The Young People’s Revival and How Churches Must Respond

According to the Barna research group there is a resurgence in church attendance that is led by young people—GenZers in the modern nomenclature.  Millennial are also increasing their church attendance but not at the level of GenZers. According to Barna “These are easily the highest rates of church attendance among young Christians since they first hit Barna’s tracking.”  We are finding these results pan out in our own congregation.  In fact, it seems to be happening in a lot of countries around the world, according to missionaries I am in contact with.

Meanwhile, Boomers are attending church less.  GenZers attendance is remaining steady.  Much of this change has come post-pandemic.

Why?

Aside from a work of God in our culture, which is certainly going on, there are other reasons that are obvious but somehow being ignored.

The pandemic and its lasting effects.

For older people, church attendance gets more and more difficult because of age related dangers.  The pandemic has changed this mentality.  Boomers are five years older now than in 2020, and that has an impact on church attendance.  The pandemic was particularly dangerous for older people.  While younger generations look at it as a horrible experience of isolation, the Boomers lost many friends during those two years.  They are much more careful to avoid church when sickness is going around.  Almost all churches now livestream their services which allows elderly members to stay home and watch electronically when they are feeling vulnerable.

Younger people are flocking to churches, we are finding that this is especially true of young men.  They are coming to us in church in large numbers.

Young people were isolated during those two years and are starving for social interaction. Most GenZers are out of school now, many more are working at home than ever before.  They no longer enjoy the traditional arenas of social interaction that previous generations had.

The “MeToo”  movement changed the way that men interact with women. For good men, the type that might find attending church attractive, it has made the world of women an uneasy place.  They do not know when they might say something that would be taken the wrong way or their character besmirched.

The feminist movement, which seems to be mostly about women having freer guiltless access to multiple sexual relationships, has made the average modern woman much less attractive to men who think more traditionally.

The modern young male has been ridiculed and demeaned for being what he is.  Typical protective male leadership and protective instincts have been branded as masculine toxicity. Young men, longing to be men have flocked to various leaders on social media—Joe Rogan, Jordan Petersen, and other less savory characters.  Others have flocked to churches where more reasonable and appropriate models of constructive masculinity are taught, accepted, and appreciated.

What does that mean for our churches?

Ministry to this group must be intentional.

We need to win these people.  They are not coming because they are Christians, but because of what Christianity offers.  Many fundamentalist churches are not used to having unsaved visitors walk through their doors, but until we are sure of their salvation testimony, we must be in evangelism mode.

We must intentionally disciple this group of people.  Too many Bible-believing churches have no systematic pattern of discipleship.  There are all kinds of tools available that create a scope and sequence for giving new believers the knowledge and tools to advance to Christian maturity. This type of discipleship should include biblical knowledge, practical application, habitual practice, and mentoring relationships that move toward discipleship and growth.

Discipleship must be more creative.

Focusing on living life, not just living life as a believer. The type of discipleship that GenZers crave is rooted in relationship.  It is not just a teacher or preacher standing in front of a lecturn or pulpit.  I do not intend to diminish that in the process of discipleship, but it cannot stop there.  They desire personal relationship, conversation, and even confrontation if necessary.  They are looking for mentors who will answer questions, people to serve as parental counselors.

They need people who will interact with them in their way.  This is not selfish on their part, its just how their world works. They communicate by text, meet at coffee shops, and love to gather in homes.  They read blogs, listen to podcasts, and want to talk about what they read and hear.

Marriage must be part of the process.

We must create an environment where single young people can find marriage partners in a distinctively Christian context.  There are difficulties here.  What does dating look like for 20 (and even 30) something believers?  What are the behavioral ground rules?  What does appropriate conversation sound like?  How can young people determine the interest of others without creating awkward relationships within a church body?  What role does church leadership have, if any in this ongoing process?  When are young people ready to take the marriage step, emotionally, socially, spiritually, financially?

These are questions church leaders need to help provide.  This generation is afloat.  They do not have the same mechanisms that previous generations had for developing relationships toward marriage.

A few years ago, I was discipling a young man in our church.  He was definitely interested in marriage and was praying for God to supply him a spouse.  As we talked, I thought of a young lady in our church who might be a good match for him.  I asked him what he thought, and he said he was definitely interested, but felt the neither he nor she knew each other well enough for him to ask about courting.  So, I asked him if he would like me to find out if she would be interested.  His answer wasy, “absolutely, yes.” So, I went and had a discussion with her father.  I told him about this young man.  He then had a conversation with his daughter and came back with a “yes, she would be interested in seeing if there is something there.”  They began to see each other, not with a casual dating mentality, but with a serious desire to find out if they were compatible marriage partners.  They eventually married and to this day are thrilled with how things have worked out.

One of the steps in the life process that discipleship touches is finding a spouse.  We should not be pushing people toward marriage, and definitely not scheming for others.  But we can help the communication process and make it easier for young people to pursue marriage interests.  This is what family does for one another.

Mature believers must get more involved.

For these young people, church is becoming family.  Often, their own family members are unbelievers are so unchurched that they cannot provide effective spiritual guidance through this key phase in life.  Churches must provide effective personal discipleship in this age.  It is a ministry that is as important as the youth ministry has been over the years.

We need to disciple these young people.  At the time when we need quality disciplers and Christian mentors the most, older ones are disappearing.  Established, mature, godly, older church members are needed now more than ever. We cannot afford in our churches to have our godly, mature, believers retire from discipling ministry. For those of you Boomers and Millennials, you don’t necessarily have to teach classes or administrate ministry, you have to be willing to develop friendships, enjoy life together with people other than your own age groups, answer questions from a biblical perspective, and be willing to relate the biblical life lessons you have learned in your own spiritual journey.

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