Reaching digital natives: do children’s and youth ministry need to change?

Yet for many adults and churches, online and offline worlds still feel very separate. They haven’t caught up with this changing landscape or what it means for children and young people to explore faith today. Many church leaders I have spoken to admitted feeling under-equipped, lacking confidence or uncertain how to begin connecting in-person ministry with digital spaces. Others highlighted a lack of time, resources and capacity. Several noted that available resources often assume a level of digital skills that many churches have not yet reached.

As Dave Newton, Scripture Union’s national director, comments: ​“Children and young people are already natives in a hybrid world, the church can’t afford to simply debate whether to engage; we need to listen deeply, learn quickly and act now.”

Driven by this desire to meet children and young people where they are, in 2024 Scripture Union launched the Exploring Hybrid Mission research, conducted in partnership with Liverpool Hope University. This gathered insights from children and young people, as well as youth leaders. The study explored how children and young people navigate digital and physical spaces, where they seek answers to life’s biggest questions, and what this means for mission and discipleship.

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The findings challenged some common assumptions. Far from being disinterested in faith, many children and young people expressed an openness to exploring questions of identity, purpose, belief and spirituality. Of those surveyed, 63% said they preferred to explore faith through a combination of online and in-person spaces. Similarly, 45% wanted to discover more about the Bible both online and face-to-face.

At the same time, the research highlighted the enduring importance of relationships and community. While digital spaces are often used to access information and explore ideas, 68% said they preferred to pray in person, describing face-to-face environments as more authentic and trustworthy places to explore and live out their faith.

One of the most striking findings was the gap between adults’ perceptions of what influences young people and what young people themselves felt influenced them. While 82% of children’s and youth workers believed social media had a strong influence on young people, only 11% of young people identified it as such. There may be many reasons for this difference, but it serves as an important reminder. If we want to communicate the timeless message of Jesus effectively, we need to understand young people’s lived reality rather than relying on assumptions.

Over recent months, Scripture Union has brought together youth leaders, children’s workers and church leaders to discuss what these findings mean for ministry today. One theme emerged consistently: most leaders recognise the significance of digital spaces in young people’s lives, but many feel unsure how to respond.

It was particularly encouraging to see leaders’ grasp that hybrid mission doesn’t have to be complicated. During one discussion, I shared the story of an SU local mission partner which regularly sets up a gazebo in a school playground, posing a question for young people to explore each week. Pupils are invited to take a card with a QR code linking to a short YouTube video where the schools worker explores what the Bible says about that week’s question.

This online content extends the face-to-face conversation beyond the playground, giving young people the opportunity to engage on their own terms, in their own time, and in a space that feels natural to them. The following week’s in-person conversations then build on what has already been explored. The response of leaders in the room to simple examples like this one demonstrated that the barrier to hybrid mission is often not willingness, but a lack of practical models they can adapt.

What emerged most clearly was that effective hybrid mission is not primarily about technology. It is about relationships. Digital spaces can help start conversations, deepen engagement and maintain connections, but trusted adults remain central to helping young people explore faith and make sense of life.

The discussions reinforced an important reality: churches do not need to choose between online and face-to-face ministry. Instead, the opportunity is to think about how the two can work together. Rather than viewing digital spaces as competitors to ​‘real’ ministry, they can become places where relationships are strengthened, conversations continue, and faith exploration happens throughout the week.

1. Start with listening. Understand the platforms, communities and spaces young people already inhabit.
    
2. Recognise where faith conversations happen. Questions about identity, purpose and belief arise throughout the week, not just during church activities.
    
3. Use digital spaces as bridges. The goal is not to move ministry online, but to extend relationships and create more opportunities for discipleship.
    
4. Prioritise relationships over platforms. Technology will keep changing, but trusted relationships remain one of the greatest influences in a young person’s faith journey.

As we’ve reflected on the research and listened to practitioners, one thing has become increasingly clear: the question is no longer whether online and offline worlds intersect. For young people, they already do.

The opportunity before us is to create meaningful ways for children and young people to encounter Jesus across the spaces they already inhabit, helping them explore the Bible, respond to Jesus and grow in faith within the realities of everyday life.

If you’d like to explore this further, we’re running an online version of the Reaching a Connected Generation session in January 2027. Visit Hybrid Mission | Scripture Union to register your interest and join the conversation.