Recently, I found myself at an event with Nicky Gumbel … yes, that Nicky Gumbel … the man who helped spark the Alpha movement and arguably introduced more people to Jesus over dinner than any evangelist in modern history. Picture a polite British man who somehow blends theological depth, global influence, and the warmth of your favorite uncle. He was being interviewed by Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada and Global SVP of Alpha International.  

Shaila leaned in and asked: “There is something that is being labeled quiet revival … we have heard that 50% rise in church attendance has occurred across England and Wales since 2018, and the Times highlights 87% surge in Bible purchases in the UK over the past year, and both the Guardian and the Times are calling it a genuine quiet revival. What do you make of it, Nicky?”

Nicky paused for a moment, flashed that signature smile, and with a mix of mischief and awe said, “Well, this is what we prayed for, and it’s happening. It’s such good news.”

Let that land.

But here’s what struck me: he wasn’t surprised. Hopeful, yes. Grateful, of course. But surprised? No. Because faithful leaders have been sowing, interceding, and fasting for this kind of moment for decades.

And now, it’s here.

Are we ready for the moment we’ve been asking for?

What if the tide is finally turning, and we’re standing ankle-deep, unsure if we should wade in?

Let’s state this plainly: for decades, the Western Church has been in decline; we’ve all seen the stats. Empty pews, rising “nones,” declining baptisms and cultural marginalization.

But something strange has happened in the past few years. The downward curve is bending.

According to the 2023–24 Pew Religious Landscape Study:

• 62% of Americans now identify as Christian, still down from 78% in 2007, but unchanged since 2019. The freefall has stopped.
• The rise of the “nones” has stalled. They now make up 29% of U.S. adults, flatlined after decades of ascent.
• Church attendance and daily prayer rates have stabilized. One-third still attend monthly. Nearly half still pray daily.

Most surprisingly, and this is the real kicker, Gen Z is spiritually hungrier than expected:

• Between 2021 and 2023, the number of Gen Z identifying as Christian increased from 45% to 51%.
• Gen Z men are more likely than Gen Z women to be church-involved, the first time we’ve ever seen a gender reversal like this in religious engagement.
• In the U.K., monthly church attendance among 18–24-year-olds quadrupled from 4% in 2018 to 16% in 2023, with young men jumping from nearly zero to 21%.

Let me be crystal clear: We are not talking about revival nostalgia. This is a legitimate cultural shift.

And yet, many churches are missing it.

Demand Is Surging. Is the Supply Ready?

Economists will tell you that every market is driven by demand and supply. Faith isn’t a commodity, but the principle still applies.

Demand-Side: The Pain Is Real

Young adults today are the loneliest, most anxious, most disoriented generation we’ve ever seen. The pandemic didn’t create their crisis; it just exposed how fragile the scaffolding of their lives had become.

• 79% of Gen Z report regular feelings of loneliness.
• They’re online constantly, but the connection is scarce.
• The algorithm feeds them outrage, comparison, and despair, but offers no hope, no future, and no redemption.

In the absence of meaning, they are turning toward transcendence. Toward community. Toward the sacred.

And we’re seeing it, from viral prayer gatherings like Asbury to TikTok testimonies and packed Alpha small groups across secular campuses.

Supply-Side: Churches Are Adapting (Kind Of)

Some churches, not all, have been quietly retooling their approach to ministry. They’ve:

• Gone digital-first without going theologically soft.
• Invested in helpful discipleship, not just splashy events, or bible trivia contests.
• Made space for young leaders to speak, shape, and lead.
• Cultivated prayer rooms alongside well-edited sermon clips.

But many haven’t. They’re still debating carpet colors while the spiritually hungry are waiting in the parking lot.

Don’t Confuse the Moment. This Isn’t a Trend.

Some analysts are calling this a “dead cat bounce,” a brief spiritual uptick before things resume their downward spiral.

That’s possible if we mishandle it.

History shows that spiritual surges can collapse under their own weight:

• After 9/11, church attendance spiked and then disappeared within weeks.
• The Jesus Movement of the 70s lit up Southern California, but without deep discipleship, many fell away.
• The 1980s and 1990s combined revival with political power, and young people bailed in droves.

We cannot afford to make the same mistakes.

Not now. Not again.

This Is a Once-in-a-Century Opportunity

Let me say this with the urgency it deserves: We are standing in a cultural window that may not open again in our lifetime.

Sociologists refer to it as a “post-secular turn.”

I call it a divine opening.

If you’re a church leader, this is the time to:

• Act faster than your comfort level.
• Lead deeper than your normal playbook.
• Hand off quicker than your instincts allow.

Don’t protect your platform, pass your baton.

Because while we’re second-guessing our strategy, a generation is showing up … raw, skeptical, but spiritually open. If we don’t welcome them with authenticity and purpose, we’ll lose them to something else.

