Why New Zealand?
There are three ways in which I will be doing mission work. I will be doing local missions work in New Zealand, mentoring and discipling students (typically Gen Z), and leading a team of students into another nation. But why in New Zealand?
I will head over to New Zealand in mid-august for two years, and it is quickly becoming a post-Christian and secular nation. The gospel is necessary for each generation to hear and then choose to follow God. It is certainly the Millenials’ and Gen Z’s turn. According to Cultural Atlas, “the percentage of people identifying as non-religious [in New Zealand] has been steadily increasing from 29.6% in 2001, to 34.6% in 2006, to 41.9% in 2013 and 48.6% in 2018. (1)” This shows a continuing trend of atheistic and secular beliefs. According to McCrindle, “A third of Kiwis (33%) identify with Christianity (either Protestant or Catholic), whilst another 6% identify with other major religions. These results show that New Zealand is a largely secular nation. (2)” The need for the gospel is steadily increasing in New Zealand. It can be easy to picture missions as only for developing (third-world) nations, and although there is a need for humanitarian aid and mercy ministries in those nations, wherever there is a need for spiritual revival and the gospel to be heard, there is a need for missions.
New Zealand’s strategic placement in the South Pacific is perfect for mission work. According to Nations online, “New Zealand shares maritime borders with American Samoa, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Samoa, and Tonga. (3)” Although I will be based in New Zealand, YWAM Zion’s (the base I will be working with) heart is for Oceania, and I will lead teams into those nations to spread the gospel and disciple the nations.
My heart is to mentor Gen Z and help them become fully devoted disciples of christ wherever they end up in life. According to the CDC, “The suicide rate among persons aged 10–24 was stable from 2000 to 2007 and then increased 56% between 2007 (6.8 per 100,000) and 2017 the pace of increase for suicide was greater from 2013 to 2017 (7% annually, on average) [compared to] than from 2007 to 2013 (3% annually). (4)” It is not a coincidence that Gen Z is also the least religious generation so far. American Survey Center states, “Generation Z is the least religious generation yet. More than one-third (34 percent) of Generation Z are religiously unaffiliated, a significantly larger proportion than among millennials (29 percent) and Generation X (25 percent). (5)” This article is from the US; however, it still communicates a global trend for my generation. Although not every case of depression is due to lack of religion, as we see many depressed people in the bible, there is hope and a purpose in Christ that offers a desperate and necessary antidote to the pain and often (increased) trauma that Gen Z has experienced.
When I was in Papua New Guinea this last fall, I was praying about where the Lord wanted me to go and what He wanted me to do. As I felt a tugging toward New Zealand, I asked for confirmation, and within that week, I received a word from a friend that said, “A lion roars from Zion, calling His people back home.” The base I will be working with is the aforementioned YWAM Zion. The Lord has continued to confirm this calling with each step toward the goal, and I could not be more excited to serve the Kingdom in New Zealand.
Footnotes
1: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/new-zealand-culture/new-zealand-culture-religion
2: https://mccrindle.com.au/article/topic/demographics/faith-and-belief-in-new-zealand/
3: https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/new-zealand-map.htm#:~:text=New%20Zealand%20shares%20maritime%20borders,and%20the%20Australian%20tectonic%20plates.
4: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db352-h.pdf
5: https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/generation-z-future-of-faith/#:~:text=The%20Generation%20Gap%20in%20Religious%20Affiliation&text=In%20terms%20of%20identity%2C%20Generation,Generation%20X%20(25%20percent).
