Why I Have Hope for Christian Millennials

Julian Adams • August 31, 2019

4 Reasons Young Christians are Changing the World

Christian Millennial With Adidas Shoes on Street

I have a lot of hope for this next generation of Christian leaders. Even in the midst of what looks like an increasingly "post-Christian" world, where political arguments are taking center stage, and people can't seem to agree. 

Much of my year is spent traveling, speaking at Christian events around the world. Everywhere I go, I get the opportunity to meet young men and women who are dreaming with God for a better world. These people are not hopeless about the future, or about the fate of Christianity. They're choosing to tune in to God's voice--his promises--instead of the many other voices. 

God is speaking a better word than the world. 

Here's what sets these "millennial prophets" apart, and why I believe they will bring Kingdom transformation into every realm of society. 


1. A LOVE FOR JUSTICE AND MERCY

The prophetic is all about connecting with God's heart for people. I love that this generation has tapped into God's heartbeat for justice and mercy around the world. They are speaking out against racism, gender inequality, corruption, and other social issues which oppose God's Kingdom. 

They are unafraid to initiate the challenging conversations that highlight and lift up the broken in our society. They don't buy into the world's systems of capitalism or socialism but look for solutions which can truly lift up and restore the poorest of the poor with a heart of love. 

Along with fighting for justice, they are connected closely to God's heart of mercy--this is what separates them from the social justice movements of the world. They carry compassion for the oppressed as well as the oppressor, releasing a new language of justice, which is both emotionally and spiritually intelligent. 

These young people are not just about talk; they're about action. 

Under the old covenant, prophets were detached from society, living isolated and disconnected lives. But Jesus gave us a very different model. He got his hands dirty. He got stuck into culture by lifting up women, and serving the outsiders and sinners. He went after those who were considered outside the promises of God and said, "You're also part of this promise." As these millennial prophets engage with society, their action will bring the disenfranchised, the broken, and the hurting back in.

Young Christian Woman Standing Up for Justice and Mercy

2. CREATIVITY

God never intended there to be a separation between what is "sacred" and what is "secular". In the Garden of Eden, everything was holy. 

Creativity is the key that will allow young Christians to unlock and break open a sense of curiosity about spirituality in others. God is calling people out of their church buildings, into spaces that would be considered secular, to redeem them, make them beautiful and sacred once again. 

These expressions aren't overtly Christian. They're not bible verses on the back of key-chains or businesses playing Christian music on blast. They're artists, musicians, and designers who, without compromising who they are, release a new sound and rhetoric which engages both hearts and minds.  

I can't wait to see the expression that comes out of this next generation of Christians in society--reminding the world what beauty looks like.
Young Christian Man Worshipping In a Crowd

3. A DESIRE TO FIND FULFILLMENT OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

I remember a time when being a full-time pastor or elder seemed to be the highest aim of a Christian (that is, as long as you were the correct gender). But a generation is rising up that doesn't feel tied to the local church as their only expression of Kingdom, but instead seeks out what gives them life, making THAT their ministry. 

In the garden tomb narrative in the Gospel of John, Jesus essentially reveals himself to Mary as a gardener. In that very moment, Jesus is reminding us that He is the "new Adam". Adam's job was to extend God's garden all over the Earth. This is important! Jesus' very first revelation as a resurrected king was not as a warrior God, but as a gardener. 

I believe Jesus still values His mandate for us to work, just like Adam. He has called us to make all things beautiful, be it in the business world, entertainment industry, tech sphere, or beyond. This young generation is beginning to value their place as workers, hard workers, in the garden that God is gave them to influence and shape.

Young Christian Man Writing


4. HOPE 


God wants to reshape what we think about the end-times. The era of "left behind" is over, and young people are embracing a more hopeful (and biblical) eschatology. It's a departure from some of the prophetic movements of the past, who have prophesied words of judgment, doom, and gloom. Instead, they dream of the goodness of God and his purposes for this Earth, partnering with heaven by displaying love to the broken of society. 


They know that if they dream with God, anything is possible.


See, Christianity is not an escape plan. God is not waiting for things to get terrible so that he can sweep us all off of this Earth. In the book of Revelation, we see a heavenly city coming down from heaven to cover the Earth. The government of God's goodness and mercy and peace will be established on the Earth, covering everything.


I believe that God is inviting this generation to partner with Him in establishing a heavenly Kingdom on Earth, through acts of justice and mercy, creativity, and seeking destiny. 



By Julian Adams January 3, 2025
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