As we age, time seems to pass more quickly. We look down the line at the younger generations, and the seeming gap between us and them tends to widen; yet we are called to minister to, parent, mentor, and pastor emerging generations. By the end of 2025, we will have completed yet another generation (Gen Alpha), and when the first baby takes a breath on this planet in the wee hours of the morning of New Year’s Day 2026, we will have the first member of Gen Beta.
Our temptation as we age is to treat all younger generations the same. We blame our first-grader for acting like a Millennial, while forgetting that two generations have come along since the Millennials. Each generation is distinct, with its unique challenges. So, what do we know about Gen Alpha, and how do we best minister to them?
Who Is Gen Alpha?
- Gen Alpha was born between 2010 and 2025.
- Gen Alpha are the children of the Millennials.
- Gen Alpha is expected to comprise over two billion people by the end of 2025.
- Most Gen Alphas in the world live in India, China, and Nigeria.[1]
- Gen Alpha will be the most diverse generation in US history.[2]
- Gen Alpha has been constantly surrounded by “smart” technology (Alexa, Siri, artificial intelligence, etc.).[3]
- 65% of Gen Alphas will work in jobs that don’t yet exist today.[4]
- 50% of Gen Alphas are expected to earn a college degree.[5]
- Gen Alpha’s spending will surpass that of all previous generations by 2034.[6]
How Do We Minister to Gen Alpha?
We Must Seek to Understand Gen Alpha, Not Put Gen Alpha Into Our Box
Our temptation as adults is to look back on our childhood with an idealistic lens and then judge future generations as falling short of that ideal. Frank Martin, former men’s basketball coach at the University of South Carolina, once said, “You know what makes me sick to my stomach? When I hear grown people say that kids have changed. Kids haven’t changed. Kids don’t know anything about anything. We’ve changed as adults. We demand less of kids. We expect less of kids. We make their lives easier instead of preparing them for what life is truly about. We’re the ones that have changed.”[7]
We often forget that in many ways, emerging generations are the products of their parents. Gen Alpha has been shaped mainly by technology, as a generation of parents found it easier to put a smartphone in their hands than to engage with their kids. Gen Alpha will have increased spending because their parents have taught them their economic values.
In seeking to understand a generation, we must realize that we helped to create it and that they will not fit in the boxes of our childhood experiences. From this place of seeking understanding, we can begin to see where Gen Alpha truly is, enabling us to parent and minister to them effectively.
We Must Love Gen Alpha and Meet Them Where They Are
As we seek to love and minister to the generations who live in our homes and sit in our small groups, its essential to remember the words of Tim Elmore and Andrew McPeak: “The only way we can begin to address (the issues faced by any generation) is to fall in love with the students we actually teach, lead, coach, and parent, not the ones we wish we had…they are products of our making.”[8]
All parenting and ministry must lead with love. As we seek to love Gen Alpha, we will have the grace and patience to meet them where they are. We can overlook the things that frustrate us and begin to see Gen Alpha through the eyes of Jesus.
We Must Call Gen Alpha to Follow Jesus
No matter the generation that rides in our backseats or sits in our pews, our call remains the same—we are to invite the next generation to follow Jesus and disciple them in their faith. We can connect Gen Alpha to Jesus, who wants to meet them where they are, transform their lives by the gospel, and begin to make them look more and more like Him.
One notable characteristic of Gen Alpha is its diversity and global connectivity. They will be one of the most diverse generations on the planet, and a significant portion of Gen Alpha will be living outside of the USA. This presents an excellent possibility for engaging in missions with a focus on Gen Alpha.
We can be people who fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission with all generations as we seek to engage Gen Alpha both in our city and all nations: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a ESV).
God has blessed our world with Gen Alpha as a huge generation, and like all generations before them, they need our understanding, love, and the hope of the gospel found only in Jesus. Let us be parents and leaders who engage with Gen Alpha because God has raised us for this very moment.
[1] https://explodingtopics.com/blog/generation-alpha-stats
[2] https://explodingtopics.com/blog/generation-alpha-stats
[3] Mark McCrindle and Ashley Fell, Generation Alpha, 47-49.
[4] https://explodingtopics.com/blog/generation-alpha-stats
[5] https://explodingtopics.com/blog/generation-alpha-stats
[6] https://explodingtopics.com/blog/generation-alpha-stats
[7] https://www.cougarboard.com/board/message.html?id=17587283
[8] Tim Elmore and Andrew McPeak, Generation Z Unfiltered, 292
