A Generation Rising: Live Q&A on Revival

Introduction

This podcast was recorded live during a conference held at CVV Paris church on the theme of revival among the younger generation. Ben, who leads the CVV Paris team, welcomes three guests from the United Kingdom for an open discussion with the audience: Phil, pastor of King's Arms in Bedford and involved in the Catalyst network, along with Duncan and another member of their team. The format is simple: questions from the audience about what God is doing right now among the nations, with answers shared by three or four voices. They talk about the Quiet Revival in the United Kingdom, the place of young men in the Church, persecution, evangelism, prayer, fasting, and what a leader must guard in his heart when God begins to move. Here you'll find the eight most striking exchanges of the evening, translated into English and placed in context.

Podcast Outline

1. What is currently happening among young people?

Ben: "In one word, how would you describe what God is doing in the world right now?"

Phil recounts that the United Kingdom has been living through decades of long erosion: declining church attendance, cultural resistance to the Gospel, mockery toward those who carry a faith. And then a recently published report, the Quiet Revival, revisited the same questions asked six or seven years earlier. The result: a marked rise in the number of young people actively engaging with faith.

• An openness to the Gospel among the younger generation "like we haven't seen in our lifetime"
• The demographic group historically most underrepresented in the Church has been young men. Yet today, the category most likely to be present at church is men under 25
• Phil cites Chase, a young footballer from his community in Bedford, converted and baptized a few months ago, who now fills the second row of the service with all his friends of the same age: "No one could have manufactured that. It's a complete movement of God."

Duncan adds: there is in this generation "a seriousness about the Gospel that we hadn't always seen." A generation pursuing God "whatever it costs." Not a binary revival (all or nothing), but something running across traditions and streams.

2. How do you discern what God is doing amid the attraction to the occult?

Ellis, from the audience: "There's a real spiritual awakening among young people, but also a lot of witchcraft, Wicca, tarot. A friend told me she felt far from God, and two minutes later that she'd had her cards read. How do we talk about this with young Christians discovering the faith?"

Phil points to a music store near his home in the UK, where an entire shelf is devoted to games and books on spells, tarot, Ouija, how to contact the dead. "Even music stores recognize that a spiritual awakening is happening, and they want to sell as much as possible to spiritually hungry kids."

Phil's answer comes down to one word: family. "God's operating system is family and community. You can't grow up alone." He gives the example of Andrew, his wife's cousin, converted in his fifties, who was still quoting Gandhi at a barbecue a few months after his new birth. What made him grow: a London family invited him to their table every Tuesday evening. Meals, spiritual conversations, weekly, without pressure. "It's still God's best plan: the Church as family, with brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers."

Duncan adds that we also need to find the courage to talk about foundational things: the doctrine of sin, the fact that Satan has a plan for your life and so does God, that one leads to death and the other to life. Not in a moralizing way, but in a way that stays current and relevant.

3. Is revival only for young people?

Ben brings up the Asbury movement of 2023 in the United States, where thousands of students gathered for days on a university campus. What's been told less often is that word from Malachi quoted there: God turns the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. "What can we say to older people wondering: is this just for the young, and what about us?"

Phil answers: at Asbury, it was students who carried something, but "what they needed next was people from another generation to steward it, bring wisdom, walk alongside them." God's plan remains the family, a multi-generational, multinational, multicultural community.

• In his community in Bedford, those who carry the greatest passion for revival are often over 70, who have prayed for it for decades
• Phil's father, 77, spent the two years of Covid rereading all the old books on revivals and discovering new ones. It reignited his own prayer life
• The paradox of the Quiet Revival statistics: the growing age brackets are 18-24 year-olds, young people in their thirties, and those over 65. The only bracket declining? 55-59 year-olds

Duncan tells the story of Peter, a brother in his community who visits terminally ill patients without family in a local hospital. He plays them old hymns on his phone ("The Lord's My Shepherd") and has seen the presence of God fill the room, dying people opening their eyes and humming hymns they sang as children. Several have given their lives to Christ in recent months. Then another example: a former minister in Thatcher's government, now around 80, who, after serving prison time for perjury and being radically saved there, returns every Wednesday to that same prison's care wing to sing hymns from cell to cell.

4. Should we recover a place for liturgy and recited Scripture?

Ben: "These young people are drawn to more traditional churches. In France, the rare signs of revival are more within the Catholic Church, within the Catholic charismatic renewal. In our circles, we're a church that seeks God's presence and the things of the Spirit, without much structure. What do we do when people are looking for a liturgy?"

Phil recalls a lesson from past revivals: it's often those who were the heirs of the last move of God who resist the next one. The clergy in place persecuted Whitfield, Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, because it didn't take the same form. The answer? Humility. "If he chooses to use a liturgy or to move within a Catholic church, let's learn."

