GEN Z ON FIRE: 45,000 Students Raise $500k for Bible Translation at Passion 2026

The stadium lights at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, usually shine for the Rangers, but this week, they illuminated a different kind of victory.

For three days, approximately 45,000 college students gathered for Passion 2026, marking the 29th year that Louie and Shelley Giglio have led this massive movement for “The 268 Generation.”

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What started as a small gathering decades ago has evolved into a global phenomenon, and if the footage on social media is any indication, the next generation is far from “lost”—they are on fire for God.

WATCH A CLIP FROM THE FIRST NIGHT OF PASSION:

The $500,000 Miracle

The most electric moment of the conference didn’t involve a celebrity guest, but a collective act of sacrifice. Students were challenged to give toward IllumiNations, an initiative focused on Bible translation.

By the final session, it was announced that these young adults had raised over $500,000 to fund Bible translations in the Middle East.

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For many unreached people groups, this means they will soon read the Gospel in their own heart language for the very first time.

Voices of a Generation: What TikTokers are Saying

The “Passion” hashtag blew up on TikTok, with students sharing raw, unfiltered reactions to the worship led by Passion Music, Crowder, Kari Jobe, and Cody Carnes.

• @FaithFilledGenZ posted a video of 45,000 voices singing in unison, captioning it: “They told us our generation was leaving the church. They lied. 45,000 of us just declared Jesus is King in a baseball stadium. I’ll never be the same.”
• @CollegeForChrist shared a clip of the $500k announcement: “POV: You just watched 45k college kids give half a million dollars to send the Word of God to the Middle East. The roar in this room was a glimpse of Heaven. This is our future.”
• @TexasGrace26 captured a quiet moment of prayer on the stadium floor: “Passion 2026 wasn’t just a ‘conference high.’ It was a commissioning. Coming back to campus with a fire that isn’t going out.”

A Legacy of Impact

As someone who attended Passion years ago as a reporter for Fox News, the impact remains the same.

The speakers—including Christine Caine, Jackie Hill Perry, and Earl McClellan—challenged students not to just seek an emotional experience, but to find a firm foundation in Christ.

While the location for Passion 2027 remains a mystery (Giglio and his team have not yet confirmed where the 30th-anniversary celebration will be held), the mission is clear.

In a world filled with noise, 45,000 young people sent a clear message from North Texas: Jesus is alive, and He is worth everything.

“We prayed for Jesus to meet us here… on this field… during these days, and He did,” organizers wrote of the conference. “We are so grateful for what He did in the lives of thousands of students at Passion 2026. This generation has a fire on the inside that won’t burn out as they go back to their campus, work, families, and to the ends of the earth. We are arrows being sent out by the power of God for the glory of God. Thank you, Jesus.”

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Daily Affirmation: “I am part of a generation that lives for the name and renown of Jesus. I am not defined by the world’s statistics, but by God’s purpose. My life is a seed of generosity that will produce a harvest in the nations.”

Caleb Parke is an independent journalist. Follow him on X, Facebook, Instagram, and connect with him at calebparke.com.