Why It’s Happening
They’re not coming back for programs or performance. They’re coming back for presence. Christianity Today reported recently:
“This is the most marketed-to generation in history, so opinions and propositions are often just dead on arrival. Gen Z elevates and prioritizes authenticity.”
Gen Z just wants a church that lives the gospel it claims is real. Here’s what this generation has found in the church:
Disillusionment met hunger. After years of curated feeds and fractured headlines, people are craving something solid: truth that doesn’t move when the algorithm does.
Isolation met invitation. The pandemic left millions spiritually homeless. What used to feel optional now feels essential: embodied community, shared worship, someone to pray with in person.
Noise met worship. The rise of high excellence, Christ-exalting music outside church walls—songs like “Holy Forever,” “Gratitude,” even “Lemonade” echoing through earbuds and arenas—signals a shift from cynicism to longing.
The world is still noisy, but it feels like faith is finding its frequency again in many parts of America.
And maybe that’s no accident. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). Maybe this is the time for rebuilding—not back to what was, but forward to what’s next.
One Story Among Many
I talked to a Gen Z couple visiting our church the other day with their sweet baby girl. I asked how they found us. Usually guests to our church are brought by other people. That’s how we’re growing: neighbors bringing neighbors, friends bringing friends.
But this couple’s answer was interesting to me. He said that they were just feeling led to find a church. So they looked us up, since we were nearby.
Then on their third visit (in a row), I asked them if they were planning on sticking around. They said yes, and when I asked what it was that helped them make that decision they talked about the truth taught and genuineness of the people.
In other words, they were looking for something that was … real. Not religion or empty ritual. Not flashy programs or shiny perfection.
Just real people running after a real Jesus.
And that’s just one story among many. I have more, and my friends pastoring all over the country have countless more of the same. They all whisper the same truth: God’s not done.
Church Resurgence: Our Moment
If you’ve been discouraged, take heart, this is our moment.
Take another look at what Jesus said: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
The gates of hell.