Handing Gen Z the Mic: A Graduate Defined by Christ, Not Culture
🌱 Who Gets to Define This Generation? Why Gen Z’s Voice Matters More Than Ever
In a world where everyone seems to have an opinion about the next generation—especially about Gen Z—Christian parents face a daunting question:
Who really gets to define our kids?
Is it the constant stream of media, cultural trends, political shouting matches, the church… or will our kids tune into that still small voice to find out who they are?
No generation has ever been so globally connected, yet so bombarded with conflicting messages about who they should be, what they should care about, and where their identity lies. For Christian parents, the stakes could not be higher. Our kids are not only wrestling with the loudest voices in culture, but also caught in the crossfire of generational stereotypes—even from within the church itself.
So, how do we help our children anchor their identity—not in what “they say”—but in the truth of who God says they are? That’s the burning question tackled in the latest episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World.
🎙 Meet My Guest: Charis Shoemaker—A Voice for Gen Z
Allow me to introduce you to a truly remarkable young woman: Charis Shoemaker.
Charis is a graduating high school senior, award-winning actress, and gifted poet whose spiritual depth, intellectual curiosity, and abiding love for Jesus set her apart as an old soul among her peers. Having grown up walking through intense family challenges, Charis has learned to find hope and beauty even in seasons of loss and struggle.
Charis & Bennett (my son) took 1st & 2nd place at the Trumbaur State Acting Competition in AL, 2025.
At our recent homeschool graduation ceremony, Charis presented an original poem called “They Say” that had a packed auditorium of 700+ sitting on the edge of their seats—and gave profound voice to those in her generation pursuing Christ at all costs.
This episode is the first time we’ve ever handed the microphone directly to Gen Z on the show. In our fascinating conversation, Charis shares her profound insights about her generation as well as her anthem, “They Say.” And I promise, by the end, you’ll be more encouraged—and more hopeful—about the future.
🌊 Key Takeaways: What Gen Z Wants You to Hear
🧠Whose Opinion Counts?
Gen Z is inundated with loud, opposing opinions—church versus secular, left versus right, old versus young. Charis uncovers the relentless tension of being defined by external voices and generational stereotypes.
📱 The Burden of the Digital Age
As the first generation with 24/7 access to the internet in their pockets, Gen Z faces unique pressure to process cultural messages, accusations, and expectations on a global scale—every single day.
🧩 Don’t Dismiss the Church—Or the Hurt
Charis vulnerably shares her journey through abuse and church hurt, showing how even when religion is weaponized, true faith and sacrificial love can still break through—and why compassion, not condemnation, is critical.
🔑 Identity Ultimately Comes From Christ
The core of Charis’s poetic “anthem” is the conviction that we must not be defined by cultural trends, family baggage, or even our own feelings—but by the unchanging truth of God’s Word, and the love of a Savior present at the “christening of the world.”
🌱 Good News: Revival Is Rising
Despite the headlines, church attendance among Gen Z is increasing, and this generation is hungrier than ever for authentic truth, not watered-down platitudes. As Charis reminds us, they want something real—and they’re searching for it with everything they have.
✅ Don’t Miss This Conversation: Hold the Hope High!
Listen now to Episode 187: “Handing Gen Z the Mic: A Graduate Defined by Christ, Not Culture”
🎧 Click Here to Listen on Life Audio 👉
Or find CP/CW Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
đź’¬ A Quote to Reflect On
“If my life is to revolve around opinions, I would much rather they belong to a God who is preeminent than a people who are insignificant…I would much rather they be words spoken by the Word who became flesh for me.”
— Charis Shoemaker
🌟 An Encouraging Word for Parents
Take heart—God chose you for your children for a reason! The loudest voices may try to define them, but your faith, love, and prayers are shaping a foundation no culture can shake. As Gen Z wrestles with identity and truth, remember: our job is not to assign a path, but to encourage them to find Christ at the center. Let’s erase divisions, reject worldly labels, and call our kids up to the higher identity that’s only found in the One who made them.
Your children will wrestle. The world will shout. But faith—anchored in Christ—will prevail.
✨ Hold onto hope. The next generation is listening.
Resources Mentioned:
- “Gay Girl, Good God” by Jackie Hill Perry
- The Narrow Road (song by Reagan James Boone)