He shares his own discovery: liturgy offers level ground. Someone who has known the Bible for two seconds and someone who has known it for 70 years can recite the Apostles' Creed together and be on the same page. In a biblically illiterate generation, liturgy becomes a shared language. In his church, they recently preached eight or nine weeks on the Apostles' Creed, and the whole congregation recited it at every service.

Duncan tells how the Lord's Prayer revolutionized his personal prayer life: he had it framed on his wall, next to his bed. His morning routine: recite the Lord's Prayer, a minute or two of silence, a written prayer of thanksgiving, a few minutes in tongues, a meditated verse. "Why wasn't I doing this before?"

A word of caution, however, from one of them: "You can make an idol out of any methodology," including in a charismatic church that has its own unspoken liturgy (two fast songs, two slow songs, announcements in the middle, the message…). What matters is that the person of Jesus stays at the center.

5. What is the role of leaders in a time of revival?

Tim, from the audience: "What is the place of leadership in this time of revival?"

Phil: "Cling to the hem of Jesus' robe. Leadership in the Kingdom is service. It's the upside-down Kingdom, where the leader washes feet, becomes a servant, lays down his life for the sheep. In times of revival, the role doesn't change. Success isn't measured by fruit according to the world's standards, but by obedience to Jesus."

He adds: "A leader must examine his own heart first. Am I saying yes to Jesus today? Am I awakened in the midst of the awakening? Revival begins with God's people, and leaders must be at the front, saying: Jesus, change me."

Duncan emphasizes holiness. He tells a story, almost self-accusingly, of photobombing videos that young girls were filming in a park, clowning around behind them. Then: "Duncan, watch yourself. I don't want to do anything that compromises what God is doing." He also speaks of his life among unbelievers (the majority of his friends): the temptation is to compromise. His response: every time he plays golf with a friend who finds it "medieval" that he's a Christian, he tells him what happened at church that week.

Then come life disciplines: from Monday to Thursday, he doesn't bring his phone into the bedroom. The first thing he wants on his lips when he wakes is the Lord's Prayer. Phil follows up on recent years in which prominent names on the evangelical scene have collapsed because what was beneath the surface wasn't beautiful. He quotes Psalm 30 of David: "When I said, I shall never be shaken, you hid your face and I was dismayed." Revival comes with a sobriety: the fear of God is returning to the Church, and it often begins with the shepherds.

Duncan adds: "A moment like this podcast should make me slightly uncomfortable. If I feel too good talking about myself and my thoughts, I'm placing myself above others. There always needs to be a bit of discomfort. It's different from preaching, where you submit to what the Bible says."

6. Between "revival is coming" and "let's focus on the everyday," where do you stand?

Ben: "Some make revival their banner, others say: let's get to the daily work. How do you position yourself?"

Duncan: "If you spend your life talking about something that never happens, you lose all credibility. Deferred hope makes the heart sick. You can't live your whole life in imminent revival mode. Be honest about what you see God doing. If 1,300 people are praying, don't say 1,600 and don't say 200. Acknowledge what's there. And be content to see the little cloud the size of a man's hand, if that's what there is."

Phil adds: "It's a Kingdom principle: celebrate what you have, not what you don't have yet. We often obsess over the thousands who haven't yet come to Christ. But maybe you see one. Celebrate the one. That's what we call Christian stewardship. Be faithful with the little you have. Don't become cynical when you hear good news, rejoice. Then stay the course: preach Jesus, love others, preach the Gospel at all times. The growth belongs to God anyway."

And this line he keeps repeating: "My job is to sow. His is to make it grow."

7. Should we pray every day for revival? Does fasting have a place?

Poly, from the audience: "Should we pray every day for revival, and if so, how?"

Duncan: "Just pray: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Do it every day. Surrender to that. That's what the Lord told us to pray. If you pray that, you're safe, because it's Jesus who asked for it."

Phil continues: "There's a return of spiritual disciplines and practices in the Church, and one of them is prayer and fasting. We don't like fasting, myself first. But the Church is rediscovering the power of giving up something for the love of something you want more. Sometimes your body has to engage with what your spirit truly desires. Fasting aligns your body with what your heart longs for in God. My soul thirsts for you."

And this shared confession: "I hate the idea of fasting. But when I'm in it, I absolutely love it. Why don't I do it more often?"

8. Will revival come with persecution and tribulation?

Joel, from the audience: "Jesus foretold persecutions and tribulations at the end of time. We're seeing a very harsh anti-Christian hostility rising in society. Will this revival come with that, and is the Church ready?"

Phil: "Jesus warned us: In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. These trials take various forms, Scripture says so. Even us, this week in Paris, we've all had our own trials to go through: sickness, pressure, anxiety, families left back home. Trouble is here to stay."

He points out that Iran is today the fastest-growing church in the world, even though it's also the place where you're most likely to be persecuted for your faith. Nigeria is right behind. "When you come to Christ, you board a warship, not a cruise liner. When you advance the Kingdom, you will meet spiritual resistance. Our job is to push back the forces of darkness by loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves."