5 Moves Every Church Leader Must Make Now

These aren’t nice-to-haves—they’re non-negotiables if you want to ride the wave and not get flattened by it.

1. Get Ruthlessly Relational: From Rows to Circles to Movements

This isn’t a season for endless polishing of stagecraft; it’s a season for sweat equity in relationships.

Gen Z isn’t asking for better branding. They’re asking if anyone knows their name. They can smell fake from a mile away, and they’re not interested in spiritual TED Talks from untouchable leaders. What they want, what they need, is proximity, presence, and leaders who don’t hide behind a platform but show up with a story, a struggle, and a seat at the table.

If your church still thinks Sunday morning excellence alone will grow the mission, you’re not just behind, you’re invisible.

Fast-growing churches get this. They move quickly, not from service to service, but from rows to circles:

• A “New Here?” guest gets invited to join a team that day.
• A curious college student finds themselves in a group before they’ve even finished the coffee.
• A skeptical young adult hears the phrase, “we’re so glad you’re here” and then feels it when someone texts them midweek to check in.

But here’s the next shift: circles aren’t enough either. They’re the launchpad, not the destination. The goal isn’t cozy community; it’s a movement of mission-driven, deeply connected people reshaping neighborhoods, campuses, and cities.

Every row should lead to a circle.
Every circle should catalyze a movement.

This kind of culture doesn’t start with programming; it begins with leadership. Specifically, vulnerable leadership. Pastors and staff, stop projecting perfection and start modeling transformation and start telling the truth about your doubts, mistakes, and need for grace. This kind of honesty is magnetic because it’s human.

If your congregation knows more about your leadership wins than your spiritual journey, you’ve missed the assignment. Gen Z doesn’t need superheroes; they need shepherds.

And shepherds lead from the middle of the flock, not the green room.

2. Pass the Mic and the Budget

It’s not enough to let young leaders sit in the room. It’s time to let them shape the room.

Give them a mic.
Give them a budget.
Give them real decisions with real consequences.

This isn’t about tokenizing Gen Z with “youth takeover Sunday.” It’s about embedding their perspective, energy, and urgency into the leadership DNA of your church.

• Launch a Gen Z advisory team that doesn’t just observe but speaks into real decisions.
• Bring them into worship planning, sermon brainstorming, and outreach strategy.
• Give them a Sunday, then give them a series. Let them carry weight, not just props.

Stop training them to wait for their turn. Start teaching them how to lead right now.

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of sitting at leadership tables in some of the most influential churches in North America, household names in the church world. What struck me was not just their scale or systems, but this: they’re already doing this.

Their staff org charts are shifting younger. Their decision-making teams include a lot of people in their 20s. Senior leaders are actively offloading authority, not because they’re tired, but because they’re strategic. They understand something many churches miss: Young leaders aren’t a liability; they’re a competitive advantage.

Need proof? Look at the marketplace.

Apple, Google, Meta, and hundreds of other forward-thinking companies actively court young talent. Not just for their fresh ideas, but because they understand cultural shifts faster, embrace technology instinctively, and take risks unapologetically. Harvard Business Review reports that high-growth startups disproportionately elevate younger founders and leaders precisely because they aren’t stuck preserving the past; they’re relentlessly building what’s next.

Churches should be even more aggressive. Why?

Because the Kingdom doesn’t run on caution, it runs on faith in a better future. We know how the story ends!

And here’s the deal: if you don’t give young leaders meaningful ownership in your church, they will find it somewhere else. And that somewhere else may not carry the gospel with it.

The next generation doesn’t just need a seat at the table.

They need a set of keys.

3. Build Out Robust Engagement Pathways, Shallow Roots Kill Revival

If you’re drawing crowds but not connecting with people, you’re curating events, not building a church.

Prevailing churches are obsessed with the top end of the engagement funnel. They don’t assume guests will “figure it out,” they expect them, welcome them, and chase them down kindly and persistently, like that roofing company you called three years ago that still emails you.

And they’re right to do it.

As the late Tony Morgan put it, “Most churches think they have a backdoor problem, but they really have a front door challenge.”

People show up, spiritually open, and we don’t get them connected.

It’s like picking fruit from a tree and leaving it to rot in a basket in the hot sun at the base of the tree.

So, fix it:

• Text “New Here” guests on Sunday evening to thank them for coming.
• Bake homemade cookies and deliver them that week.
• Make your next step unmistakable.

Then, go deeper, fast. Offer:

• Rolling-Entry Bible Bootcamps
• Quarterly Theology Nights
• Spiritual mentors for every new believer

This is the stuff that turns visitors into disciples. Revival dies when roots stay shallow. So, stop losing the people who are walking through your doors. Build a net that holds.

4. Audit Your Culture Like an Outsider – Because Irrelevance is a Sin

If you walked into your church this Sunday as a spiritually curious 22-year-old woman, would you feel seen?

Would you understand what’s said from the stage?
Would you see anyone like you leading?
Would your questions be welcomed or avoided?

