Last summer, I had the privilege of leading a group of young adults from the Greater Toronto Area on a mission trip to Brazil, as part of OTHERS Ministries for Justice. They were gen-Z Salvationists—young people passionate about justice and deeply in love with Jesus.

Before the trip, we spent months preparing through prayer, local outreach, street worship and learning to step outside our comfort zones. But what happened in Brazil became more than a mission trip—it became a reminder of who The Salvation Army is called to be.

The purpose of the trip was to bring together young adults from corps in Canada and Brazil for two weeks of discipleship, training and street mission, under the theme “Rise Up: Rooted in Christ, Rising for Justice.” It was made possible through the support and collaboration of Majors Adão and Alessandra Nunes, divisional commanders, Rio Grande do Sul Division, and Captain Josiane Martinez, territorial secretary for community relations, Brazil Territory.

Our theme Scriptures were Ezekiel 37:4 and Acts 2:17-18. In Ezekiel, God speaks to dry bones: “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!’ ” It is a pictureof God breathing life into what appears lifeless. In Acts, we read: “In the last days … I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy.” These passages shaped our mission.

What struck me most was the shared hunger between the groups—different countries, different cultures, but the same fire.

Hungry for God

We have a generation hungry for God and thirstyfor justice. A generation tired of passive Christianityand image-driven faith. They do not want to simplydiscuss the gospel, they want to live it in the streets,shelters and hurting places of the world.

João Vitor Severo, a member of the Brazil team, shares: “The mission trip was a time of complete surrender. God spoke to me every single day, confirming his call on my life to preach the gospel. Seeing people on the streets showed me that few are willing to go out; many remain comfortable where they are. Today, I know God is calling me to this.”

Another Brazilian participant, Anthony Maydana, says: “I felt God’s voice clearly confirming his plans for my life. When we unite under one purpose, cultural and language barriers cease to exist—we communicated deeply without sharing a language, because our true language was the love of God, which burned and continues to burn in our hearts.”

During one of our evening check-ins, Major Alessandra Nunes said, “This group has been an answer to prayers. The Army is the church of the streets, and this group has sparked the mission of the movement again.” She also affirmed that the work would continue.

Thirsty for Justice

Somewhere along the way, many churches have become comfortable discussing mission instead of living it. But these young people are longing for something real. They want authentic faith, authentic leadership and authentic community. Most importantly, they want a faith that moves.

Throughout the trip, we reflected on what it means to reclaim our prophetic voice. Too often, prophecy is reduced to prediction or personal encouragement. But throughout Scripture, the prophetic voice is inseparable from justice. The prophet sees what others ignore. The prophet grieves what others normalize. The prophet refuses to accept injustice as the final word.

To prophesy to dry bones is to look at broken systems, hurting communities and strugglingchurches and still believe God can bring life again. Prophetic imagination challenges the status quo and dares to envision a future shaped by God’s justice, compassion and faithfulness. We cannot pray for revival while remaining silent about suffering.

I believe this generation understands that. During one of our debriefs, the word revival kept rising in my spirit. Later, a Brazilian young adult shared that he had been praying for revival and for missionaries to help spark something new. That moment deeply challenged me. Revival does not begin on stages or conferences. It begins in surrendered hearts, in small prayer gatherings, in street-level obedience and in young people willing to say yes.

One Canadian married couple from our team, Madeleine Brown and Brandon Wilson, who now help lead monthly outreach in shelters, reflects: “The Brazil mission trip taught us the importance of connection and intentionality with everyone we meet. In Brazil, we let down our barriers to boldly pray, connect and love our neighbours the way Jesus does.”

Authentic Faith

Perhaps the question is not whether gen Z cares about the church. Perhaps the real questionis whether the church is willing to make space for the passion, questions and calling God has placed within this generation. If we want the next generation to stay, we must trust them enough to lead—allow them to question, grow, make mistakes and call us back to the streets.

Many of them are not walking away from Jesus, but they are searching for a church courageous enough to look like him. Gen Z is not abandoning The Salvation Army’s mission—they are calling us back to it. And maybe, just maybe, God is raising up a generation to reclaim our prophetic voice once again.

Lieutenant Mirna Dirani is the resource officer, immigrant and refugee services, at Toronto Harbour Light Ministries.