Former Carrollton grads call youth to Christ

By Editor | August 6, 2024 |

Zach Flowers speaks to a group of youth Saturday afternoon in Kampsville at the tent revival. Special services were held for the youth on both Friday and Saturday with services for all in the evening. Both evening services were packed. (Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press)

By Carmen Ensinger

There is so much negativity about the youth of today that when one runs across anyone trying to make a difference in the lives of young people it needs to be noted.
Two young men from Carrollton, Zach Flowers and Trent Jilg, were part of a tent revival held in Kampsville on July 26-27 which sought to bring not only the youth but anyone to know the love of Jesus.
“Me and Trent went to high school together and at that time God put it on my heart to reach out to the young adults and the youth in the area,” Flowers said. “We met each other at an Old Settlers Days and I said to him ‘what do you think about starting some kind of group or outreach of some sort to get people together again.’”
Jilg was on the same page as Flowers.
“It just seemed like to us there was a lot of division and a lot of people just not coming together,” Flowers said. “If we could come together as the body of Christ and unite then we can touch the youth and bring people together.”
Together they joined to form what they call the Chosen Generation.
“We call it that because God put a verse in my heart and it says that you are the chosen generation and a special people that you would show forth praise of him who brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light,” Flowers said. “So, me and Trent formed Chosen Generation and started doing these outreaches.”
In January, they started doing a series of events, and according to Flowers, doors just started to open.
“Eventually, we got connected with this group called United to Revive, based out of the Wood River area,” Flowers said. “What they do is they put up or provide these tents for revivals and go from town to town bringing food and the gospel of Jesus.”
The way the two partnered up is almost a story in itself.
“We were looking for a tent for one of our events because we had a vision of having a tent outreach,” Flowers said. “I had this guy’s number that I knew set up tents and so I called him. We hit it off on the phone and he ended up being the head guy over United to Revive and we talked for over an hour on the phone and instantly connected. It was like we got to get together and join forces and so we came together and here we are.”
Friday night was a roaring success with more than 150 in attendance.
“We were packed and people were bringing their lawn chairs because every seat was filled,” Flowers said. “We hold a youth event earlier in the day and then one in the evening for everyone.”
As the Chosen Generation, they have done outreaches in Greenfield, White Hall and Carrollton. With United to Revive, they have done events in Litchfield, Carlinville, Woodriver and Kampsville.
“Hosting these events and getting people plugged in is our biggest goal,” he said. “Telling people about Jesus and that you can actually know him and have a relationship with him and he is not just up in the sky and some person that we have faith in but that we can know him and be known by him.”