Here’s the truth: what feels normal to you might sound like code to someone new.

Take a Sunday and audit everything … music, language, signage, sermons … through outsider eyes. Better yet, invite real feedback from Gen Z women and actually use it.

Don’t say: “You’re covered by the blood.”
Do say: “Jesus gave His life to restore yours.”

Don’t say: “Let’s enter a time of exhortation.”
Do say: “Let’s take a minute to reflect and hear from God.”

This isn’t dumbing things down, it’s translating eternal truth into accessible language.

Open Spotify’s Top 10 and listen carefully. What do you hear? Longing. Loneliness. Identity crisis. Restlessness. That’s your great tension to start this weekend’s sermon prep.

If your message isn’t answering the questions the culture is asking, they won’t hear you, no matter how loudly you preach.

Now is not the time to withdraw. Some churches are drifting into a very dangerous self-righteous isolation (a friend called them Bunker Churches), hiding behind theological clarity while the world burns.

We need to be lifeguards, not lighthouse keepers: ready to wade into the water, not stay dry on the sidelines.

Jesus moved toward pain, not away from it.
Churches that thrive in this moment will do the same.

This is your cultural moment, don’t miss it by playing safe.

5. Pray Like It’s Real. Plan Like It’s Coming.

Let’s talk strategy and Spirit.

Revival doesn’t just happen in worship lyrics and goosebumps. It shows up in your planning spreadsheet. In your volunteer pipeline. In your parking lot. If you believe God is moving, then make room like you mean it.

We’re living in a cultural moment where demand is on the rise. The numbers are clear. Gen Z is turning toward faith in ways no one predicted. People are asking spiritual questions again. The field is ripe, and that’s not just sociological insight, it’s Jesus-level clarity.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:2

The demand is there. Jesus told us 2,000 years ago what to do: pray for workers. Not programs. Not perfection. People.

And once you’ve prayed, act like He’s going to answer.

• Train your people to follow up with seekers quickly and personally.
• Expand volunteer teams now, don’t wait until you “need them.”
• Add seating, open overflow rooms. Multiply service options.
• Schedule prayer gatherings and commission intercessors.

You’re preparing a place for those the Spirit is already drawing.

Don’t just pray for rain: dig the irrigation ditches now.
Don’t just hope for revival: install the infrastructure that can hold it.

If you’re waiting for some “sign” before you prepare, consider this your sign.
If the demand is up, the Church needs to increase its supply. And fast.

So yes, pray like it’s real. But plan like it’s inevitable.

One Last Thing. Don’t Waste the Wave!

I don’t want us to look back in 10 years and say, “There was a moment when people were open, and we were too distracted to notice.”

Because that’s the real risk here. Not opposition, not persecution, but distraction.
We’ll miss this moment not because we weren’t capable, but because we were too comfortable.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s this: cultural foundations are fragile, but the hunger for God is resilient. Amid confusion, polarization, and digital noise, people are still showing up … quietly asking, Is there more?

The question isn’t whether God is moving. The question is,
Will we meet this generation with courage or caution?
Will we raise up leaders, or just raise attendance?
Will we disciple, or simply entertain?
Or worst of all, will we produce Bible trivia champions who can’t apply scripture to Monday morning?

Let’s be clear: What we do in the next 12–24 months may shape the Church for the next 12–24 years.

This is what we’ve been praying for: don’t sleep through the answer.

At that same Alpha event with Nicky Gumbel, he made a quiet but thunderous appeal:
We are now just eight years from the year 2033, two thousand years since the resurrection of Jesus and the birth of the Church.

Nicky, who, by the way, has personally seen 35 million people engage with Alpha, wasn’t boasting. He was beaming with humility and holy ambition. (If I had numbers like that attached to something I helped create, I’m not sure I’d fit through the door. Nicky remains disarmingly grounded.)

But even more striking than what he celebrated was what he called us to: a vision to make Alpha available in every context, every language, every space, for the 8.76 billion people expected to be alive in 2033.

That’s not branding. That’s boldness.
That’s not hype. That’s urgency rooted in eternity.

Here’s my prayer, and my challenge:
That we don’t stumble toward 2033, hoping something might change.
That we work strategically, prayerfully, urgently, so that the Church is ready to accelerate into that milestone with strength, unity, and clarity.

So go back to your team. Rebuild that system. Reinforce that young leader.
Because the Spirit is moving, and the clock is ticking.

The wave is building. The question isn’t whether it’s real, it’s whether your church is ready to catch it.

This is our moment.
Let’s not miss it.

Team Discussion Guide Now Available

Want to take this conversation deeper with your staff or leadership team? Download the Team Edition of “What If This Is the Revival We’ve Been Waiting For?”—a printable PDF with 21 thought-provoking questions to help your church reflect, pray, and plan with urgency.

[Click here to download the team discussion guide.]