He adds an urgent call for the Western Church: to stand in solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters (Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan). Then a cultural diagnosis: "We live in a society polarized at a level I've never seen in my life. Political, social, cultural. There's a political spirit that wants to divide. Our job: keep our eyes open, love God, love our neighbor, stay the course."

Surprisingly, he ends by saying: "I don't know if persecution is stronger. I'd say it's perhaps less intense for a Christian today, because people are more open to talking about spiritual things."

One last question: how do you talk about Jesus with people closed off to "religion"?

One last question comes from the audience: "I invited a coworker to the service. She told me: Don't talk to me about that, I know God exists but I don't do church, I don't do religion. I told her: it's not a religion, it's Jesus. She insisted it was a religion. How do we reach people this closed off?"

Duncan: "Our calling is to be witnesses. To tell what Jesus has done in our lives. Not to be ashamed of the Gospel. To love Jesus with all our heart. But we're not responsible for other people's salvation. We're responsible for loving them, praying for them, daring to speak. Salvation is God's work. He draws people to himself. And that's freeing, because you can tell yourself: I'm just going to be who I am, what God has called me to be. You can tell your friend: you're missing out on so much. But you can't force her."

Ben closes: "We've talked about revival, about what God is doing among the nations, and yet when we bring it back to you and me, what's your next step? It's not this enormous thing you have to do all at once. It's continuing what we see in the book of Acts: love God faithfully, love people, bear witness, take one step at a time, and believe that God will pour out his Spirit in France and in the United Kingdom. That seems sustainable. That seems doable."

Key Takeaways

• There is a marked rise in young people returning to the faith in the United Kingdom, particularly among men under 25. In France too, there are quiet signs.
• God's "operating system" is family and community: we don't grow up alone.
• Liturgy, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer offer a biblically illiterate generation level ground for talking about Christ together.
• A leader in a time of revival is marked by holiness, life disciplines, and a heart that stays trembling. The fall of well-known names in recent years is a warning.
• Be honest about what you see. Celebrate the one. Don't inflate the numbers. "My job is to sow, his is to make it grow."
• Praying "Your kingdom come" every day, rediscovering fasting, standing in solidarity with the persecuted Church: three habits for today.
• You are not responsible for your coworker's salvation. You are responsible for loving them, praying, daring to speak up. The rest belongs to God.

Personal Application

1. Where do you see, around you, "little clouds the size of a man's hand"? A young person asking questions, a coworker wondering, a friend returning to church?
2. What table could you open this week? A meal, a regular coffee, a weekly seat for a new Christian or a spiritually searching friend?
3. Does your personal prayer life need a framework? Could the Lord's Prayer, a Psalm, or the Apostles' Creed help you get started?
4. Is there a life discipline you need to put back in place this week (phone, sleep, Bible reading, fasting)?
5. Do you celebrate the "ones" God gives you, or do you obsess over the "thousands" who are missing? What can you celebrate today?

Scripture Cited

• Malachi 4:6 – He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.
• Matthew 6:9-13 – Our Father… your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
• Psalm 30:6-8 – I said, I shall never be shaken! You hid your face, and I was dismayed.
• John 16:33 – In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.
• Mark 12:30-31 – You shall love the Lord your God… and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
• John 4:36-38 – The one who sows and the one who reaps rejoice together.
• 1 Kings 18:44 – There is a little cloud rising from the sea, as small as a man's hand.

Further reading

• How to Meditate on a Bible Verse
• Understanding the Bible: Difficult Passages
• Bible Reading Mistakes: How to Avoid Them at the Start

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Quiet Revival that Phil talks about?

It's a recently published report in the United Kingdom that revisited the same questions asked six or seven years earlier about religious practice. The result: a marked rise in young people actively engaging with faith, with a particularly strong rebound among men under 25, historically the most underrepresented group in the Church.

Why talk about a "return of liturgy" in charismatic churches?

Because today's generation is poorly formed biblically, and a text like the Apostles' Creed or the Lord's Prayer offers level ground where someone newly saved and someone who has known the Bible for 70 years can proclaim the same truth together. A word of caution, however, add the speakers: "you can make an idol out of any methodology," including the unspoken order of a charismatic service. What matters most is that Jesus stays at the center.

Is fasting really necessary to pray for revival?

Fasting isn't presented as a condition, but as a means. Phil explains it this way: giving up something for the love of something you want more, aligning your body with what your heart longs for in God. He admits that even he doesn't like the idea of fasting, but that once in it he loves the effect, and wonders why he doesn't do it more often. Something to rediscover gently, at your own pace.

This podcast was recorded live at CVV Paris church during a conference on revival among the younger generation, with Ben (CVV Paris), Phil (King's Arms Bedford, Catalyst network), and Duncan (United Kingdom). Article translated from the original English content.