I'll be honest with you, when I first started hearing reports about young men flooding back into churches, I was skeptical. After years of watching attendance decline and seeing so many young people walk away from faith, it felt almost too good to be true. But then I started seeing it with my own eyes.
Last month, I attended a men's conference where I expected to see mostly gray-haired guys like myself. Instead, I was stunned to find the room packed with twenty-somethings, guys with energy, passion, and a hunger for God that honestly put me to shame. Something is happening, brothers. Something big.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Between 2019 and 2025, commitment to Jesus among Gen Z men jumped 15 percentage points. But here's what really caught my attention: Millennial men saw an even more dramatic 19 percentage point increase. I had to read that twice because, frankly, it challenged everything I thought I knew about this generation.
The typical Gen Z churchgoer now attends approximately 1.9 weekends per month, while Millennial churchgoers average 1.8 times per month. That's nearly double the attendance from 2020. For the first time in American history, men now outnumber women in churches, and the trend is especially strong among guys in their twenties.
When I think about my own journey to faith, I remember being the exception among my peers. I was the weird one who wanted to go to church. Now? These young men are leading the charge, and it's humbling to witness.
Just this past summer, Greg Laurie's crusade in Anaheim drew 45,000 young people, with over 6,500 Gen Zers making commitments to Jesus. The Asbury revival started as a simple Wednesday chapel service and turned into 16 days of continuous prayer and worship. Bible sales surged 22% in 2024 while other print books barely grew at all.
I keep asking myself: What changed? What's drawing these young men to Christ when everything in our culture seems designed to pull them away?
They're Hungry for Something Real
The more I've talked with these young men, the more I understand their heart. Dr. Cory Marsh puts it perfectly: "Gen Z males are becoming fed up with a virtual world run by algorithms and dating apps… and are seeking something real."
Think about it, these guys have grown up with smartphones in their hands, endless social media feeds, and dating apps that treat relationships like a shopping catalog. They've been fed a steady diet of virtual everything, and their souls are starving for authentic connection.
I remember my own season of questioning, when I was drowning in the noise of the world and desperate for something that felt genuine. That hunger led me to my knees, and I see that same hunger in the eyes of these young men today.
They don't want another algorithm telling them who to be. They want a God who knows them by name, who calls them to something greater than themselves. They're tired of the emptiness that comes with endless scrolling and are ready for the fullness that comes with following Jesus.
Rejecting Passive Masculinity
Here's something that really struck me: These young men are rejecting the passive, "quiet quitting" mentality that's infected so much of male culture today. They're not interested in sitting on the sidelines of life, endlessly pursuing self-empowerment or narcissistic self-improvement.
Instead, they're drawn to Christ's radical call to take up their cross and follow Him. They see the challenge of discipleship, the call to humble, meek service combined with bold, daring strength, and something in their hearts says "yes."
When Jesus said, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23), He wasn't offering an easy path. He was offering a meaningful one. And these young men are hungry for meaning.
I think about my own struggles with feeling purposeless, with wondering if my life mattered. The world offers plenty of distractions but very few answers to the deep questions that keep us awake at night. These young men are finding those answers in Christ, and they're not content to keep that discovery to themselves.
The Uncomfortable Gender Divide
Now, I need to address something that breaks my heart. While young men are surging toward faith, young women are leaving churches at higher rates. This reverses centuries of tradition where women formed the backbone of parish life.
Among Gen Z, 39% of women identify as religiously unaffiliated compared to 31% of men. This isn't just about numbers: it's about families, relationships, and the future of faith communities. I've wrestled with this reality, wondering what we as church leaders have done wrong, how we've failed to reach the hearts of our daughters and sisters.
I don't have all the answers, but I know this: We can't ignore this divide. We can't celebrate the return of young men while overlooking the exodus of young women. Both matter deeply to God's heart, and both should matter deeply to ours.
Sometimes I wonder if we've presented a version of Christianity that feels authentic to men but somehow alienating to women. Or maybe we've been so focused on being culturally relevant that we've lost the timeless truths that speak to every human heart, regardless of gender.
What This Means for Your Faith
So what does this revival mean for you personally? First, it means we're living in a pivotal moment. After decades of religious decline, the trajectory has changed. As political scientist Ryan Burge notes, "we've seen the plateau of non-religion in America" and "Gen Z is not that much less religious than their parents, and that's a big deal."
But here's what I want you to understand: This revival isn't complete, and it's not guaranteed to continue. These young men are attending church more than they did before, but they're still only showing up about half the time. Every interaction matters. Every sermon, every conversation, every moment of authenticity could be the difference between someone drawing closer to Christ or walking away.
For those of us who've been in the faith longer, this is our chance to mentor, to share our wisdom, to model what it looks like to follow Jesus through all of life's seasons. These young men don't need our judgment: they need our guidance. They don't need our criticism: they need our compassion.
If you're a young man reading this, know that your hunger for God is real and valid. Don't let anyone convince you that faith is outdated or irrelevant. The very fact that you're seeking something deeper than what the world offers shows the Holy Spirit is already working in your heart.
And if you're struggling with doubt, wondering if any of this is real, I want you to know that questioning is okay. Some of my deepest growth has come through seasons of uncertainty. God is big enough to handle your questions, strong enough to work through your doubts.
Moving Forward Together
The church has an incredible opportunity right now. We can either rise to meet this moment with grace and truth, or we can fumble it by being too proud, too set in our ways, or too afraid to change.
These young men aren't looking for watered-down faith or feel-good religion. They want the real thing: grace that transforms, truth that challenges, and community that sustains. They want to encounter the living God, not a religious program.
I'm praying that we'll have the wisdom to nurture this revival, the humility to learn from these young men even as we guide them, and the courage to address the hard questions about why others are walking away.
The kingdom of God is advancing, brothers and sisters. Young men are answering Christ's call to discipleship with fresh energy and authentic hunger. Let's do everything we can to fan these flames and help this generation become the spiritual leaders our world desperately needs.
May we be faithful stewards of this moment, pointing always to Jesus, who alone can satisfy the deepest longings of every human heart.
Soli Deo Gloria, Pastor Jody