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Friday, April 01, 2022

Reaching the Unchurched Generations


Ask someone over the age of 40 if growing up they attended church each week with their family, and they’ll most likely say yes. For those younger, however, they most likely didn’t have the same churchgoing experience.

Generational divides

The American National Family Life Survey found less than half of millennials (45%) and Generation Z (40%) say their families attended religious services weekly or more growing up. Meanwhile, a majority of Generation X (52%), baby boomers (57%), and the silent generation (58%) say they went to church each week with their families.

The generational gap is even more pronounced around involvement in Sunday School or another similar religious education program. Less than half of millennials (43%) and Generation Z (42%) say they were involved in these at least weekly, while 53% of Generation X, 61% of baby boomers, and 68% of the silent generation say they were involved.

Not only are younger generations more likely to miss out on faith experiences through local churches, they’re also less likely to say they formed friendships at churches. A Springtide Research Institute study, found only 28% of Generation Z say they’ve met friends within a church or spiritual community, about the same chance of meeting someone by happenstance (26%). Read More
Church leaders, take note of these statistics. We too often assume one generation is like the next and will behave the same way as previous generations. 

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