Is There a Revival Going On?

I’ve been hearing this question asked lately, and I’ve been wondering about it myself. There seems to be a growing Christian enthusiasm among young people in the United States. College campus Christian groups are charting high numbers in attendance and baptisms. Churches across the US are reporting higher percentages of young people in attendance. Does all this point to a generational revival among American young people?

Determining the spirit of times in the midst of those times can be incredibly difficult. Still, there seems to be some recent evidence of a reversal of a years-long decline in Christian interest among American generations.

Will this reversal continue? What can be done about it?

I’d like to suggest a posture for those of us who are in positions of influence with younger generations. I’m thinking of youth ministry leaders, parents, pastors, teachers, and coaches. We cannot determine the spiritual course of the Gen Z and Alpha. They will determine that course by their response to God’s work. However, there is an essential role we can play. We can be curators.

Curators acquire, display, and interpret great art. They are the people who decide what is worth the investment and the gaze of the public. They’ve attained this position through their life experience and education. They have been shaped to carry out this work.

The Apostle Paul was an impeccable curator. Check out these words written to the 1st century church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 2:1b-2)…

“…I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.”

Paul made an intentional choice to forgo displaying anything that would distract from the grandeur of Christ crucified. We would be wise to do the same.

Like Paul, the best Christian curators of the current generation have acquired a depth of appreciation for Christ through a “long obedience in the same direction.” They’ve persevered with him, through him, and have learned of his beauty. They know that he, more than any other, is worth the investment. No moral or political agenda can compete with him. No other identity will satisfy. They echo curator Paul’s words from Philippians 3:7-8:

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.

So they resist the sinful urge to place any competing person, movement, or agenda on the wall for display. The others just can’t compete with the value of Christ. Everything else draws its meaning and significance (or lack thereof) from him.

And they take the time to help others understand the significance of Jesus and his work. Why is Jesus worth a prolonged gaze? Why is his work foundational? What sets him apart?

Here at Sonlife, we specialize in displaying Jesus’ strategy for ministry leadership and disciple-making for youth ministry leaders. We want to be a part of a collective of ministries aimed at interpreting his person and method for younger generations. Who’s with us?

So, let’s respect and pray for this potential revival or awakening as belonging to and being born through this younger generation’s response to God’s work. But let’s curate very, very well.