Thousands of young believers gathered in Arkansas this month, not just for a concert, but for Christ. Could this be the revival we’ve prayed for?



The evangelist who led an outreach this month in Arkansas that drew 45,000 people says today's young people aren't abandoning their faith but are instead hungry for Jesus and helping spark a revival across America. Evangelist Nick Hall is the founder and president of Pulse Evangelism, which held its annual Amplify Festival outreach in Benton, Ark. Aug. 8-9, where 22,000 were trained in evangelism and 1,226 responded to the gospel. Musical performers included Lecrae, Maverick City Music, Terrian, Gio, Matthew West, and Jamie MacDonald.

It was the 14th year of Amplify in Benton -- and one of the biggest outreaches yet.

"This is a revival generation," Hall told Crosswalk Headlines. "They aren't quietly walking away -- they are coming back, and they are more loud than ever. This is a generation that's hungry, they're passionate, and just like the name of Amplify, they want to amplify the hope of Jesus. And that's what we saw in Arkansas -- we had people from over 30 states. There were tons of young people, tons of Gen Z, and there's just a fire, and it's spreading."

Other data supports Hall's belief about Gen Z.

A Barna survey released this year found an increase in belief in Jesus among Gen Z and Millennials, especially among men (67 percent among Gen Z men and 71 percent among Millennial men). Among women, belief rates stand at 61 percent among Gen Z and 64 percent among Millennials -- also an increase over previous years. Belief among all groups grew post-pandemic.

"Young people -- especially men -- are leading the shift toward Jesus," the Barna analysis said.

Meanwhile, this year's State of the Bible report from the American Bible Society found that Bible use is on the rise among Gen Z and Millennials.

Hall said young people reached a crossroads during the pandemic, as they watched every institution in society put to the test.

"And I think it's forced people to wake up to where significance comes from, where power comes from, where love comes from. And this generation, in droves, is coming back to sacred, ancient faith," Hall said. "They're coming back to the text of Scripture. They're wrestling through it for themselves. They're seeing Jesus as more than just a good person, but a Man who literally changed the world, defeated death, rose from the grave. And it's just incredible."

Young people, he added, don't want a "safe" religion.

"It's like the Chronicles of Narnia, when they say Aslan is on the move, and they say he's not safe -- but he's good," Hall explained. “[This generation doesn’t] want safe. They want wild -- they want change. They want revolution. And Jesus is the original revolutionary who's leading this generation forward."

Hall encouraged the body of Christ to embrace the moment.

"We are living in a moment that we need to lean into," Hall said. "When God is moving, you just throw your sail up and you just say, 'God, whatever You want, let's go.'"

Source