More than 34,000 young people made a profession of faith on this year’s Winter Jam Christian Concert Tour, which tour pastors say underscores Gen Z’s deep hunger for authenticity and truth. Released in 1995, winter jam is an annual multi-city tour known for its extensive lineup (this year it features 10 artists, including Crowder and Lecrae) and affordable admission prices ($15). It’s also known for its unabashed gospel focus, with touring pastor Zane Black giving a brief gospel presentation at the halfway point each night.
This year’s Winter Tour recorded approximately 34,500 first-time confessions of faith from individuals who filled out an online form and were paired with a local church. (That is, if you were not part of a church group to begin with.) The digital platform is run by glue.
Many nights were sold out.
Gen Z is “hungry for authenticity,” Black said.
“Anything that’s been edited, cropped, filtered, it’s flooded with fakes,” Black told Crosswalk Headlines. “The digital age has pushed them deeper into the world of AI and they are craving something authentic. So I think we have an opportunity within the church to present authentic truth in this era. [the] Artificial and skeptical. There is a real God. There are books in which that is true. And then there is the tangible kind of love that changes your life. ”
The darker the culture, Black said, the more people crave the truth.
Gen Z Christians are “on fire,” he added.
“There are so many people who are excited to share the life of Christ with their friends.”
Winter Jam has two purposes, Black said: 1) to share the gospel and 2) to encourage believers. Young believers attending the concert can look around and say to themselves, “I’m not alone,” he said.
Meanwhile, Black said he believed there was “more pressure on this.” [current] More generations than ever before. ” A lot of it is driven by social media.
“They’re comparing themselves to all these false images,” he said. “…For me, it really comes down to identity. Students want to know, ‘Who am I?'”
The church has an opportunity, he said.
“We have hope that Jesus and the Word of God say to us, “God says to you: You are loved, you are chosen, and regardless of your past or your future. You have a purpose.’
“Gen Z is hungry for it.”
Image provided by: Winter Jam
Michael Faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years.His story is published below baptist press, Christianity Today, christian post, of leaf chronicle, of toronto star And that Knoxville News Sentinel.
