersen ’21 served as the first Westmont interns at Barna Group, and Lauren now works there full time.
Who is Gen Z? Nearly everyone enrolled at Westmont and most prospective students belong to this group. Their birth years range from the mid-to-late 1990s through the early 2010s, making them roughly 6 to 24 in 2021. Generation Z, with nicknames such as the Zoomers, iGen and screenagers, succeeds the Millennials.
Gen Z grew up with a phone and electronic devices in their hands, which distinguishes them from prior generations. Social media shapes their lifestyle, and technology and the digital space frame their sense of the world. Their weekly screen time averages six hours a day — and when asked to comment on this number, many say it’s too much. They’re aware of the problem and seek to better navigate their use of technology.
During my senior year at Westmont, I served as a paid intern with Barna Group, a leading research company based in Ventura, California, which studies the intersection of faith and culture. In January 2021, Barna released a report, “Gen Z, Volume 2: Caring for Young Souls and Cultivating Resilience,” which follows their 2018 report, “Gen Z: The Culture, Beliefs and Motivations Shaping the Next Generation.” I was involved in writing and launching the most recent Gen Z 2.0 report, and I also surveyed Westmont students with some of the same questions Barna used for their research. This allowed us to compare Westmont students to Gen Z nationally to determine what makes them distinct.
As I began exploring the research about Gen Z, a key question kept surfacing: What is the role of Christian institutions in encouraging the growth of and support for the next generation? I talked with church leaders and educators as they recognized the significant generational shift occurring in the people they work with. Many felt unequipped to respond effectively. Initially, I doubted that traditional institutions, such as churches or educational institutions, were capable of relating to the next generation. The gap seemed to be getting wider and wider.
But something surprised me. The more I looked into the research, the more I recognized the value of a Christian liberal arts education. As I began to understand the pressures Gen Z faces, I realized that a Christian liberal arts college has the re- sources to meet those needs. Specifically, I considered my time at Westmont and saw how Westmont can support Gen Z.
My experience as a new admissions counselor has made this increasingly clear. I spend a lot of time talking with prospective students about their hopes for the future, what they’re nervous about and how Westmont can support them. Being familiar with the research on Gen Z has helped me discern what to emphasize about Westmont that will address the desires and pressures these students experience. Surprisingly, I found myself emphasizing all the key pillars that have made Westmont distinctive since its founding. In many ways, Westmont was ahead of the curve in responding to the needs of the younger generation.
CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MENTORS
Gen Z expresses increased skepticism about established institutions, such as the government, media and churches. This could create a challenge for Christian higher education. But this generation also seeks out and trusts older mentors to a much higher degree than previous ones. During my time at Barna, I consistently told church leaders and educators that they play a sacred role as they get to know and work with younger students. Despite their skepticism and mistrust, Gen Z considers older mentors a unique source of trust and support.
With its focus on undergraduates, low student-to-faculty ratio and emphasis on developing relationships between students and professors, Westmont can meet Gen Z where they are. The college offers genuine relationships with mentors and professors, a key avenue of trust for Gen Z. Westmont has always encouraged these relationships, but they’ve become even more important. Every time I tell a prospective student about my relationships with professors, the meals I’ve eaten at their homes and the ways they continue to be a resource for me, I see them get excited.
SOCIAL MEDIA VS. EMBODIED COMMUNITY
Other key factors make Westmont a good environment for Gen Z. For example, they experience much of their community through a screen. From social media to virtual chat rooms, they spend less and less time with people in person. So they consider a school with a residential focus and a strong campus communi- ty compelling. They appreciate the real, embodied community at Westmont as a good alternative to an increasingly disembodied world. Even during COVID-19, Westmont brought students back to campus and held some classes in person (following strict safety protocols) because of our commitment to community. Students learn the important skills of living together despite differences, managing conflict, disagreeing well and forming deep friendships that will last a lifetime. Talking to students who’ve spent the last year of high school mediated through a Zoom screen reminds me of the importance of a residential college experience.
Learning how to talk to people who think differently, disagreeing well and dialoging with others represent important skills for Gen Z to acquire. Westmont created the
Student Success Center to better support students in their classes, and Gen Z appre- ciates this kind of assistance. The college also sponsors conversations about mental health, another important issue for them, and offers counseling through Counseling and Psychological Services.
