Abigail DeJarnatt
In a culture of chaos, the Lord is giving us an opportunity with my generation.
Our whole lives, we’ve been told to “live our truth,” “follow our hearts,” and “find ourselves.” We’ve grown up in an era of postmodernism, where truth is relative and anything goes. Our hyper-politicized, “love is love” culture tells us we can believe whatever we want, be whoever we want, and love whomever we want–whatever it takes to make us happy.
But we’re not.
So, we jump on trends, join social movements, try any self-help tactic or even a new sexuality in an endless pursuit of purpose and identity that ultimately leads to hopelessness and despair. We’ve tried everything, oftentimes walking away from our faith without ever really asking “why,” but it’s not working. We’re desperately searching for identity, community, belonging, and hope.
But as Christians, we have a living hope–the answer to every question our culture is asking, an identity that can satisfy, and a belonging to a body rooted in purpose–and His name is Jesus.
At Counteract USA, we believe that if the Christians of our generation were prepared and unafraid to stand upon the truth of the Word of God, we could change our culture through the everyday conversations in our everyday lives.
Counteract USA’s mission was born with the purpose of equipping young believers to counteract ever-changing cultural and political ideologies with grace and truth, according to the steadfastness of Scripture. We accomplish this by applying Biblical truth to cultural and political issues on social media, the Counteract Podcast, our annual Resolve to Stand National Conference, and, most importantly, we build small cells of like-minded believers across the country who meet regularly and build iron-sharpens-iron communities by discussing the key issues of our day through the lens of a Biblical worldview.
Our goal is that Counteract USA members can then go out and have real, Gospel conversations with real people in the individual spheres of influence God has given each of us. We believe cultural change happens in hearts and minds, not necessarily in Congress or on the news. Change happens over coffee, in the classroom, and at the dinner table with our friends and family.
If our generation (and all generations) of Christians were prepared and willing to enter into those conversations in those spaces, with grace and truth, for the sake of the Gospel, maybe culture would start to look different, because, ultimately, the only answer, purpose, and identity that will ever satisfy our generation–our nation–is knowing Jesus as Lord.
And in recent days, our mission has become more urgent than ever, more exciting than ever. Since our generation has already tried everything else to find fulfillment and hope, we’re entering a moment where young people seem like they just might be willing to give Jesus a try, too.
So the Church must be ready.
Recent reports reflect a rising curiosity about Christianity in younger generations. Contrary to popular belief, we’re seeing a shift where Gen Z and Gen A are becoming far more open to religion now than in previous years. A 2023 study from the Barna Group reports that 77% of teens in the U.S. are at least somewhat motivated to learn more about Jesus throughout their lives.
In December, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bible sales are up 22% over recent years (compared to a 1% increase in book sales overall), attributing the spike in-part to people buying Bibles for the first time. The article confirms this dissatisfaction with the self-help, postmodern narratives of our culture, and references a trend of TikTok and Instagram influencers who are turning to Christianity or are becoming more public about their faith.
Just a few years ago, Gen Z was leading the way in the rise of the religious “nones.” But outbreaks of revival on college campuses and this recent reporting show a spiritual hunger and openness in Gen Z and Gen A.
The Church must be ready to step into this moment.
In fact, we must be willing to run to it.
Acts 8:26-38 begins with an angel of the Lord telling Philip to leave Samaria (where they had just been experiencing a powerful move of God) and go toward the road from Jerusalem to Gaza–a “desert place.” And without hesitation or questioning, Philip gets up and goes.
Along the way, he notices an Ethiopian official reading the prophet Isaiah, and the Spirit tells Philip to go join the man in his chariot. The Bible says Philip ran to him and asks him if he understands what he’s reading, to which the official replies,
“How can I, unless someone guides me?”
The official invites Philip up into his chariot, who then explains the good news of Jesus to him, and the Ethiopian man turns to Christ and is baptized right there on the road.
God used a moment of obedience to bring about the Ethiopian official’s transformation.
He was ready for the truth. He just needed someone to explain it to him.
In a similar way, my generation–our culture–is at a breaking point. In a postmodern age where everything is true (so nothing is true) and anything we see on the internet could be AI-generated, we long for something authentic. We want something constant in the chaos. We’re ready for something we can sink our teeth into, anchor ourselves in, and build our lives upon.
We’re ready for truth–we just need someone to explain it to us.
And that is where we, as the body of Christ, must, like Philip, be willing to boldly obey the Spirit, running to the moment God has given us and sharing the hope of the gospel as He leads us.
The theme for our third-annual Counteract USA Resolve to Stand Conference is “Running to a Culture Ready for Truth.” It’s more than a tagline–it’s a call to action. Our prayer for this event is that believers of all ages would gather together to be encouraged, equipped, and emboldened to resolve to stand upon the truth of the Word of God, ready to boldly share the Gospel with a culture that might be ready to receive it.
The 2025 Resolve to Stand Conference is set for Nov. 7-8 in Rogers, Arkansas. It’s a weekend of fellowship, worship, conviction, and encouragement. We’ve been overwhelmed by the ways we’ve seen the Lord move in recent years, and are so excited to see what He’ll set into motion this year. Make plans to join us!
You can stay up to date on conference details and all the Lord is doing in and through Counteract USA by following us on social media, signing up for our newsletter at counteractusa.org, or checking out the Counteract Podcast.
It’s going to take all of us, standing and praying together as the body of Christ as we enter into this era of opportunity and revival.
Our generation is ready. We can’t let this moment pass us by.
To Jesus be all glory!
Abigail DeJarnatt is the founder and CEO of Counteract USA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry with a mission to equip young Christians to apply biblical truth to cultural and political issues. Abigail was born and raised in Northwest Arkansas, where she lives and works full-time with Counteract USA.
