Something remarkable is happening. After years of being told Christianity is in decline, we are seeing a new spiritual hunger in people looking for meaning in their lives.
Gen Z is more open to Jesus, faith and the Bible. Recent US and Australian studies have found young men are coming back to church. Influencers are confidently sharing their faith, and Bible sales are up in both the UK and US.
As a Christian organisation, you may have struggled with how to present yourself in what is often perceived to be an anti-Christian world. But I believe things are changing and it’s time for a renewed confidence to talk boldly about the faith that fuels your mission.
People seeking faith in their own lives will also be looking to engage with organisations that have a spiritual purpose.
And this is why I believe Christian nonprofits will have the competitive edge over their secular counterparts. Christianity could become a marketing advantage — so long as you are confident, clear and authentic in how you communicate.
Here are three reasons why:
In a post-Christian, post-modern, post-truth era, society is realising that radical individualism has failed. Mental health problems are widespread, suicide rates are on the rise, and depression and loneliness have been described by medical professionals as being at pandemic levels.
As a result, people are earnestly seeking spiritual meaning in their lives. And it will be organisations that have spiritual purpose at their core that will be more attractive than those which are simply doing good.
The data is showing us that the younger generation in particular is exploring their faith. A Barna study of 25,000 teenagers surveyed in over 100 countries found that in that age group, there was a renewed openness to faith, to Jesus, to prayer and the bible.
And a study last year by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life found that 69 per cent of Gen Z believed their faith significantly impacted their lives.
Two studies released this week point to a rising trend in Christianity. Barna found 66% of all U.S. adults have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today — a 12% increase since 2021. And The Bible Society found over 2 million more people now say they go to church than 6 years ago in its report ‘The Quiet Revival’.
Young men are now more religious than their female peers for the first time in modern American history according to a New York Times article last year. They are attending services more often and are more likely to identify as religious. Similar trends were identified in Australia in a recent NCLS study.
Even the tech entrepreneurs are seeking out faith as well as fortune. Vanity Fair recently reported that in Silicon Valley, where Christianity was previously ‘borderline illegal’, there is now a burgeoning embrace of Christianity.
There is often an assumption that our culture is anti-Christian but the data is showing us a counter narrative.
The biggest issue most clients come to us with when we initially meet is that they are trying to engage younger audiences.
The average current age of a donor to a Christian nonprofit tends to be around 75 years old, so engaging a younger audience can mean someone in their 50s rather than someone in their 20s.
But at some point there is a need for charities to engage younger demographics and many of them are looking for spiritual purpose in the causes they support and give their time and energy to.
British rap star Stormzy picked up an award recently and declared on live TV: “I want to be very clear about the God I serve, that’s Jesus Christ, Yahweh, the God of Abraham, that’s my God.”
He left no room for ambiguity and joins a rising trend of global actors, sports stars and social media influencers who are boldly declaring their faith publicly. They are unperturbed about the public response or how it might impact their followers — they are authentic.
Influencers have completely shifted the dynamic of how to reach new audiences. Two years ago about 20% of our work with clients was influencer based, today it is more like 80%.
Influencers tend to have more followers than traditional media outlets on social media, but not only that — their followers have chosen to follow them, so they are engaged.
But authenticity also resonates with the media. Christian news stories are often about an individual’s personal journey of faith. They are tied to moving testimonies of transformation, purpose, and inner peace. What matters most is that the individual being featured presents their faith in a way that is not forced, overly sanitised or practised but is simply their authentic journey.
Likewise, people will want to engage with organisations that are authentic.
A survey reported by Social Media Today revealed that 90% of consumers consider authenticity important when choosing which brands to support, indicating that authentic brand content resonates more effectively with audiences.
So, what we communicate, how we communicate and how we then take supporters, donors and advocates on a journey has to be authentic.
Authenticity is your superpower in an over-saturated market, but authenticity takes time to truly play out. It takes understanding and insights, it takes strategy, and it takes boldness to listen, adapt and implement.
A well known outdoor clothing company identified that their carbon footprint was far more extensive than their target. They decided to publish online the current situation and then document their journey towards reducing their environmental impact over the coming year.
It is this type of transparency that Christian nonprofits should be championing. It shows that you are living out your values and it can foster greater internal and external loyalty.
One of the key tenets of the Christian faith is humility and the recognition that God knows us intimately and therefore we should own our weaknesses and boast in the one who gives us strength.
If we as Christian organisations were to truly embrace transparency, humility and all of the other characteristics that display our faith, we are naturally going to attract and retain supporters who share those values — and also attract and retain staff who share those values.
Our Christian identity can build genuine community, through which we can mobilise investment, advocacy, and prayer.
It may not feel like an easy time to be a Christian nonprofit — and in many ways it is not. But the tides are shifting and the opportunity is real.
As a Christian organisation you need to give time to find your voice, you need to invest in really knowing your audience, and you must courageously live your values as you continue towards the mission God has given you.
Then you will inspire your audience and your team to come with you on the journey.
By Gareth Russell, CEO at Jersey Road
With decades of experience in journalism, advocacy and communications, our team knows what it takes to craft campaigns that can have a lasting impact.
Read our e-newsletter for the latest communications news and analysis.
