October 1, 2026
Some pastors have quietly concluded that young adults are not interested in church. We understand why. You can stand in the back of a sanctuary, look across the room, and feel the absence. The college student who came twice is gone. The young professional says she is busy. The young couple is tired. The single adult comes alone and leaves quickly. Over time, discouragement can become an assumption.
But assumptions are dangerous in ministry. They can make us stop preparing for people God is already drawing.
Fresh research is giving us a more hopeful and more honest picture. Barna’s 2025 State of the Church data reports that Gen Z and Millennial Christians are now attending church more frequently than older generations. Gen Z churchgoers average 1.9 weekends per month, and Millennials average 1.8. That is not weekly attendance, and it is not permission to celebrate without a plan, but it is a significant reversal of the story many of us have repeated. Young adults are not unreachable. Many are spiritually curious, relationally hungry, and willing to show up when the church is clear, loving, and ready.
At the same time, Lifeway Research reminds us that two in three young adults who attended a Protestant church as teenagers dropped out for at least a time between ages 18 and 22. The reasons are not usually simple rebellion. Many drifted because of transition, disconnection, work, school, judgmental experiences, or a lack of meaningful relationships. The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on loneliness adds another layer. Young adults are almost twice as likely to report feeling lonely as adults over 65, and young people ages 15 to 24 spend far less in-person time with friends than they did two decades ago.
Put these together and the picture becomes clearer. Young adults are not simply asking, “Is there a service I can attend?” They are asking deeper questions. “Will anyone notice me? Will anyone know my name? Is there a path for me to belong? Is the gospel preached in a way that speaks to real life? Can I bring my questions here without being treated like a project?”
This is where good churches sometimes miss the moment. We do not usually scare young adults off because we want to. We do it when we are unclear on ramps, when our language feels like it only belongs to insiders, when our follow-up is passive, when we offer activity without belonging, or when we talk about young adults more than we talk with them. The church may be friendly, but friendliness and belonging are not the same thing. A handshake at the door is a good beginning, but it is not a pathway.
A better starting place is simple.
First, clarify your voice. Young adults do not need a church trying to mimic a trend. They need a church that speaks and preaches the gospel with conviction, compassion, and clarity. The Word of God has never had to change to meet the hunger of a generation. But our tone, examples, and pathways need to be understandable to the people we are trying to reach.
Second, strengthen your invitation. Announcements are not the same as invitations. A slide on a screen does not carry the same weight as a person saying, “Sit with me,” “Come to my group,” or “Let’s grab lunch after church.” In a lonely culture, personal invitation is not old-fashioned. It is pastoral.
Third, build understandable next steps. If a young adult visits worship, what happens next? If they come back a second time, who knows? If they want community, where do they go? If they want to serve, who helps them take the first faithful step? Young adults are not looking for a maze. They need a path.
Fourth, move people from noticed to named to known. This is more than a hospitality slogan. It is a discipleship practice. Jesus noticed Zacchaeus. He called him by name. He entered his life. Before people became part of the mission, they often experienced the mercy of being seen.
This is why we are continuing Church Renewal Conversations 2026 with a webinar focused on young adults. On Tuesday, May 5, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Eastern, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board’s Dr. Ryan Keaton and I will host Think Young Adults Do Not Attend Church? Think Again. We will challenge common assumptions and focus on what churches can do to help young adults connect and belong.
This webinar is not designed to add pressure to tired pastors. It is designed to restore clarity. We will talk about the research, but we will not stop with data. Each participant will leave with one simple framework, one usable tool, and a practical action step. We will discuss how clarity of voice, invitation, and next steps shape whether young adults stay engaged. We will also talk honestly about what causes young adults to drift and what churches can change without becoming someone they are not.
If your church feels discouraged, do not confuse absence with impossibility. Georgia is full of young adults who need the gospel, real relationships, and a church family that will help them belong. Some are skeptical. Some are lonely. Some are single. Some are starting over. Some are spiritually open but do not know how to take a first step. Some are already attending, but no one has helped them move from the back row into biblical community.
Young adults are not a program to launch. They are people to shepherd. And the local church, with all of its imperfections and limitations, is still God’s people gathered around God’s Word for God’s mission. That means we do not have to panic. We do need to prepare.
Register for the May 5 Church Renewal Conversation here. Bring your questions. Invite a friend, group leader, next generation leader, or layperson who cares about reaching young adults. Let us take one clear next step together.
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Dr. PJ Dunn is the Senior Consultant for Revitalization of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. He can be reached at pdunn@gabaptist.org.
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