One thing that has struck me about the Asbury Revival is that by targeting this Kentucky university, the Holy Spirit has specifically chosen to move upon what some would describe as a lost generation, Gen Z.
These are people born between 1997 and 2012, with many in the latter years attending colleges and universities.
This was very similar to the Jesus Movement that also impacted Asbury University in 1970, which saw the Holy Spirit move upon the disillusioned hippies made up of people in their late teens and twenties.
With many Gen Z abandoning the church, it is easy to look upon this generation as spiritually disconnected, but research shows that despite outward appearances, they are very open to spiritual things.
In fact, polling reveals that they may be more spiritually open, than their older peers.
The authors of a recent poll conducted by Barna stated, “Younger non-Christians are more than twice as likely to express a personal interest in Christianity compared to older non-Christians.”
In an article for Denison Forum, Laurel Wood added that one phrase that seems to define Gen Z is “spiritual but not religious.” The difference being they are not interested in religion often governed by man-made rules and traditions.
Unfortunately, and also similar to the 60s and 70s, when the Jesus People movement started, Gen Z is interested in all types of spirituality, from the occult to eastern religions.
In a recent Instagram post, Evangelist Lindy Ann Hopley, with Beautiful Witness Ministries, shared her experience after conducting altar ministry at the Asbury revival.
She similarly noticed the impact it was having on Gen Z as she ministered in the evening services reserved for students. The services that run from 1 pm to 5 pm are open to everyone.
“They’ve just opened up the door for the young people. Gen Z is filling in right now in this place, and it’s ready to explode,” Lindy reported.
In the video, Lindy shared the major issues that Gen Z is facing and repenting of. This included addiction to pornography and electronic devices. In addition, they are struggling with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, which, if unchecked, leads to thoughts of suicide.
“We’ve been seeing on the altar a lot of repentance on pornography, addiction to screen time, a lot of anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts, it’s just raw and real… Satan’s been offering what he’s been offering in this time, but everyone wants Jesus,” Lindy added.
With news that the Asbury revival has spread to three more colleges in Missouri, Kentucky and Pennsylvania and even a Tennessee middle school, it was recently announced that the Asbury Revival will be moving off campus effective Friday, Feb 24, 2023. This is due largely to the growing attendance that is overburdening Asbury facilities.
READ: The viral revival at Asbury reveals Gen Z’s unique approach to faith and spirituality AND Evangelist Lindy Hopley Unveils Common Schemes Of The Enemy And Areas of Repentance At Asbury Revival AND Only a quarter of Gen Z attends church at least once a month, survey finds AND Awakening Reaches TN Middle School and 3 New Colleges in PA, MO, KY – 27 Give Lives to Christ on 1 Campus
OpentheWord.org 