New Media Discipleship of Generation Z: Platform Selection, Content Strategies, and Effectiveness at CITAM Ongata Rongai, Nairobi

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of online media used in discipling Generation Z (Gen Z) at Christ is the Answer Ministries (CITAM), Ongata Rongai, Kenya, through the lens of the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT). It investigated four key dimensions: the online media platforms utilized and how gratification-seeking behaviours influence platform preferences; the discipleship content provided and which types best satisfy various gratification categories; the effectiveness of current approaches when evaluated through UGT; and the qualifications of online disciple-makers in addressing media-related gratification needs. The data was collected through a qualitative phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions with fifty participants, including Gen Z church members and youth leadership. The findings revealed a significant misalignment between church-prioritized platforms (primarily Facebook) and the platforms that most efficiently satisfy Gen Z’s gratification needs (Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube). Content analysis demonstrated that current discipleship approaches emphasize live-streamed services that inefficiently satisfy multiple gratification categories compared to shorter, more engaging formats that simultaneously deliver information, entertainment, identity reinforcement, and social connection. The effectiveness assessment identified format preferences and gratification competition as critical factors, with church content competing against algorithmically optimized alternatives that more efficiently satisfy entertainment gratifications. Discipler qualifications analysis revealed that while technical skills enable information and entertainment delivery, relational qualities like authenticity and vulnerability profoundly influence effectiveness by addressing the identity and social gratifications often neglected in church content.