For years, older Americans have formed the backbone of the American church, attending more church services per month than other adults. Now, however, that statistic has flipped. According to the Barna Group, Gen Z is now leading church attendance in America, with Boomers and Elders falling in last place.

This content is supported by your donations.
Give today.

View Comments (1)

From Barna:

New research from Barna Group, as part of their ongoing State of the Church initiative with Gloo, reveals a surprising shift: Millennials and Gen Z are driving a resurgence in church attendance. As reports emerge of spiritual interest, rising faith activity, signs of revival—including Barna’s analysis of the recent rise in commitments to Jesus—churchgoing frequency is another improving trend among Millennials and Gen Z in the U.S. While overall church attendance trends have been flat in recent years, the return to church among the next generation stands out as a powerful sign of rising openness to faith.

The headline: Millennials and Gen Z Christians are attending church more frequently than before and much more often than are older generations. The typical Gen Z churchgoer now attends 1.9 weekends per month, while Millennial churchgoers average 1.8 times—a steady upward shift since the lows seen during the pandemic.

These are easily the highest rates of church attendance among young Christians since they first hit Barna’s tracking.

According to Barna, both Boomers and Elder churchgoers used to lead the pack, attending 2 and 2.3 church services a month in 2000 respectively. Now, however, attendance among these two groups has fallen, with both only attending church 1.4 times a month. Gen X, meanwhile, has remained more stable, with churchgoers in this generation attending church 1.4 times a month in 2000 and 1.6 times a month in 2025.

At the same that church attendance has fallen among older generations, it’s on the rise among younger Americans. In 2003, Millennial churchgoers reportedly attended church 1.2 times a month. That number is up to 1.8 in 2025. Gen Z churchgoers, meanwhile, attended church 1.6 times a month in 2017. Now, however, America’s youngest adults are in the lead, with Gen Z churchgoers attending 1.9 services every month.

Attendance among all age groups fell during the pandemic, with each group reporting their lowest numbers from the past few decades in 2020. The excepted is Elders, who’s church attendance is the same today as it was in 2020.

For years, Gen Z and Millennials have been seen as a godless generation. However, it appears these young generations are beating the odds. For the praying parents and grandparents out there who have held on tightly to God’s promises for their children, this is an answer to decades of prayer.

Barna warns that, although church attendance is on the rise, there is still a need to discipleship. Let’s pray these young Christian converts and churchgoers remain in the faith, and that God would use them mightily in the future!

Are you encouraged by this news? Share your prayers and praises below.

(Excerpt from Barna. Photo Credit: NATHAN MULLET on Unsplash)