Research and Trends

While almost a third of this younger generation does not claim a particular religion (the “nones”), they attend religious services at a slightly higher rate than their Millennial and Gen X parents.

As the church navigates a post-pandemic world and ongoing economic pressures, budget constraints remain the biggest challenge to prioritizing new technology purchases, with the majority of churches (58%) allocating 10 percent or less of their annual budget to technology spend. Other top barriers include staffing, implementation, ease of use, and support.

On average, Protestant churches say 44% of their current weekend worship attendees are involved in a small group, Sunday School or similar group, indicating a decline in average small group attendance since 2010 (49%).

Slightly more churches today have reserves ranging from 16 to 51 weeks. In 2016, 27% said that was the case. Today, 32% have that amount on hand. The percentage of pastors today who say their congregation has more than a year’s worth is similar to 2016 (23% in 2016 vs. 24% now).

The number of adults who don’t fall wholly into the biblical worldview category, but still lean that direction, possessing “a substantial number of beliefs and behaviors consistent with biblical principles,” has fallen dramatically, as well.

Young BIPOC are slightly more religious than their White peers, with 37% reporting that they are moderately or very religious compared to 34% of White young people. Black young people report the highest rates of religiosity, with 46% indicating they are moderately or very religious.

Compared to a 2016 Lifeway Research study, more pastors are socializing with neighbors of other ethnicities (70% v. 57%), discussing the issue with church leaders (63% v. 51%), meeting regularly with pastors of other ethnicities (46% v. 40%), and investing church funds in changing local economic inequalities (44% v. 31%).

Springtide Research Institute has released a new report: Navigating Injustice: A Closer Look at Race, Faith & Mental Health, drawing from a data set of 5,951 young people ages 13 to 25, 3,159 of which were BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color).