Young Adults Are Showing Up to Church — Why?

Are young people attending church more than they have in the past?

It appears so. About 1 in 3 young adults say they attend church more often now than a year ago, according to research by the Barna Group and Gloo, a technology firm serving faith organizations. Forty-five percent say they attend church as much as they did a year ago, while just 21 percent attend less than they did last year.

“I definitely see that young people are more interested in spiritual things today,” says Pastor Doug Batchelor, president of Amazing Facts International.

Others who work with young people recognize the shift too. “Over the last year, I have visited a number of schools and universities to give talks about Christianity and history,” said Bijan Omrani, author of God Is an Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England, in early 2026. “On every occasion, I have been struck by a thirst for knowledge amongst students, and a desire to reconnect with and cherish a religious tradition whose neglect by previous generations disturbs them.”

The young people who fill my classroom and frequent my home recognize the shift too. “The Holy Spirit is working in some pretty mighty ways right now,” says Ayden S., a high school junior. “I feel that we can all tell that there’s something big going on in the world.”

Jaden B., a high school senior, agrees. “I attend a local youth church, and attendance has doubled in the last year. Church gives our generation a sense of purpose and community.”

Why They Attend Church

“There’s so much artificial and computer-generated information out there,” Pastor Doug explains. “I believe the young people are looking for genuine truth and authenticity. They are looking for something to believe in.”

The Barna research points to additional reasons that Gen Z and Millennials are returning to church. Prayer is the most commonly cited reason for attending church (45%). Other reasons include worshiping God with others (38%), to experience joy in Jesus (35%), and to understand what the Bible says (33%). It seems young people want to have a real experience with Jesus.

Young people also attend church to connect with others. Twenty-four percent come to church to develop deeper relationships with other Christians and to learn from those who have gone through similar experiences. They also come to church for their children and family (23%), to make friends (23%), to share their experiences (22%), and to feel like someone cares for them (20%). In our digital world, genuine social connection matters more than ever for young people.

“Covid set us back socially and emotionally,” says Madi P., a senior in high school. “We tend to doom-scroll and keep to ourselves. Church gives us a place to be with other people and connect in a positive way with others. It’s calming to come to church.”

“Young adults’ personal motivations for attending church are primarily for inward reasons—reconnecting and self-discovery,” says Daniel Copeland, vice president of research at Barna. “Leaders should take that seriously as well as think carefully about how to help young adults turn outward toward community and contribution.”

Who Is Attending

Young men are leading the return to church, according to Gallup data from 2024–2025. Forty-two percent of young men now say that religion is very important to them, up sharply from 28 percent in 2022–2023.

The Barna research also found that Black adults (41%), Hispanic adults (36%), and those ages 25 to 35 are attending more frequently. Young women’s church attendance and commitment to religion, however, seem to be holding or dropping slightly.

“We keep asking whether young people are coming back or falling away, as if it’s one tide moving in one direction,” adds Copeland. “For nearly half, nothing has changed. The real story isn’t the average; it’s who’s stirring at the edges and what they are looking for.”

Nurturing Our Youth

Statistics can never tell the full story of what God is doing in individual lives, but they do hint at transformations God is bringing about in young people. The real story—and the joy of seeing young people fall in love with Jesus—happens when we get to know them personally.

A five-year study (2019 to 2024) of Sabbath-keeping youth in Australia found three major factors that draw youth to church, or that kept them in the church:

• Parents who love God, are active in church, and model grace-filled lives for their children. This was the largest factor for youth who remained in the church.
• Real connections and friendship with older people in church.
• Mentors who are willing to invest personally in young people and help them grow spiritually.

Madi explains why these relationships matter so much: “Older people are more grounded, and you can tell when they have God in them. They can help give us guidance for life.”

Church also helps young people deal with the challenges of life. “A lot of young people are dealing with a lot of pain in life,” Jaden says. “Coming to church is a place where they can get away from the trouble at home and do something more positive.”

Building Relationships with Young People

If you are an adult who loves Jesus and cares about young people, then you can help make church attractive for them. Here are some practical ways to do it:

• Talk to them. Be interested in their lives. Get to know them as a friend.
• Get them involved in church and give them meaningful opportunities to lead.
• Plan church activities that they can enjoy alongside the older membership.
• See them doing something you know isn’t the best? Instead of criticizing, pray for them. A lot!
• Spend quality time with them.
• Pray with them, especially about their concerns.
• Offer to study the Bible with them. You might be surprised at those who say yes.

No matter your age, if you are willing, God can use you to help nurture the last generation of godly young people who will help finish the work so that Jesus can return to take His waiting people—young and old—to our eternal home in heaven.

Looking for a practical way to help young people become disciples of Christ? Consider studying the Growing in Christ: Principles of God’s Kingdom Bible study lessons together.