By Leah MarieAnn KlettAssistant editor Thursday, December 05, 2024

Evangelist Nick Vujicic is sounding the alarm about the state of the Western Church – something he laments has become “more like a country club and social gathering” than the Body of Christ – and its critical role in shaping the next generation amid increasing dependency and suicide

“We see the fruit of us not really disciplining the next generation or having responsibility,” the 42-year-old Australian-American evangelist told The Christian Post.

“If we look at our country, there are youth pastors who are seen as babysitters, and 95% of the churches I've walked into I would never attend because they feel more like a country club and a social gathering,” he continued. .

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Vujicic, who leads NickV Ministries, an international non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the Gospel and uniting the body of Christ, pointed to a cultural shift within American churches in the early 2000s. He said many have adopted a more entertainment-focused approach to attract younger audiences.

“A lot of Western churches in America have changed their approach and actually started to water down the Gospel and bring a little more entertainment, a little more fun, a little more interaction; they've gone from meat to milk,” he said.

“Back then there were sermons about keeping your pants on until marriage. None of that really happens in 95% of the churches. Today, we have Gen Z swearing, saying the F-word, sleeping around, and everyone knows it, but no one is. really holding anyone accountable.”

“I see the fruit of no responsibility and no meat taught, which means we raise babies who are scared and are easily caught in depression,” he stressed.

Life Without Limits author painted a grim picture of the challenges facing Gen Z, from technology addiction – “seven and a half hours a day, that's how much time young people spend on screens,” he said – to sexual exploitation, to abortion and its consequences.

He said many teenagers today create “inappropriate photos of themselves” and bemoaned the number of children who report being raped before the age of 17.

“Of the 25 million abortions in this country, many were performed by women who regularly attended church. We're not talking about the PTSD that comes with that,” he said.

“We don't talk about the things we need to talk about, and as long as we don't start to heal the broken hearts that need healing, and as long as we don't bring boundaries, as long as we don't hold our leadership accountable, I'm very afraid of what's ahead ,” he added.

Vujicic warned of complacency he sees in post-election cycles, as conservative Christians “pray and fast less” after their chosen candidate has won the election.

“He's not our Savior,” he said, referring to President-elect Donald Trump. “On public television, he admits that he didn't ask God for forgiveness. He doesn't think he has to do that. So, I pray for his soul. I think his wife is saved from what I hear. But in the end , it's not about the president; it's about the Church.”

For Vujicic, the solution lies in a return to the foundations of faith: repentance, responsibility and unity. He warned that the Church risks losing its spiritual authority and God's protection without repentance.

“The first thing that Jesus did was turn tables and crack a whip with the Church and correct the Church. And the last thing that Jesus wanted, He expressed through prayer that we will be one,” he said.

“I think we have to repent. I think we have to unite, and we have to be brought into a posture of humility, and while the window is open, we have to choose to repent, or else, I really believe that we might see . may the hand of God's protection be completely removed from our land where we will see a hammering of concrete so that at last the rain of heaven may touch the ground, for we are concreted enough right now.”

In November, Vujicic released “Arise Warriors,” a documentary filmed at the Crow Indian Reservation in south-central Montana. Vujicic teamed up with former NFL player Tuff Harris, founder of One Heart Warriors, to bring messages of hope and healing to Native American communities.

The documentary is part of NickV Ministries' “Champions for the Broken Heart” campaign, an ongoing initiative that focuses each month on serving a group of champions, such as “The Poor,” “The Orphan” and “The Bullied.”

“It's been an incredible ride since establishing NickV Ministries in 2005, but this project has really opened my eyes,” Vujicic shared. “I realized that there is a huge mission field right here in the United States – hundreds of sovereign nations where so many do not know the Lord.”

Vujicic told CP that he and his team immersed themselves in the history, culture and daily struggles of Native American communities, spending time on the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Reservations.

“We didn't want to assume we knew what they needed,” explained Vujicic. “Instead, we focused on listening, breaking bread with them and understanding how we could really come together with them.”

One of the most sobering lessons was the depth of systemic problems these communities face – addiction, poverty and a staggering suicide rate among young people.

“When we visited Lodge Grass High School, the principal had just lost his stepdaughter to suicide. She was only 14 years old. That's the reality they live in,” Vujicic said.

The documentary does not shy away from these harsh truths. Instead, it highlights stories of resilience and hope, like that of Harris, who returned to his reservation to mentor and inspire youth. “Tuff's message is powerful,” Vujicic said. “He says to these children, 'You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are not limited by where you come from'.”

One of the central themes of Arise Warriors is empowerment, going beyond charity to foster lasting change: “We brainstorm ways to help these communities economically and spiritually, whether it's returning banks to reservations or supporting entrepreneurial businesses like barbershops and coffee shops,” he said. “It's about restoring dignity and showing people that with God, anything is possible.”

The project also delves into the broader historical and spiritual context of Native American suffering. Vujicic called for a national reckoning with the sins of the past. “As a nation, we were established with blood on our hands. Eighteen million Indians were slaughtered. We must repent for that,” he said.

But repentance, emphasized Vujicic, is not only about looking back; “It's about dialogue, listening and creating pathways for healing. It's about letting Native Americans know they are not forgotten.”

The ministry's wider campaign, Champions for Broken Hearts, frames 2025 as a year of repentance and unity for the nation. This includes initiatives to send Gen Z missionaries to reservations, foster microfinance opportunities, and rebuild community structures.

“When we walked together with these communities, we saw light – people starting businesses, children finding their purpose, churches starting to work together,” he said. “This documentary is a way to share that hope with the world.”

The evangelist expressed hope that “Arise Warriors” will resonate far beyond the reservations. “This is a story for all of us,” he said. “It is a call to remember the forgotten, to repent, and to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

“The mission field isn't always across the ocean. Sometimes it's right in your backyard. And God is calling us to rise up and answer that call.”

“Arise Warriors” is now streaming on the NickV Ministries YouTube channel.