As leaders continue to navigate what digital discipleship can look like in a season with significant suffering, women and younger generations are serving as models of hopeful resilience and strength even amidst hardship.

In a recent ChurchPulse Weekly episode, host and Barna president David Kinnaman sits down with Jennie Allen, president and founder of IF Gathering and author of Get Out of Your Head. Together, the two discuss what Allen is learning from women and Gen Z, the relationship between suffering and spiritual formation and why she remains hopeful for the future of the Church.

On the Resiliency of Women & Younger Generations In a recent Barna report on Gen Z, respondents from this young generation report that of all the emotions they feel regularly, feeling tired ranks high on the list. Young church leaders and younger generations alike can agree that times of disruption take a deep emotional and mental toll, especially when one is searching for the energy to continue to engage. Still, despite this shared emotional experience, younger generations continue to push forward with bold faith.

Allen expresses her hopefulness for the ways in which suffering is shaping younger generations. She views suffering as a “backwards gift” that has made this young generation “tougher, less distractible and more resilient.”