By Michael C. Mack
Hayley Anderson grew up at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., the granddaughter of an elder at the church, and she sang regularly in worship services.
Today she is a marketing and public relations student, resident assistant, and student worker in the strategic communications department at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky. She also serves as Turning Point USA hub president. Last week, Trace Gallagher interviewed her on Fox News channel about the Asbury University vigil that many are calling an awakening or revival.
“I think what’s so special about this,” Hayley said in the interview, “is that it’s a story about how God has met students where they’re at. Thousands of people are coming from everywhere, and I think it’s because we are so desperate for God’s presence. As Gen Zers, we’re desperate for meaning and purpose.” (Generation Z is comprised of people born from 1997 to 2012.)
Hayley talked about how she grew up as a Christian in a Christian family, but she had not experienced anything like this.
“It’s an immense amount of peace,” she said. “It’s refreshing, and I just think it shows God’s power and his glory, and no one else could have done this except for him.”
Several days after the interview, when I asked Hayley what she learned from all this, she reminded me this was completely orchestrated by God.
“It’s easy to make it about you when you’re in front of the camera . . . but the Lord really humbled me in a gentle and loving way, reminding me that this wasn’t about me. This was about God choosing to use me when he didn’t have to. What a gracious God!
“I also never realized that this interview would be as much of a ministry opportunity as it has been,” Hayley continued. “I’ve had several friends reach out to me who are not Christian that took the time to watch my interview and congratulate me on it. I’m praying that it will plant seeds in not only those I know personally, but also for the hundreds and thousands of unbelievers I don’t know who watched the interview.”
Hayley says she is incredibly blessed by the positive feedback she has received about the interview.
“It’s really encouraging to see how much of a difference you can make just by taking a step of obedience for the Lord,” she told me.
Hayley told me more about one of the topics she discussed with Gallagher.
“I think this revival has shown all of us how desperate Generation Z is for truth,” she said. “And as Christians, we have a responsibility to be witnesses as much as we can to this hungry generation.”
She says she is encouraged “because this revival is reigniting this generation’s faith for the Lord, and I’m excited to see what God does in the future!”
I couldn’t agree more.
Michael C. Mack serves as editor of Christian Standard.
Author: Michael C. Mack
Michael C. Mack is editor of Christian Standard. He has served in churches in Ohio, Indiana, Idaho, and Kentucky. He has written more than 25 books and discussion guides as well as hundreds of magazine, newspaper, and web-based articles.
It is so wonderful to watch God at work in the lives of young folks, much can be accomplished through peer-to-peer relationships. That seems to be what happened at Asbury; what began as a simple worship service became a Godly miracle. The outreach from this revival continues to spread through all age groups and around the world.
Hayley, you are a blessing to us all.
God truly is good and magnificent.