EDITORIAL
From the Editor | Ed Stetzer
God changes the world through Spirit-led movements, but movements are paradoxical. On the one hand, movements come from God: We can’t manufacture them or simply declare something a movement and make it one. That’s why Jonathan Edwards called the Great Awakening “a surprising work of God.” On the other hand, movements don’t just happen: historical accounts show that movements happen through human intentionality, prayer, and action. God births movements in moments when people recognize a need and step forward in faith.
In fact, movements typically arise in moments of social unrest, cultural shifts and spiritual disconnection—moments just like our current one. Understanding the nature and formation of movements can renew our hope that God might turn our moment into a true movement, a fresh wave of gospel transformation.
Movements in History
Let’s start to understand movements by clarifying what a movement is not. A movement is not simply a new and exciting situation with growing activity or enthusiasm. Momentum is good, but momentum alone cannot spark a movement.
Instead, a movement is a collective and organized effort that endures over time, generally operating outside of mainstream institutions and organizations, bringing new life and birthing new ministries. In church history we see a few ingredients for movements. They are generally driven by laypeople, in times of social disruption, requiring personal sacrifice, and devoted leadership as they multiply organically.
In other words, in the church, a true movement might be happening when ordinary laypeople, rather than established pastors or leaders, are empowered to make a difference. Such empowerment signals real change.
Movements emerge when God’s Spirit works through his people in profound and transformational ways. Let me share a few historical examples. Pentecostalism is a movement that has reshaped Christianity globally. Life magazine even named it one of the 100 events that shaped the second millennium after Christ. The Pentecostal moment grew into a sustained, grassroots awakening. It wasn’t built by one person or one church. Instead, communities of believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit in an enduring way.
Looking back a generation before that, the Fulton Street Revival of 1857 was a Spirit-led movement, sparked by Jeremiah Lanphier, a businessman in New York City. Lanphier started a lunchtime prayer meeting with just six people that grew to thousands within months. Over the next two years, more than a million people came to faith in Christ—3% of the U.S. population at the time.
What made it work? Simplicity and accessibility. Lanphier’s meetings were short, focused, and open to everyone. He wasn’t a famous preacher or a theologian. He was an “average” Christian, who saw a need and acted on it. That’s what movements look like: ordinary people responding to God’s extraordinary call.
Remember the paradoxical nature of movements. This revival didn’t start because someone had a strategic plan or a marketing budget. God’s grace fueled a movement of prayer. People believed God could move, and they sought him earnestly. That’s a lesson we can’t ignore.
Going even further back to 1727, the Moravian refugees in Herrnhut, Germany were on the brink of collapse. Their leader Count Zinzendorf called them to prayer. A prayer meeting started … and continued for over 100 years. You read that correctly: 24/7 prayer for over a century.
That prayer movement fueled one of the most effective missionary movements in history. The Moravians sent missionaries to the farthest corners of the globe, long before the modern Protestant missions movement began. Their story reminds us of a critical truth: Movements are birthed in prayer but sustained by action. Prayer sparks a movement, but obedience fans that spark into a flame.
The Makings of a Movement
Movements have happened before, but they can and do still happen. Social scientists who study movements have identified three key factors in movements. Let’s break those down.
1. Social Opportunity: Seizing the Moment
Movements often arise in times of upheaval or transition. Think about the 1960s—a decade marked by civil rights protests, the Vietnam War and massive cultural shifts. Out of that chaos came the Jesus People Movement. Young people disillusioned with the world around them turned to Jesus in droves.
Today, we’re living through another moment of disruption—pandemics, polarization, and spiritual longing define our era. People are searching for hope, meaning and connection. Here the church has an opportunity to step in with the message of Jesus.
2. Resource Mobilization: Empowering People
Movements don’t happen without resources. While we might think that “resources” are synonymous with “money,” relationships, time, and energy are just as important. The Jesus People Movement thrived as it created spaces where people could connect: coffee houses, Bible studies, and small groups. These initiatives weren’t fancy or expensive—they were accessible.
Likewise, if we want to see a gospel movement, we need to equip laypeople. Pastors and leaders can’t do it all. Movements thrive when ordinary believers feel empowered to share their faith and lead in their communities.
3. Cultural Framing: Casting a Vision
Every movement needs a vision—a picture of a better future that compels people to act. Leaders play a crucial role here. They can help people imagine what’s possible, thus inspiring them to join the cause. I’m not talking about slick marketing, but about addressing real needs—spiritual, emotional or societal—and pointing people to Jesus as the ultimate answer.
Movements are not spontaneous and leaderless. Movements require leadership—just not an organizational, top-down hierarchy. Instead, leadership in a movement is more like a dance: Leaders set the direction, but participants bring the energy and creativity.
Without leadership, you get wildfire. Without grassroots participation, the flame of revival dies. In a movement both factors interplay. Leaders, led by the Spirit, beautifully provide vision and the people make it come alive.
The Life Cycle and Opportunity for a Movement
Movements don’t last forever. They have a life cycle: emergence, coalescence, institutionalization, and decline. First, when the moment allows it, the movement emerges as people rally around a shared vision. Second, the movement gains traction, coalescing around its goals. Third, the movement either solidifies into institutional structures or it fades away. Fourth, the movement declines if it doesn’t experience reinvigoration.
Through this life cycle, the people fueling the movement must keep the heart of the vision alive. Jonathan Edwards wrote about how the Great Awakening spread because of the testimonies of revival that were shared. Sharing stories of God’s activity inspires others and promotes the vision.
Without structure the movement will dissolve, but without life the structures will ossify. We need to balance organization with openness to God’s leading.
I believe our moment is ripe for a new Jesus-centered movement. The cultural unrest and spiritual hunger around us aren’t just problems; they’re opportunities. And opportunities have an expiration date. They don’t wait forever. We need to act.
So, what can we do?
1. Pray like it depends on God. Every true divine movement starts with people on their knees. Pray for revival. Pray for your neighbors. Then pray some more.
2. Act like it depends on you. Movements require action. Start something—a Bible study, a prayer group or an outreach event. Don’t wait for someone else to do it.
3. Equip others in the gospel. The message proclaimed in past movements was not “how to have revival;” it was the gospel of Jesus Christ. Make it easy for people to join in. Provide resources, training, and opportunities for involvement.
4. Simplify participation. Make it easy for people to stay in. Don’t overcomplicate things. The simpler it is for people to get involved, the more likely they are to join.
5. Resist complacency. Movements die when people get comfortable. Stay focused on the mission and open to the Spirit’s leading.
Our Opportunity
Movements are deeply personal for me. Movements change the world, but they also change us. I was born shortly before the turbulent year of 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated. There was an epidemic of flu. The Vietnam War seemed never-ending. So much seemed uncertain.
In that year, a pastor in Southern California asked his daughter to introduce him to a hippie. That pastor was Chuck Smith, and that hippie was Lonnie Frisbee—as seen in the movie The Jesus Revolution. That was the start of the Jesus People Movement. This movement brought many to faith and it started during a tumultuous and turbulent time like the 2020s.
So, here’s my prayer to God: Lord, do it again. Use us to spark something fresh, something real, something that points people to Jesus.
And here’s my challenge to you: Let’s prepare our hearts, engage the moment, and trust the Holy Spirit to do what only he can. The world is waiting. The opportunity is here.
If we want to see a movement, we must prepare our hearts, engage the conditions, think strategically, and make it easy for people to join in as we seek to show and share the love of Jesus.