Gen Z isn’t quietly walking away from faith. They’re running toward Jesus — and they’re louder than ever. Across the country, young people are gathering in unexpected places, driven by a hunger for truth, purpose, and the power of Jesus to change everything.
On August 8-9, Amplify will be a glimpse of what God is doing in a rising generation. Thousands will gather in Benton, Arkansas, for America’s largest free evangelistic training and outreach event under an open summer sky with hands lifted, voices roaring, and tears falling as people encounter hope that can’t be manufactured on demand. This isn’t just a concert or a camp. It’s a lifeline for a generation drowning in anxiety, searching for belonging, and desperate for hope that can’t be streamed or swiped.
And I’m telling you — this generation isn’t just curious about Jesus. They’re desperate for something real. They’re desperate for Him.
We’ve got over 15 Gen Z communicators, some as young as 18, who will step onto stage and share their stories. Some in front of thousands. Some for the first time. But each with courage and clarity that’s hard to ignore. These are not polished sermons. They’re raw, honest, and deeply human stories of addiction broken, families restored, identity reclaimed, all because of the grace of God.
Every year at Amplify, we see it: young people boldly living out their faith. Like a local teenager who’s impacting his high school with the Gospel and now leading standing-room-only trainings for other teens at Amplify. Or the group of teens last year who traveled five hours — half of them non-believers — only to encounter Jesus. They all now follow Jesus and are bringing an extra van to fit all their friends this year.
What’s happening isn’t limited to a single location. It’s part of a larger moment. Despite all the headlines about the decline of church attendance, research is telling a different story. Gen Z isn’t running from faith — they’re running toward it, just not always in traditional ways.
Barna reports that over half of teens are motivated to learn about Jesus. A significant majority of Gen Z — 80% of women and 77% of men — describe themselves as “spiritual.” And yet, fewer than one in four are regularly in church. That gap isn’t apathy. It’s a search. They’re not interested in performance — they want presence. They want something that makes sense in the middle of anxiety, injustice, loneliness, and pressure.
At Pulse Evangelism, we’ve seen it. I saw it last year at the University of Arkansas, where 10,000 students came out for a night of worship and Gospel proclamation. Thousands gave their lives to Jesus. Baptisms happened. No production tricks. Just presence, prayer, and truth.
I recently met a 20-year-old man who’s all-in for reaching his generation with the Gospel. He and a friend were so stirred by the urgency of this message that they sold everything, moved cross-country, and are now traveling the West Coast in a van, praying for every chance to reach the lost. These two are just one powerful example of the real revival breaking out among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Young people are waking up and realizing Jesus is the true answer to the world’s needs — not money, power, or status, but Jesus, the one our hearts were made for.
That’s why Amplify matters so much. It’s more than a festival. It’s a proving ground for the next generation of evangelists. They’re not waiting to be told what to say, they’re speaking from their own scars and stories from their lives. They’re not waiting to go viral, they’re already sharing the Gospel on social media. Evangelism looks different today, but the heart hasn’t changed. It’s still about people encountering Jesus and inviting others into that same hope.
This generation wants authenticity. They want a faith that feels. That breathes. That matters in the middle of anxiety, injustice, loneliness, and pressure. And when they meet Jesus? They talk about Him. Loudly.
And if you need a sign that revival is alive? Here it is: It looks like teenagers praying at lunch, students gathering in parks to study the Bible, viral TikTok trends to Christian music, college students sharing their faith on social media, and a crowd in Arkansas singing the name of Jesus under the summer sky.
So, if you’re longing for hope, or ready to be part of something bigger, lean in.
Don’t just watch from a distance. Step into the story. Be part of a move of God that this generation refuses to keep quiet about.
Because God is moving. And this generation isn’t staying quiet.
Nick Hall is an evangelist and the founder and president of Pulse Evangelism, an organization that exists to make Jesus known by reaching the lost and unleashing the evangelist. Pulse hosts Amplify, the largest annual outreach and training event in the U.S. dedicated to sharing the gospel and empowering individuals for evangelism.
