A new Barna survey asked young adults in the US why they go to church. The top answer wasn’t friends, music or politics. It was faith. 43% said they go to reconnect with their faith.
The numbers
- 43%: to reconnect with their faith
- 30% each: to know themselves better, and to improve their mental health
- 26%: support for current life challenges
- 25%: to discover their spiritual gifts and be part of something bigger; 23% to use those gifts
- 12%: to engage in politics (young men were more likely to say this)
Young women leaned more toward reconnecting with faith, mental health and personal support. Young Black churchgoers were more likely to say they came to discover and use their spiritual gifts.
My take
This pairs right up with what we heard from the bishops this week, about a generation sick of secularism and churches that need to get ready. A quarter of them want to find their spiritual gifts. That’s a generation hungry for the Holy Spirit, not just a program. Churches that make room for the gifts are going to see them come alive.
