Why So Many Young People Are Searching For Something More Right Now

Why So Many Young People Are Searching for Something More Right Now

Right now, the world feels uncertain.

You can see it in the headlines. You can feel it in everyday life. The cost of living continues to rise. Global conflict feels closer than ever. And technology is reshaping how we live, work, and relate to one another at a rapid pace.

Some have begun to describe this moment as a “polycrisis” – a convergence of challenges happening all at once (1).

For young people, this isn’t a distant issue. It’s personal.

A Generation Growing Up in Uncertainty

Today’s young people are coming of age in a world shaped by overlapping pressures:

global conflict
the lingering effects of COVID
climate anxiety
rising cost of living
increasing mental health challenges

Together, these pressures are creating something deeper – what many researchers are calling a crisis of meaning.

Across NSW, we’re seeing firsthand how deeply young people are feeling this.

Students are navigating anxiety, uncertainty, and big questions about their future – questions about identity, belonging, and purpose.

In fact, research shows:

more than half of Gen Z Australians report living with a long-term mental health condition (2)
less than half report a strong sense of purpose or life satisfaction (3)

This is a generation with more opportunity than ever before – and yet, many feel like they have no clear direction.

The Data Tells a Different Story

While it’s often assumed that faith is declining in Australia, recent research tells a more nuanced story.

According to McCrindle’s latest research, there is a growing openness to spirituality — particularly among younger generations.

Young Australians are actively searching for meaning, purpose, and hope. And Gen Z, in particular, are among the most open to changing their views on faith. When they do engage, they often do so deeply and personally.

Even more striking, hundreds of thousands of Australians who previously identified as having “no religion” have shifted toward Christianity in recent years.

This challenges the idea that faith is disappearing.

Instead, it points to something else: Young people are searching.

What We’re Seeing in Schools

In schools across NSW, we’re seeing this play out in real time.

Students are becoming more open, more curious, and more willing to explore deeper questions about life and faith.

And as that openness grows, so does the opportunity.

More schools are opening their doors. More students are showing up. More lives are beginning to be transformed by Jesus.

This isn’t just a trend. It’s a significant opportunity.

Meeting Young People Where They Are

At Scripture Union NSW, we don’t wait for young people to come to us.

We go to them. Into classrooms. Into school hallways. Into lunchtime groups.

Right into the environments where they already feel comfortable and safe. And in those spaces, something powerful happens.

With their parents’ permission, students begin to show up and to open up. They ask honest questions. They explore what they believe – often for the first time. And many begin to encounter Jesus in a real and personal way.

A Hope That Speaks Into Uncertainty

Jesus speaks directly into the reality young people are facing:

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
— John 16:33

These words don’t ignore uncertainty. They acknowledge it. But they also point to something greater – a hope that isn’t dependent on circumstances, and a truth that changes lives.

This is the hope young people are searching for.

Why This Moment Matters

What we’re seeing right now is a unique and growing opportunity. The data is pointing to it. Our experience in schools confirms it.

Young people are open to Jesus. They’re asking deeper questions. They’re searching for something more.

And when someone is there – a leader, a volunteer, a safe space – it can change the trajectory of their life.

That’s why we’re stepping out in faith.

Over the next three years, Scripture Union NSW is seeking to double the number of Christian groups in schools – so that more young people have the opportunity to encounter Jesus.

How You Can Be Part of It

Each week, Scripture Union NSW is showing up in schools across NSW – creating spaces where young people can explore faith and encounter Jesus.

But we can’t do it alone.

This End of Financial Year, we’re aiming to raise $500,000 to help expand this work -reaching more schools, more students, and seeing more lives transformed by Jesus.

Because that’s what this moment is about:

More schools. More students. More lives transformed by Jesus.

Will you give today and help us reach out goal of $500,000?

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/03/polycrisis-adam-tooze-historian-explains/
McCrindle Research: ‘The changing faith landscape of Australia’ 2022
McCrindle Research: ‘The changing faith landscape of Australia’ 2022

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