Reaching Gen Z: Mike Orr on Belonging, Doubt, and the Future of Faith

What does youth ministry look like when the world — and young people — are changing faster than ever?

In this in-person episode recorded at Broomfield United Methodist Church, host Loren Richmond Jr. sits down with longtime student ministries director Mike Orr to talk about faith formation, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, belonging, spiritual maturity, and what it really means to cultivate community in a post-Christian culture.

With warmth, honesty, and decades of ministry experience, Mike reflects on:

Highlights from the Conversation

• His early spiritual experiences and how actual transformation — not willpower — shaped his faith.

• The surprising power of belonging-first ministry for Gen Z & Gen Alpha.

• Why emotionally coercive youth ministry of the 90s left deep marks — and how churches can do better.

• How to hold space for students with radically different political or cultural views.

• Why youth ministry should never be about indoctrination, but about helping young people own and explore their faith.

• How to handle deconstruction as a natural part of spiritual growth.

• The crisis facing young men — and how to model a healthier version of Christian masculinity.

• Why the future of church isn't about producing spiritual “products,” but creating a context where real faith can flourish.

• The essential role parents play in forming faith, whether they realize it or not.

• His hope for Christianity: “Keep adding leaves to the table. There’s room for everyone.”

This is a rich, grounded conversation about what actually works in youth ministry today — and what kind of church the next generation is longing for.

Mike Orr has been a youth worker since the late 1990's, serving churches in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, California, and Colorado. He earned his MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. For over 10 years he has been the Director of Student Ministries at Broomfield United Methodist Church, located in the northern suburbs of Denver, CO. He lives with his wife and 3 dogs in Denver, CO. He has written zero books. 

 

Mentioned Resources:

🌐 Mike's Church: Broomfield UMC

🎧 Podcast Episodes Referenced: Andrew Root

🎧 Podcast Episodes Referenced: Quiet Revival

 

Presenting Sponsor:

Phillips Seminary Join conversations that expose you to new ideas, deepen your commitment and give insights to how we can minister in a changing world. 

 

Supporting Sponsors:

Kokoro  Join in for heartfelt journeys that challenges the way we see ourselves, each other, and the world we share.

Free Range Priest Helping clergy and congregations reimagine ministry in the digital age. 

 

Future Christian Team:

Loren Richmond Jr. – Host & Executive Producer

Martha Tatarnic – Co-Host

Paul Romig–Leavitt – Associate Producer

Dennis Sanders – Producer

Alexander Lang - Production Assistant

 

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