Evangelist Nick Vujicic is raising the alarm about the state of the Western Church — something he laments has become "more like a country club and a social gathering" than the Body of Christ — and its critical role in shaping the next generation amid a rise in addiction and suicide ideation.
"We are seeing the fruit of us not really discipling the next generation or having accountability," the 42-year-old Australian-American evangelist told The Christian Post.
"If we look at our country, there are youth pastors that 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.
Vujicic, who leads NickV Ministries, an international nonprofit 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 adopted a more entertainment-focused approach to draw in younger audiences.
"A lot of Western churches in the USA changed their approach and actually started watering the Gospel and bringing a little bit more entertainment, a little bit more fun, a little bit more interaction; they went from meat to milk," he said.
"There were preachings back then about keeping your pants on until marriage. None of that's really happening in 95% of the churches. Today, we have Gen Z swearing, saying the F word, sleeping around, and everyone knows it, but no one's really keeping anyone accountable."
"I'm seeing the fruit of no accountability and no meat being taught, which means we're raising up babies who are frightened and are easily caught in depression," he stressed.
The 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 are spending on screens," he said — to sexual exploitation, to abortion and its aftermath.
He said that many teenagers today are creating "inappropriate photos of themselves" and lamented the number of children who report being raped by age 17.
"Of the 25 million abortions in this country, many were carried out 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 that we need to talk about, and for as long as we don't start healing the broken hearts that need healing, and for as long as we don't bring in boundaries, as long as we don't hold our leadership accountable, I am very afraid of what's ahead," he added.
Vujicic warned of complacency he sees in post-election cycles, as conservative Christians are "praying and fasting less" after their chosen candidate won the election.
"He is not our Savior," he said, referring to President-elect Donald Trump. "On public television, he admits that he hasn't asked God for forgiveness. He doesn't think he needs to do that. So, I pray for his soul. I think his wife is saved from what I'm hearing. But in the end, it's not about the president; it's about the Church."
For Vujicic, the solution lies in returning to the fundamentals of faith: repentance, accountability and unity. He warned that the Church risks losing its spiritual authority and God's protection without repentance.
"The first thing Jesus did was flip tables and crack a whip with the Church and correct the Church. And the last thing Jesus wanted, He expressed in prayer that we would be one," he said.
"I think we need to repent. I think we need to unify, and we need to be brought into a posture of humility, and while the window is open, we must choose to repent, or otherwise, I really believe that we may see the hand of God's protection be completely removed from our country where we'll see jackhammering of concrete so that finally the heavenly rain can touch the soil, because we're pretty much concreted up right now."
In November, Vujicic released "Arise Warriors," a documentary filmed at the Crow Indian Reservation in southcentral 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 Brokenhearted" 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 really opened my eyes," Vujicic shared. "I realized there's an immense mission field right here in the United States — hundreds of sovereign nations where so many don't 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," Vujicic explained. "Instead, we focused on listening, breaking bread with them, and understanding how we could truly come alongside them."
One of the most sobering lessons was the depth of systemic issues 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 her stepdaughter to suicide. She was only 14. That's the reality they're living in," Vujicic said.
The documentary doesn't 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 tells these kids, 'You're fearfully and wonderfully made. You're not limited by where you come from.'"
One of the central themes of Arise Warriors is empowerment, moving beyond charity to foster lasting change: "We're brainstorming ways to help these communities economically and spiritually, whether it's bringing banks back to reservations or supporting entrepreneurial ventures like barbershops and coffee shops," he said. "It's about restoring dignity and showing people that with God, all things are 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 Native Americans were slaughtered. We need to repent for that," he said.
But repentance, Vujicic emphasized, isn't just about looking back; "It's about engaging in dialogue, listening, and creating pathways for healing. It's about letting Native Americans know they're not forgotten."
The ministry's broader campaign, Champions for the Brokenhearted, is framing 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 alongside these communities, we saw glimpses of light — people starting businesses, kids finding their purpose, churches beginning 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's 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.
Originally published by The Christian Post
