A sobering story about what's really happening in American churches.

You've seen the videos: thousands of students gathering for worship, hundreds being baptized in campus fountains and pickup truck beds. Auburn saw 5,000 gather with 200 baptisms. Tennessee had 8,000 attendees with 500 professions of faith. Stories like these have sparked excitement about a potential revival sweeping America. But in his latest for Outreach Magazine, Ed Stetzer digs into what the numbers actually reveal.

According to Ryan Burge, data scientist and author of The Vanishing Church, there's no evidence of any kind of revival in terms of religious belief and religious attendance. While the rise of religious "nones" has plateaued and Christianity is holding steady, that's stasis, not revival. Gallup reports that fewer than half of Americans now say religion is important to their daily lives, a 17-point drop in the last decade. True revival historically shows region-wide multiplication of conversions, sustained baptism growth across multiple years, measurable community transformation, surging seminary enrollment, and accelerated church planting. We're not seeing those patterns—yet.

What we are seeing are "mercy drops”: encouraging signs like Gen Z's high spiritual openness, Barna's finding that 66% of adults have made a personal commitment to Jesus, and localized campus movements. These are real and worth celebrating, but Stetzer emphasizes that they are more akin to isolated brush fires rather than sweeping movements.

Luckily, your job isn't to manufacture revival but to set the sails so you're ready when God moves. Here are three ways to prepare your church for greater movement:

Indian Families Combat Gen Z Loneliness Through "Open Homes" | Christianity Today

Christian couples in India are addressing isolation among young adults by welcoming college students into their homes for weekly Bible studies, meals, and overnight stays. Through the Union of Evangelical Students of India, families provide mentorship for students navigating new cities and adult responsibilities. The model requires sacrifice, including financial support during emergencies and careful boundary-setting, but creates authentic discipleship relationships.

Consider: As Gen Z shows spiritual openness but decreased church connection, the "open home" model offers a blueprint for moving beyond Sunday-only relationships. What would it look like to identify 2-3 couples willing to regularly host young adults for meals and conversation?

Five Ways Bible Study Leaders Can Evangelize While Teaching | Lifeway Research

G. Dwayne McCrary argues Bible study teachers should create gospel opportunities during every session, not leave evangelism to "gifted evangelists." His approach: be prepared with personal testimony and favorite gospel verses, invite group members to share conversion stories, recognize most lessons provide natural openings to explain salvation, offer clear ways to respond after sessions, and encourage groups to invite non-Christian friends. The key shift: moving from functionally closed groups to missionally open communities expecting gospel conversations.

This week: Review your small group strategy. Are leaders trained to spot evangelistic moments? Add a simple prompt to leader guides: "How could today's topic connect to the gospel for someone exploring faith?"

What would you like to see more of? Hit reply and let us know.

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