by Leong Yee May
At Revival 2025 – Global Chinese Alpha Conference (GCAC) in Kuala Lumpur last month, pastors, church leaders, marketplace leaders, youth leaders, and believers came together from across the globe to connect, share, pray, and equip themselves for a global Chinese revival.
2033 will mark two millennia since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and nearly 2,000 years since the Great Commission was given. At GCAC, the question tackled was: Have we truly made disciples of all nations?
Former CEO of AIA China, Cai Qiang, shared a thought-provoking comparison at the conference, contrasting the “contagiousness” of Christians with that of COVID-19.
“Two thousand years have passed, and there are 2.5 billion Christians in the world today. That gives us a spiritual transmission rate of 1.012 — meaning it takes eight believers to bring one person to Christ. In contrast, COVID-19 infected over 7 billion people in just three years,” he revealed.
It is evident that many desire to fulfill the Great Commission and have tried countless ways to evangelize — yet often see discouraging results. Pastor Andrew Chai , who focuses on student ministry in Europe, reminded attendees that coming to faith is a journey, and the true power of evangelism lies in the work of the Holy Spirit.
“Evangelism is not a formula — it’s about doing your part, and letting God do His,” he said.
Pastor Andrew further emphasised the importance of presenting the Gospel in ways that resonate with younger generations. He urged the Church not to overlook digital missions, but to raise up more media creators and produce deeper, more meaningful content for online platforms.
In recognizing consumer shifts, Alpha leveraged video-based content to share the Gospel widely. Since the launch of Chinese Alpha Film Series (CAFS) in 2022, over 200,000 people in Asia hear the Gospel each year through Alpha.
Youth are not the future of the Church
How many times have we heard the phrase: “Young people are the future of the church”?
Rev. Dr. David Doong, General Secretary of the Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelism (CCCOWE), offered a different perspective: “Young people are not the future of the Church — and elders are not the past. They are both the Church of today.”
He emphasized the need for the Church to shift from a mindset of “generational replacement” to one of “intergenerational partnership.”
Singapore’s Heart of God Church (HOGC) is an example of intergenerational partnership at work. Founding Senior Pastor Cecilia Chan and her husband have spent over 20 years focusing on youth ministry, raising seven generations of young leaders to serve within the church. Many of HOGC’s pastors are homegrown.
“Generational continuity is key to building the church,” Pastor Chan said. “The younger your church is, the stronger it will be.”
Jesus is still relevant today
There are currently 120 million youth aged 15–24 worldwide. At the conference, several relevant surveys were shared — one of which revealed that while most youth believe Jesus once walked the earth and performed miracles, they don’t believe He is still at work today.
Alpha is determined to reach this new generation for Christ. On April 1, a brand-new Youth Alpha Series was launched featuring 11 language versions — eight of which are Asian languages — to help young people across Asia encounter Jesus personally.
Leong Chee Pei, a church deacon and worship leader at Christ Lutheran Church, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, is planning to launch the Youth Alpha Course at the end of the year, beginning with youth leaders.
“I believe that with intentional discipleship and one-on-one spiritual mentorship, every young person will be moved by what I invest in their lives,” he shared. “That’s how life impacts life — and legacy is built.”
GCAC 2025 was organised by Alpha Asia Pacific and Alpha Malaysia, bringing together 3,500 Chinese-speaking Christian leaders from across the world to Kuala Lumpur for a time of growth, learning and encouragement. Learn more about Alpha Malaysia’s courses and events here. Read the Chinese version of this article here.
