The so-called quiet Gen Z revival in the UK has surprising implications for Millennials

If you have been reading about the "quiet revival" in the United Kingdom and over all the emphasis on Gen Z (born 1997-2012) as leading the rise in church attendance, you’re not alone—but what do we older ones do with that?

Siblings (noun) (plural):
— Offspring of one’s parents.  
— Potential best friends and support system for life. 

And yet, more often than not, the bane of a firstborn’s life!  

Yes, smaller humans born to your parents are a blessing, but they are also:  

• competition for the hitherto undivided attention of your parents, aunties, uncles, even adoring strangers in the street 
• competition for the limited resources of toys, snacks and TV time 
• frustratingly fickle followers, often developing interests simply to mimic you. 

And so on… 

As you may have guessed by now, I am indeed a firstborn child. I am big sister to three younger humans who have, to their credit, been marvelous gifts of God’s kindness to me and blessings to our home, but it is worth saying that this has come at the cost of my increasing displacement from the center of my parents’ concerns and priorities.

With 26 years of the "younger sibling" phenomenon under my belt, I have made some progress in adjusting to this reality. But I mention it because, in the past 18 months or so, I’ve been feeling the rise of a similar feeling of displacement—not at a familial level but on a societal one. In recent weeks, you’d have to have been living under a rock (or outside the UK) to miss it... 

The Quiet Revival: Gen Z leads the rise in church attendance 

Why Gen Z Could Be the Revival Generation 

Make Christianity cool again: Why Gen X is flocking to church 

Will Gen Z keep Christianity alive? 

To this, my poor Millennial (born 1981-1996) heart squawks, “But what about us?” (In contrast, by the time Millennials became the focus, Gen X [born 1965-1980] were used to being ignored, ed.) 

It wasn’t that long ago that Millennials were the ‘it’ generation.

You see, it wasn’t that long ago that Millennials were the ‘it’ generation, especially when it came to contemplating the future of faith in the United Kingdom. We were the subject of endless discussion threads, the subject of many a seminar series, whole conferences and new ways of doing church.

Admittedly, we were revered more for our resistance to faith than our reception of it, but we were revered nonetheless. People were keen to "crack the code" on millennials, and anyone who seemed to have made any sort of inroads into discipling us could be assured of the esteem of those around them.

Those of us who held on to our faith were lauded for simply keeping on with what previous generations had considered the bare minimum. We were the leaders of tomorrow. We were essential to halting the decline in the regard for Jesus in wider society. 

And now… tumbleweed and crickets. Nearly all of the airtime that would have been allotted to us has been scooped up by Gen Z, and it is not hard to see why. They are less cynical than we are, more desirous of community and commitment, more open to faith of all kinds and, fascinatingly... they don’t do skinny jeans.  

So, millennials, what are we to make of this? What measure of significance is left for us in this new world?  

Perspective

More and more people are finding faith in Jesus, and many of them are young.

It is easy to get distracted from this amidst the various labels and high-level analyses, but the most important marker of this moment is that more and more people are finding faith in Jesus, and many of them are young.

It is not the only thing happening at this time, but it is the most joyous, most beautiful and most profound element of it all. After years of steady losses, our family is growing, and we should give thanks for that.  

Responsibility  

The arrival of each sibling leads to a radical change in dynamic for its elders—the advent of a whole new realm of responsibility. Similarly, younger Christians bring with them a wealth of energy, passion, and unique insights. But they also bring measures of inexperience, vulnerability, and a huge need for discipleship.  

My Millennial friends, we have gone from being the leaders of tomorrow to being the leaders of today. It’s time for us to act like it.  

Service  

My siblings haven’t just made my life different—they’ve made it bigger. This has brought its disruption, and I don’t feel any shame in saying that, but it has also brought its dignity—the dignity of service.

Christ-in-me has gotten bigger.

As I’ve served them, aspects of my life have gotten smaller, but Christ-in-me has gotten bigger.

They have also served me, and I am endlessly grateful for the gift of life with them. Since meeting them, I’ve become more of the person God has made me to be, and I can’t imagine life any other way.  

Be it via siblings or not, one of the main goals of the Spirit of Jesus within us is to shift our source of significance from being in the spotlight to being empowered to serve. To root our identities in the eternal affection of our heavenly Father and not the fleeting acclaim of other humans.

Could it be that we millennials stand to gain so much more than what we’ve lost? 

If like me you’ve noticed a quiet resentment of the quiet revival, look again. There may be more of a place for you in this new order than meets the eye.  

Originally published by Being Human. Republished with permission.

Damilola Makinde is the UK Evangelical Alliance's advocacy engagement lead. Her background spans law, public policy, preaching, and worship leading. Damilola is originally from London but having grown up within a Nigerian diaspora in Ireland, her experience of tri-cultural heritage has contributed to the powerful and prophetic voice she holds today.