Packard was intrigued that half of young people thought their faith communities had done well managing the COVID pandemic even though 90% reported receiving no personal contact from clergy.
He was also heartened by the study’s finding that young people’s personal faith more or less held steady despite all the upheaval. Roughly half (47%) said their faith stayed about the same in the crisis, just over a quarter (26%) that it had grown stronger, and just over a quarter (27%) that they were doubting or had lost their faith.
The Springtide report identifies eight areas to care for Generation Z, including the advice above to help them grieve. Packard said the data showed not all young people are impatient to go back out into society; remember, it’s been a year not just of pandemic uncertainty but also racial protests and a dangerously divided electorate. It has all taken a toll.
“I think coming out of the pandemic, religious leaders and trusted adults would do well to remember that it’s going to be stressful coming out just as it was going in,” Packard said. “Lots of people told us they were uneasy about coming out of the pandemic, that they felt like they might be asked to be in groups quicker than they were ready to be in.”
But here’s a silver lining. Nearly 7 in 10 young people surveyed said they have a new appreciation for relationships, and they “won’t take for granted relationships and opportunities the way they did before.”
This article originally appeared here.
