Gen Z are hungry for full-fat faith. Let’s give it to them

As a millennial Christian, I grew up being the butt of school jokes, called “the Bible basher” to my face – and plenty other names muttered behind my back. Atheism was king. Darwinism was the new creed, and anyone who believed differently was labelled stupid or unintelligent.

So, you can imagine my disbelief when, over the past few years, the narrative has begun to shift. There really does seem to be an openness to faith and spirituality in the UK that we’ve not seen before. These truly are unprecedented times.

This weekend, The Times published an essay by James Marriott titled: “Full-fat faith: the young Christian converts filling our churches.” It was a fascinating commentary from somebody looking in and observing what is really going on in our churches.

Some comments I agreed with and others I didn’t. But having spoken to Dr Rob Barward-Symons, co-author of The Quiet Revival (Bible Society) and the team at Stewardship, who published this year’s The Generosity Report, the evidence is clear: attendance and interest growth among young people is migrating into true discipleship.

From headlines to Hereford

It’s not just editorial narratives either. In my own church, we’ve seen it first-hand. Freedom Church Hereford is a multicultural movement in a small countryside town. Recently, I spoke with two young men, aged 15 and 17. Neither had been invited to church by anyone.

One told me: “I just woke up this morning and thought: Do you know what? I’m going to give church a go. So I text my mate and said: ‘I fancy going to church this morning. Do you want to come with me?’” His friend joined him. They both loved it. And they both raised their hands to receive salvation at the end of the service.

Young people are not running from responsibility; they are running towards it

I’ve heard about and prayed for moves of God, but to see this trend among young men? I’ve never seen anything like it.

Reading The Times article, we are reminded what life is really like for young people today: if you’re 25 today, your entire life has been marked by crisis. The 9/11 terror attacks in the US. Iraq. The financial crash. Austerity. A global pandemic. A land war in Europe.

Gen Z have grown up in an age where certainty has crumbled. No wonder they are searching. Not for “skinny church”, as the article puts it, or watered-down answers. But for a gospel with weight.

I love the phrase “full-fat faith.” It points to an unfiltered, unadulterated gospel. The message to the church is clear: preach Christ crucified. The world has tasted everything else. Let’s give them something irresistible: the full force of the gospel of good news.

As Paul declared in Romans 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation.” This is not a time for embarrassment, it’s a time to speak and share our faith plainly.

Confidence in Christ

“Secularism has failed,” author Louise Perry tells Marriott in the piece. She notes that people who have a religious faith are “happier, less anxious, less lonely, more likely to get married and have children.”

In this cultural moment, let’s ensure that those who are searching find more than a Sunday show. Reading scripture, practising communion, confessing sin- these should not be hidden away, but offered with grace and truth.

The Talking Jesus Report 2022 found that 22 per cent of non-Christians would explore faith by reading the Bible. Speaking with Hope Together’s Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolfe, we shared anecdotes about young people waiting until the end of a church service just to ask: “Can I take a Bible home with me?” These are the days we prayed for.

This is not a time for embarrassment, it’s a time to speak and share our faith plainly.

The world often sneers that Christianity is a crutch for the weak. But for many young believers, it is far more than that. It is the wheelchair that carries them through the storms of life. They don’t want spirituality as a hobby. They want Jesus as Lord. One young man in our church told me: “I tried everything else: self-help, podcasts, even astrology. Nothing lasted. In church, I found truth and a family.”

Perry, whose own personal journey from atheism towards Christian faith has been well documented of late, also told Marriott that: “not having religion in your life is an enormous loss.”

And that’s the point. Skinny church won’t do anymore. Sometimes we try to add additives in an attempt to entertain, but Jesus plus nothing equals everything. This generation isn’t searching for entertainment but for authenticity. They’re not craving style; they’re craving substance.

So, the challenge to us is simple: will we give them what they’re hungry for?

Deep wells

The Times also quotes Jack, 33, who describes Christianity as: “the rediscovery of an inheritance of which I’d been deprived.”

As a Christian with a legacy of five generations behind me, this line caught my attention. It resonated deeply because I, too, attempted to run away from faith at 17 years old. And yet, in my running and turmoil, I still had a prodigal’s advantage. I always knew the way home.

Perhaps this is what Jack has experienced. Perhaps this is what many others across the country are experiencing right now. If Jesus really is who he says he is, then when we recall the old Sunday school songs, assembly hymns or lunchtime prayers, we may be reminded of a glimpse of real and true satisfaction and joy.

Looking back on the generations who have gone before us, Christianity is not something new. It is a long-lasting spiritual and cultural heritage that, despite our secular upbringing, may now be being reawakened. One thing is for sure: the old prayers still hold their power. 

This is where not only Christian leaders but all of us must take note: if the world is craving full-fat faith, it’s time for us to serve it up - not apologetically, not diluted and certainly not ashamed. That means strong preaching, clear gospel invitations and discipleship that truly demands something of us.

Young people are not running from responsibility; they are running towards it, longing to father the fatherless, serve their communities and live for something bigger than comfort.

So, here’s the call: preach the gospel as if eternity depends on it. Build communities that embody grace and truth. And give this generation the real thing: not a performance, but a person.

Because they are hungry and, in Jesus Christ, we have bread that truly satisfies.