Hey, thanks for stopping by. I’ll get right to the point.

My name is Brendan Pittiglio. I am a member of Gen Z. I love my generation. We are bright. We are uniquely creative and open-minded in a way distinct from any generation before us. Our awareness of social issues and our drive to make a difference in the world is special. 

I also love Jesus Christ–more than anything or anyone else, in fact. He is my purpose-giving source of hope, and I enjoy a personal relationship with Him that sustains my life. Currently, I help pastor a wonderful, God-fearing congregation in Michigan, of which my peers make up a relatively low percentage. 

For some background, I grew up within a churchgoing household in the early 2000s, perhaps like some of you reading this or someone you know who has left the faith. As I grew older, I strayed from following Jesus to do my own thing. I came to regret that decision. 

After experiencing a serious case of emptiness, depression, and anxiety–which appears to be one of the defining trials of my generation (as well as anyone else growing up in our Western, me-first culture) I began following God wholeheartedly. He took me in with open arms and the rest is history. 

I was not alone in putting Jesus on the backburner in order to live the way I wanted and pursue my own “truth.” What I experienced was a microcosm (a word of which I am about eighty percent sure of I know the definition, but it makes me sound smart when I use it) of something many, many Gen Zers underwent–especially as they entered into young adulthood. 

I watched as my peers who once professed to follow God, who once enjoyed Jesus as the center of their lives and their identity, who once worshiped God alongside me on Sunday morning, who once served their communities with me in the name of Christ, walked away from the faith. They haven’t come back. 

Something happened. Something big. Something seismic enough to cause a generation of people to leave the purpose and relationship of love they once held so dear. 

I want to explore that “something” in the blogs to come. More so, I want to be upfront with you: I want to combat this societal and cultural shift away from Jesus. I want to blow it to pieces. I want to show you our need for an abundant relationship of love and obedience with Jesus Christ. 

With that in mind, this blog is for the older believer with a Gen Zer in their life who is beginning to slip away from their walk with the Lord–it is my prayer that the articles ahead help you better understand the spiritual climate in which they are living and equip you to have seed-planting conversations with them.

This blog is for the Gen Zer, or really anyone of any generation, who is in the process of losing their faith and searching for a reason to continue onward; I pray you find that reason in the pages ahead. 

This blog is for the individual who has lost their faith already and has clicked on this to read out of spite.

This blog is for the Youth Pastor who wants to better understand the onslaught of hurts and doubts his students are experiencing. 

This blog is for you. 

As a Gen Z pastor, I fall at the intersection between Christianity and a hurting, spiritually confused generation of young people who are just entering adulthood. I have experienced firsthand the spiritual trials that are unique to Gen Z, growing up under a culture that endorses the darkly evil philosophies of moral relativism and nihilism. I have felt the immense pressure to turn away from Jesus and instead pursue what our society values: the exaltation of self. Because of this, I think I have a unique perspective on this matter. 

And just what is “the matter?” 

Having put some serious thought into why Generation Z is falling away from Jesus, I think there are many reasons why this is occurring: (1) leaving Christianity is the more appealing option,  (2) uncomfortable Christian beliefs on doctrines such as hell or sin nature drive them off, (3) growing up in a godless culture that sows seeds of doubt makes the Christian life appear foolish, and (4) the conduct of other Christians actively repels them from following Jesus. 

I want to address all of these and more in the days ahead. Read on to discover why giving your life to Jesus is still the best choice you will ever make, even today. There will be a new article every Monday and Thursday at 7:00 AM. 

Before we dive into our first discussion, however, I have two requests for two different kinds of readers. For the believers reading this blog in order to equip themselves for productive conversations with atheistic Gen Zers or otherwise doubting Christians, remember to be kind, keep your words seasoned with salt, and do it in the context of a caring relationship.

You could have all the knowledge in the world, but if you do not present it in love, or if the Gen Zer in your life does not know that you care about them as an individual, then anything you say will fall on deaf ears. 

To the Gen Zer or anyone else who is wrestling with their faith, I only ask that you approach these writings with an open mind. 

Let’s get started.