USA (MNN) — In the weeks since the assassination of political speaker and Christian, Charlie Kirk, churches across the United States have reported a significant surge in attendance – especially among young people.
According to Newman Ministry, some congregations are seeing as much as a 15% increase.
Charlie Kirk speaking at the University of Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Pews are overflowing. Churchgoers are parking on lawns and side streets. Bible sales are soaring, with over one million more sold than this time last year.
Generation Z grew up in a culture saturated by moral relativism and the idea that “your truth” is all that matters. Now, many are realizing they want real. They want authentic. They want Truth.
And people are seeking it in Jesus — the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)
What is Revival?
“I think it’s obvious that God is speaking,” says Stan Key, Minister-at-Large with OneWay Ministries. “It’s not obvious what He is saying. But it’s obvious that through the events of Charlie Kirk’s death, particularly, the whole country is talking about the Gospel in his memorial service. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word Jesus named more frequently than was named there by our religious leaders and our political leaders.”
Critics were quick to question the motives of those who shared the Gospel at Kirk’s memorial service on September 21, which was attended by 100,000 people and viewed by millions more online.
Yet, as the Gospel is proclaimed, the question of motive is addressed by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:18: “What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.”
(Photo courtesy of Jon Tyson/Unsplash)
If this is the beginning of a spiritual revival in America, Key encourages believers not to miss what the Holy Spirit is doing.
“A lot of people think revival is enthusiasm. It’s sort of like a pep rally before a big game. ‘Let’s just get everybody in the stands, turn up the music, and have an emotionally charged speech.’ That’s emotionalism. There’s a place for that. I like pep rallies in sports, and I like emotion in worship! I get goosebumps. I sometimes cry. That’s not necessarily revival.
“Revival is when the Spirit of Holiness — the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying Spirit — is manifestly present…. And what does the Holy Spirit typically do? Well, He convicts of sin. He brings people to repentance. There’s a hunger and thirst for God, not for the secondary elements, but for God. The Word of God is present, the spirit of prayer, and the spirit of brokenness.”
Historic examples of spiritual revival in the U.S. include the Asbury Revivals of 1970 and 2023. Key’s wife was a student during the 1970 revival, and Key himself attended soon after.
(Photo courtesy of set.sj/Unsplash)
He recalls, “People just said God was there. It wasn’t about a preacher, it wasn’t about music, it wasn’t about signs and wonders. It was about a palpable awareness that the Spirit of God is here.”
The Heart of Revival and Reformation
At the heart of revival, Key says, must be the true Gospel. “To be candid, I think my generation has had a very muddled understanding of the Gospel. We have tended to understand the Gospel in terms of the plan of salvation. ‘God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. He can forgive your sins, so when you die several decades from now, you can go to Heaven.’ That’s not the Gospel. That’s the plan of salvation.
“I think the first priority of the Church today is, ‘Do we have the Gospel right?’” Key emphasizes, “It’s not about helping us go to Heaven. It’s so we can have the image of God restored in our lives…. The world is under new management. Jesus is Lord. That’s the Gospel.”
(Photo courtesy of Joel Muniz/Unsplash)
In light of the Gospel, how then should we live our lives?
“If we can get the Gospel right, not only will revival come, but reformation will come,” says Key.
Reformation happens when revival takes root in daily life by engaging with God’s Word. Cambridge Dictionary defines reformation as “the act of making an improvement, especially by changing a person’s behavior or the structure of something.”
Whether America is on the brink of revival remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain: People are talking about Jesus.
Put simply, Key says, “Revival is when the life of God comes upon God’s people to bring them to life again.”
Pray for this spiritual hunger to deepen across the United States as people give their hearts and lives to King Jesus.
Header photo courtesy of Mitchell Leach/Unsplash.
