New research shows more young people are praying, attending church and open to faith. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, says Youth for Christ’s Neil O’Boyle. But the Church must engage with Gen Z and Gen Alpha on their terms
This year, a number of excellent pieces of research have been released suggesting that church attendance, Bible reading, spiritual curiosity, and adults meeting Jesus are all on the rise in Britain. Amid this renewed interest in Christian faith, Youth for Christ were turning the spotlight toward young people, asking: what do they believe, who do they trust, and how do they view the Church?
In April 2025, we asked more than 1,000 young people a series of questions about trust, influence, spirituality and the Church. We then compared their answers with findings from 2016 and 2020, giving us a nine year vantage point to view Generations Z to Alpha and what growing spirituality might really entail.
The numbers tell a story nobody would have expected a year ago. Church attendance among young people aged 11-to-18 has doubled, from four per cent in 2020 to eight per cent in 2025. Prayer is up. Belief in a higher power is rising. Spiritual experiences are becoming more common.
We’ve been tracking this trend through nine years of research, watching as Gen Z and Gen Alpha defy every prediction about declining religious engagement. The data reveals something profound is happening beneath the surface of our cultural conversations. This generation is having a spiritual awakening.
The perfect storm
Young people have grown up in unprecedented uncertainty. They’ve witnessed climate crisis, pandemic disruptions, economic instability and international conflicts. They’ve experienced the hollow promises of consumer culture first-hand. Social media has shown them both connection and isolation in equal measure.
This combination has created something unexpected: a hunger for authenticity, transcendence, and hope.
What’s needed now is institutional courage to engage authentically with this generation on their terms
And the findings of our recent research support this shift. There has been a 16 per cent increase in young people believing in God over the last nine years - from 32 per cent to 48 per cent.
And even more significantly, the number who believe in some kind of supernatural higher power has risen from 54 per cent to 67 per cent. In fact, 68 per cent of young people think it’s possible to have a supernatural experience, and an overwhelming 96 per cent are open to the idea.
What young people want from faith
Young people today crave genuine community. They want meaning that goes beyond material success. They’re searching for something bigger than themselves, something that can provide stability in an unstable world. The spiritual awakening we’re seeing makes perfect sense when viewed through this lens.
Yet, here’s where many churches may miss the mark.
Young people aren’t looking for polished productions or simplified theology. They want authentic communities that demonstrate their values through action. They desire spaces where difficult questions are welcomed, not avoided.
They’re seeking spiritual engagement that feels real. Evidence of this desire is in the data: As many as 19 per cent of all young people report having had a spiritual experience - an eight per cent increase since 2020. Among those, 71 per cent would describe themselves as followers of Jesus – a rise of 12 per cent in the last five years. The same is true for prayer: the number who pray and those who pray regularly have both increased by 12 percent.
Gen Z and Gen Alpha defy every prediction about declining religious engagement
Gen Z and Gen Alpha value transparency over perfection. They want to see faith lived out in practical ways that address real-world problems. They’re drawn to communities that practice what they preach about love, justice, and compassion.
This generation connects with spiritual experiences that acknowledge complexity rather than offering easy answers.
The church response gap
The opportunity this presents is massive. Yet the response from churches as young people start turning up has been mixed.
Many churches remain disconnected from how Gen Z and Alpha experiences faith. Traditional approaches often feel irrelevant to young people who’ve grown up as digital natives and globally aware.
That’s not to say the ancient isn’t an experiential value for this generation. But the stats reveal a critical tension: Only 48 per cent of young people have ever been told about Jesus outside of an RE lesson in school. In a time of growing openness, this gap represents a significant missed opportunity.
Yet there is encouragement too. Eight per cent of young people say they attend church as part of their weekly rhythm. That might sound small, but nearly all other major data sources track monthly attendance - so this weekly number is likely even more encouraging when compared side by side.
In 2020, only eight per cent of young people viewed the Church positively while 27 per cent viewed it negatively. But now, 65 per cent view the Church positively, and only six per cent negatively. That’s a staggering turnaround in just a few years.
A major part of this shift is about belonging. When asked if they would be interested in finding out more about God if invited, only 18 per cent said yes in 2016. Nine years later, this has risen to 33 per cent. That’s one in three young people expressing openness - clear evidence that the invitation still matters.
But we shouldn’t miss this either, as many as 53 per cent of young people would consider going to church if invited! The question becomes: Will churches adapt to meet this spiritual hunger where it actually exists?
Young people are ready for meaningful spiritual connection. They’re demonstrating this through increased church attendance, prayer and spiritual exploration. The data confirms their openness.
What’s needed now is institutional courage to engage authentically with this generation on their terms.
The moment we’re in
This represents a transformative opportunity for churches willing to embrace change. Gen Z-A might be the most spiritually receptive generation in decades. They’re actively seeking what churches have to offer: authentic community, meaningful purpose and connection to something greater than themselves.
The window is open. The question is whether churches will walk through it.
At British Youth for Christ, we’ve spent over 80 years helping churches connect relevantly with young people. We understand both the opportunity and the challenge facing religious communities today, and we are keen to help.
Churches that adapt their approach to meet Gen Z and Gen Alpha where they are will find a generation hungry for the good news they have to share. Those who wait for young people to conform to traditional paradigms will miss this remarkable moment of spiritual openness.
The data confirms the trend. The opportunity is real. The time to act is now.
Access Youth For Christ’s full report Z-A Growing Spirituality here
