Gen Z tends to believe there’s something out there more powerful than them, but many remain hesitant to embrace religion or churchgoing.¹
Nearly half of Gen Z (47%) haven’t attended church in at least six months, and the number of “nones,” or those with no faith, has continued to increase since our first study of Gen Z.²
“Gen Z clearly sees the brokenness of the world and is not afraid to ask hard questions”.³
“Even if Christianity and organized religion aren’t always attractive to them at the moment, Gen Z are willing to talk about deep and spiritual topics.”4
Since 2020, there has been a decline in weekly church attendance among Gen Z, from 22 percent to 16 percent who report attending weekly. There has also been a corresponding significant jump in the number of Gen Z no longer attending church at all, from 28 percent who did not attend in 2020 to 37 percent in 2023. Additionally, according to the American Survey Center, Gen Z is showing “less attachment to religion than the millennial generation”. This is primarily driven by Gen Z who are entering adulthood and exiting the Church.
“Gen Z teens, more than their older Gen Z peers, tend to trust familial or authority figures with their spiritual questions. This might include a pastor, priest or minister (31% of Gen Z teens vs. 25% of Gen Z young adults), their dad (35% vs. 12%), their mom (53% vs. 21%) or a grandparent (25% vs. 16%)”.5
“This is an important point in time for both households and churches to step in and meet a critical need for Gen Z teens by providing mentors and spiritual advisors. Safe relationships may create environments for faith to be explored and cultivated with candor and conviction”.6
At Impact 360 Institute, we are wholly focused on working with Gen Z, and live alongside hundreds of them per year. We asked one of our staff members of our College-Aged program, Impact 360 Fellows, her perspective on this data point.
“Gen Z may be hesitant in their church attendance, but their curiosity and fearlessness to avoid hard questions is something to learn from this generation. I believe a great way for the church to engage with Gen Z would be listening to their questions, asking clarifying questions, and providing answers that are supported by scripture.” -Aly Nicholas, Learning Community Coordinator, Impact 360 Institute
To gain more insights on Gen Z, purchase Gen Z Vol. 3 here
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¹ Gen Z Volume 3 (p.15)
² Gen Z Volume 3 (p.15)
³ Gen Z Volume 3 (p.77)
4 Gen Z Volume 3 (p.77)
5 Gen Z Volume 3 (p.88)
6 Gen Z Volume 3 (p.88)