When the World Shakes: Anchoring Your Soul in the Unchanging Goodness of God If you feel like the ground beneath you has been vibrating lately, you are not alone. As we close out 2025 and look toward 2026, the prevailing cultural mood isn't one of optimistic resolution—it’s one of low-grade anxiety. We see it in global instability, we feel it in the deep divisions fracturing major church denominations, and we experience it in the economic and personal pressures of daily life. The writer of Hebrews spoke of a time when God would "shake not only the earth but also the heavens," so that "what cannot be shaken may remain" (Hebrews 12:26-27). It feels like we are living through a great shaking right now. In times like these, the most difficult—yet most vital—question a Christian can ask is: Is God still good? The world’s answer is "no." The skeptic’s answer is "if He is, He isn't very competent." But the biblical answer is a resounding ...
For the last twenty years, the prevailing wisdom in Western Christianity was simple: If you want to reach young people, you have to make church "cool." You need lasers, smoke machines, 20-minute TED-talk sermons, and a coffee shop in the lobby. The goal was to remove barriers, making the Gospel as palatable and "fluff-free" of dogma as possible.
But as we enter 2026, the data suggests this strategy has backfired.
A massive cultural shift is underway. Gen Z—the most digitally native, marketed-to generation in history—is rejecting the polished, entertainment-driven model of the "seeker-sensitive" movement. Instead, they are flocking to places their parents often left: high-church liturgies, rigorous theological seminars, and communities that aren’t afraid to preach the difficult, "meaty" parts of the Bible.
Here is why 2026 is shaping up to be the year of Deep Theology.
1. The "Vibe Shift" from Performance to Authenticity
Gen Z has an exceptionally high "BS detector." They have grown up in an era of influencers, curated Instagram lives, and algorithmically generated content. They know when they are being sold something.
When a church tries too hard to be "relevant" by mimicking pop culture, it often feels inauthentic to a twenty-something observer. As recent 2025 search trends indicate, young seekers aren't typing "fun church near me" into Google. They are searching for "Is the Bible reliable?", "History of the Early Church," and "Orthodox theology."
They don’t want a pastor who tries to be their cool older brother. They want a sage. They want someone who has wrestled with suffering, philosophy, and the ancient texts, and who can look them in the eye and say, "This is the truth, and it will cost you something to follow it."
2. The Return of the "Scary" Questions
The "fluff" approach often involved avoiding controversial topics to keep the peace. But Gen Z is growing up in a world of chaotic moral relativism, AI uncertainty, and geopolitical instability. "Five steps to a happier life" doesn't cut it when you are worried about the collapse of meaning.
This generation is craving Theological Density.
They want to talk about Hell: Not to be scared, but to understand justice.
They want to talk about the Trinity: Not as a boring doctrine, but as the metaphysical structure of reality.
They want to talk about Suffering: Because they see it on their screens every day.
In 2026, the churches that grow will be the ones that stop apologizing for the Bible and start teaching it—verse by verse, difficult chapter by difficult chapter.
3. The Liturgical Revival
Perhaps the most surprising trend of late 2025 was the surge in young people attending "High Church" services—Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican. Why?
Because Liturgy offers a counter-rhythm to the digital age. When you live your life in 15-second TikTok loops, the slow, repetitive, ancient chanting of the Psalms feels like oxygen. The smell of incense, the physical act of kneeling, and the reading of creeds that are 1,600 years old ground them in a history that creates a sense of permanence. It tells them: You are part of something older than the internet.
4. Men are Leading the Charge
Historically, women have outperformed men in religious attendance. However, recent data from late 2025 (Barna/Gloo) shows a historic reversal: young men (Gen Z and younger Millennials) are now attending services at higher rates than their female counterparts in some demographics.
These young men are often drawn to intellectual rigor and challenge. They are finding faith through "intellectual gateways"—podcasts by Jordan Peterson, debates on apologetics, or deep-dives into church history on YouTube.
The Opportunity for the Church
If you are a church leader, a parent, or an apologist, this is good news. You don’t need a bigger budget, a better lighting rig, or cooler sneakers to reach the next generation.
You need to do the one thing that feels counter-intuitive: Go deeper.
Don’t dumb down the sermon; level up the discipleship.
Don’t hide the hard verses; explain them.
Don’t offer entertainment; offer awe.
Gen Z doesn't want a Christianity that looks like the world. They want a Christianity that is weird, holy, and distinct enough to actually change it.
What do you think? Are you seeing this hunger for depth in the young people around you? Let us know in the comments below.