Young People Are *Returning to Church.
In the Ministry Forum Podcast episode, Dr. James Tyler Robertson observes that while it might seem encouraging that young people are “coming back to church,” we need to be careful not to draw simplistic conclusions. (If you haven’t listened to the full episode yet you really should!)
He says:
“There’s a sense of, ‘see, this is the gospel at work,’ but I want to put an asterisk on that. I want us to be very cautious… God may well work in history, but when he does, he wears a mask.”
He’s wary of attributing this return solely to a spiritual revival or effective church programming. Instead, he draws a parallel to historical moments (like the 1870s) when churches grew not because of evangelism alone but due to societal factors like immigration, political shifts, and economic expansion. Churches benefited from social movements rather than driving them.
Dr. Robertson encourages us to ask deeper questions:
Why now?
What else might be going on culturally, economically, or psychologically that could be drawing Gen Z and Millennials back into church spaces?
Those are good questions. And in light of the newest Barna research, they’re probably ones we should be wrestling with (if we’re not already).
Yes, young adults are returning to church. But we have to sit with the fact that which young adults are returning—and why—matters just as much as the numbers.
Barna shows that Gen Z and Millennials now outpace older generations in regular attendance. That’s a reversal of decades-long patterns. And the layer underneath is the increase is being driven primarily by young men. Young women on the otherhand, (especially single mothers) are showing a declines in participation. In fact, the gap between male and female church attendance is now the widest it’s ever been.
Hmmm, why is this? What is this shift telling us?
It might tell us that church has started to feel like a more welcome place for certain people—and a more difficult place for others.
The research suggests that for many young men, the return to church may be about seeking structure or clarity in a disorienting time. For some, church may offer a counter-narrative to cultural confusion; a place to root identity and direction.
That’s not nothing. But it’s not everything either.
For many women, especially those not partnered or parenting in a traditional nuclear family, church has not offered the same grounding experience. Some have found the church exhausting—a place that demands more than it gives. Others have found it out of step with their values, especially when their leadership or perspectives aren’t recognized. And others have simply slipped away as it never really felt like theirs to begin with.
So yes, some are returning—but others are re-evaluating, stepping back, or simply letting go.
Which brings us back to that asterisk.
If we treat this uptick in attendance as a sign of renewal without asking who’s missing and why, we risk spiritual short-sightedness. We’ll end up shaping our ministries around those who are present, without considering the silence of those who aren’t (we’ve been guilty of this before!)
And here’s another thing to consider: it’s possible that some of the most spiritually curious, emotionally attuned, and morally courageous young people right now are the ones outside our walls. Not because they’re lost, but because they’re unconvinced, unwelcome or unseen.
So what does faithfulness look like here?
Maybe it starts with listening (beyond the data) and instead to the behind the data. Asking not how we get even more people into pews, but how we become more worthy of the trust they’ve already given us by showing up—even once.
Maybe it means noticing who’s coming and being careful not to mistake momentum for maturity, or presence for formation. As Barna notes, the average committed young adult comes to church less than twice a month - a clue about rhythm, capacity, and how different spiritual hunger looks today.
And maybe it means allowing this moment to sharpen our attention, because the Spirit is moving! She always is - so let us be cautious, curious, hopeful and engaged we we lean in to this unique moment.
That’s not a moment to miss. That’s the asterisk we’re called to pay attention to.