HIGH PRESSURE AND HIGH SUPPORT
Barna describes Gen Z as being both anxious and empowered. According to their research, young students feel a high degree of ambition and hope for the future, particularly about career aspirations and impact. At the same time, they feel a high degree of pressure to perform and reach those goals. Gen Z combines a high level ofconfidencewithastrongfearoffailing, something I think Westmont professors are prepared to address. When I first heard this,I thought of religious studies professor Helen Rhee, who was one of my most challenging and demanding professors, yet at the same time, one of the most supportive. She provided incredible resources for me to pursue ambition and drive — and she supported me through challenging moments.
I tell students that Westmont will both push them and provide incredible support. Student success coaches and counselors, incredible professors and an office dedicated to helping students navigate career aspirations all provide important tools and assistance for students. I seek to capture this balance of helping students reach their goals while also helping them manage their anxiety and pressure.
One of the best analogies I have heard explaining generational differences involves how we build our homes. In the past, houses were compartmentalized with a separate kitchen, dining room and living room. Everything had its distinct space. Today, more and more homes feature open floor plans with one big space and less difference between the various parts and functions. In many ways, students coming to Westmont desire an open floor plan. They wish to approach issues holistically and look for a place that can meet all their needs. Not only do they want good mentors and professors and strong support for dealing with stress, but they think these things should work together and provide a holistic experience.
I spoke with a student recently who said our brochure drew her to Westmont by asking, “What will you gain when you unite your mind and your spirit?” Younger students seem to understand this fundamental unity across disciplines, across theological and psychological understanding and across career aspirations and moral development. The Christian liberal arts tradition prepares Westmont well to engage these younger students because it promotes the integration of faith and learning and interdisciplinary approaches. Westmont can help students discover what it means to participate in God’s coming andpresentkingdomwithalloftheirlives.
What makes me so confident about this? One answer is my experience at Westmont. But I also worked with Barna and my fellow intern, Lauren, to survey Westmont students and ask them some of the same questions Barna used in their national survey of Gen Z. We then compared the Westmont story to the experience of Gen Z as a whole. We found that Westmont students differ from Gen Z in several important ways.
» They have a more positive outlook on life.
» They have a greater determination to succeed.
» They’re more likely to report that they hope to achieve a lot in the next few years.
» More than twice as many Westmont students (60 percent versus 30 percent for Gen Z as a whole) feel valued by mentors.
» They’re more drawn to churches to find answers for themselves and others.
PRESSURES ON THE NEXT GENERATION
Delving more deeply into Barna’s findings, more than half of Gen Z still identify themselves as Christians, but only about 4 percent have actually developed what Barna classifies as a biblical worldview. Many lack the theological and biblical foundation of earlier generations, which puts them under theological pressure. Westmont encourages and equips students to develop a Christian worldview. The liberal arts education gives students the resources to cultivate a Christian faith both theologically robust and deeply personal.
The most frequently reported obstacle to the faith of Gen Z is questioning how a loving God could allow such suffering (29 percent). The next most likely response describes Christians as hypocrites (23 percent), creating philosophical pressure for them. Westmont provides a safe and constructive space where Gen Z can wrestle with these questions and many other important ones, equipping them to explore deep faith-related issues constructively.
Gen Z also feels less confident that they can know the truth or be sure of it. While many older generations consider this problematic, Gen Z frames the issue with humility, openness and space for dialogue. Westmont’s commitment to listening to different perspectives encourages a healthy posture of humility and open-mindedness that appeals to Gen Z while also promoting deep Christian conviction.
Gen Z places an increased emphasis on professional development. Looking toward the next 10 years, nearly all (91 percent) agree they hope to achieve a great deal. Westmont encourages high performance and professional development while reminding students of their identity in Christ and supporting them in all areas of their lives.
As I meet with more students applying to college, I feel increasingly confident that Westmont can help Gen Z navigate both their high aspirations and the high level of pressure they experience. Our connected community offers support from professors and mentors, engagement with a range of fellow students who will both challenge and support them and a space to explore deep questions about their faith and identity. I believe that Westmont, as a Christian liberal arts college, is well equipped to help young students achieve their dreams and manage the pressures they encounter in life.