Women are joining the quiet revival too

There has been lots of pontificating over and celebrating the number of young men turning towards Christ in recent months. But in the excitement of all that the quiet revival has entailed, I’m concerned we might be taking our eyes off the women. 

Over the past few years, I have been surprised at the number of women I have met – neighbours, train passengers, mums at the school gate – who have come to, returned to or are exploring faith. Perhaps it’s a stage of life thing, or a state of the world thing. Regardless, women are experiencing a similar pull towards the church’s doors as men, it seems. 

Yes, the Quiet Revival research did show a significant rise in churchgoing among young men (up from 4 to 16 per cent) but churchgoing among 18-to-24-year-old women had also gone up from 3 to 12 per cent. It’s still an astonishing rate, and we need to pay attention. 

We need nuance, diversity and creativity in church

My fear is that churches who are keen to attract a missing generation of men will go overboard in creating a church ‘experience’ that we assume suits male Gen Zers. As a geriatric millennial woman, I’m not even sure what these things might be – beer kegs, gaming nights, football? But herein lies the danger. Gen Z men are just as complicated as the rest of us. And in attempting to create a church for the bros, we might put off young women – and also men that don’t fit our preconceived moulds. We need nuance, diversity and creativity – a church committed to people of all backgrounds, that creates the community so many people clearly crave. 

I was struck by a recent article in Stylist magazine exploring why young women are turning to faith. Their analysis was: the availability of faith content on social media, the presence of faith-infused chart music from the likes of Justin Bieber and Alex Warren, and the need for community in times of turbulence. Saffron, one of the interviewees, said: “When you find a really good church, the sense of community is really incredible. If you needed something from anyone, someone in the church would help you, be it prayer, childcare, or even someone to talk to.” 

The Quiet Revival research found churchgoers are more likely than non-churchgoers to report higher life satisfaction and a greater feeling of connection to their community. They’re also less likely to report frequently feeling anxious or depressed – particularly young women. As followers of Jesus, we know that being part of a church community can make a difference, but it seems other people are realising this too – at a time of increasing loneliness, anxiety and polarisation. 

Much of the concern over the missing generation in churches arises from a fear about the future. With many congregations comprising a significant number of older people, there are fears that the Church might not survive without the vitality and commitment of younger people. 

But just as I fear we get excited about the men, I also fear we focus too much on younger people in general. The gospel is for all stages of life, all genders, all classes, all backgrounds, all races and all ethnicities. Let’s ensure that our churches reflect this.