Sometimes millennials and Gen Z are lumped together in one monolithic, vague category of “younger people.” But the reality is these two generations differ in important ways. This week’s featured article by Chris Colquitt—a millennial pastor who ministers to Gen Z students—is an insightful and helpful analysis of key generational differences and their implications for ministry. In fact, it’s probably the best thing I’ve read on the topic.

One example Colquitt uses to highlight differences between millennial and Gen Z college students is how Teach for America has changed in the last 20 years. For millennials like me and Chris—in college in the early 2000s—Teach for America was a sought-after opportunity for the nation’s top students to serve in low-income schools. It epitomized the “change the world” idealism of our generation at the turn of the century. But Gen Z sees the program differently. Now, Teach for America is seeing a drop in applications and increased criticism (it’s banned in California schools). What’s changed is not only attitudes about social justice but also a posture of optimism (certainly at times naive) giving way to resigned pessimism and hyper-awareness of the ways good intentions can inadvertently cause harm.

This example is just one of the illuminating insights Colquitt offers in the article, which is a must-read for any parent, pastor, teacher, leader, or mentor of Gen Z. We can better love and disciple this generation if we understand how they view the world—and this article helps us do just that.