By Alex Murashko

“In the first wave of the Jesus Revolution, the converts were mostly hippies who’d been searching for love, spiritual enlightenment, and freedom, and hadn’t found it in sex, drugs, and rock and roll. 

…. Today, there’s a growing sense that history has run one of its cycles, and we’re back in ‘60s mode. 

…. like hippies, [young people] say they are hungry for authenticity, a sense of community, and real care for people who are needy and marginalized. Like hippies, they’re a bit cynical about big business, big institutions, or organized religion.” 

– From the book ‘Jesus Revolution: How God Transformed an Unlikely Generation and How He Can Do it Again Today’ by Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn, Chpt. 1

Deep within his heart, author and young adults ministry pastor Josiah Kennealy, carries a vision of seeing large numbers of Millennials and Gen Z serve Jesus.

NEXT GENERATION: SECOND IN A SERIES

A movement of young people on fire for Jesus has happened before. Same age bracket as above, but during a different era.

A group of hippies, who were a segment of the baby boomer generation coming out of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, became part of what was called the Jesus Revolution. “It was the largest public movement of the Holy Spirit in the United States since the revivals of the nineteenth century,” according to the authors of “Jesus Revolution: How God Transformed an Unlikely Generation and How He Can Do it Again Today.” 

The movie, “Jesus Revolution,” which is based on the book and from the accounts of people who lived the movement, will be released in February (2023).

In Kennealy’s book, “Fulfill Your Purpose in Your Generation,” he describes praying and then seeing “a black and white vision of a large group of young people all on their knees with hands lifted in worship, surrendering their lives to their Savior: Jesus.”

He writes that he has never seen anything quite like it before or since. “I felt such clarity and purpose coming out of that prayer time. That I was called to a generation of young adults to reach them for Christ and tell them about the power of the cross and the reality of the resurrection of Jesus.” 

Kennealy knows that the hippies of the ‘60s were considered by many as a “lost generation” or an “unlikely generation.”

“When you have a group of people that are written off by people, that’s a group of people that Jesus especially loves. It’s a group of people that maybe didn’t grow up with faith or church,” he told Think Eternity and added that Jesus used fishermen to be his disciples, so why not teenagers and young adults? 

“I see such a parallel here because Millennials and Generation Z especially, really have been overlooked by churches” Kennealy said. “Everyone recognizes that there is a problem but what are we doing? 

“If I could call the American church to do one thing it would be to invest in the next generation. We need to no longer overlook the people that God loves, just like the hippies [were overlooked by most churches of their era].” 

It might be time for more people to approach people from more of a personal and individual perspective instead of categorically or stereotypically, he said. 

“Generalizing can cause us to project things onto people, and place people into categories instead of seeing them as individuals whom Christ loves,” Kennealy writes in his book. “That’s the exact opposite of Jesus’ approach to ministry.”

“Generation Z is ‘craving’ absolute truth and community in dealing with the world around them.” – Sadie Robertson

Kennealy challenges people to ask themselves: What comes to mind when you think about the faith of the next generation?

In answering the same question of himself, he answers, “I quote a question that Andy Stanley asks, ‘What is the faith of the next generation worth?’ and the answer is that the faith of the next generation is worth everything.It’s beyond value.” 

One generation shall praise Your works to another,

And shall declare Your mighty acts. – Psalm 145:4

To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,

And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. – Psalm 145:12,13 

“What it looks like to pursue personal relationships with the next generation is to create space for them,” Kennealy said. “Whether it’s creating environments or space in existing environments.”

He explains, “We have to go after the lost generation, the missing generation, the generation that has no hope.” For a generation that is rampant with loneliness, anxiety, and crippled with fear, Christians can show that “we have hope. We have community. We have Jesus.”

Second in a series, “Next Generation”

First in a series: Next Generation Will Rise Up When Christian Leaders Tackle Tough Topics

Alex Murashko leads the Thinke Writing Team and blogs at Media on Mission. Find him on various social media sites (@alexmurashko). GETTR username @MediaOnMission.