Although religious affiliation and church attendance are on the decline, more than half of American teenagers say they're “very motivated” to know more about Jesus, and just over 75% say they're at least “somewhat motivated” to learn about the centerpiece of Christianity, according to Barna Research.
Citing data from Barna’s Gen Z Vol. 3 research, which also highlights an openness and curiosity about spiritual matters among teenagers and young adults, researchers noted that the findings represent an opportunity for Christian leaders to engage them.
“This generation tends to believe there’s something out there more powerful than them. Still, many remain hesitant to embrace religion or churchgoing,” researchers said. “Church leaders should recognize that teens’ openness to learning about Jesus represents a significant opportunity for meaningful engagement.”
The data show that 77% of teens are at least motivated to learn about Jesus, with 52% being “very motivated” and 25% saying they are “somewhat motivated.” Less than 20% of teenagers said they were unmotivated to learn about Jesus, while 7% said they were unsure.
“While teens express interest in Jesus, they may approach faith differently than previous generations. Furthermore, authenticity and relevance are key. Be prepared to address difficult questions honestly and demonstrate how Jesus and the Bible relate to the world we live in today,” Barna advised church leaders.
Another survey of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted in October 2022 by the Evangelical polling organization showed that 77% of respondents expressed belief in a higher power, and 74% said they want to grow spiritually.
The findings are similar to Pew Research data published in 2018, which showed that although 80% of Americans say they believe in God, only a slim majority of the nation's approximately 327 million people were found to believe in God as described in the Bible.
Barna CEO David Kinnaman said at the time that this finding, too, was hopeful news for Christian leaders.
"Though religious affiliation and church attendance continue to decline, spiritual openness and curiosity are on the rise. Across every generation, in fact, we see an unprecedented desire to grow spiritually, a belief in a spiritual/supernatural dimension and a belief in God or a higher power," Kinnaman noted.
The Barna CEO said one of the most inspiring features of this openness for him is based on findings from The Open Generation study, which show that "young people may be fueling this rise in spiritual hunger."
"Overwhelmingly, Christian teens today say that Jesus still matters to them; 76% say 'Jesus speaks to me in a way that is relevant to my life,'" Kinnaman said. "In a culture that has generally downgraded the reputation of Christians and relegated Sunday worship and other church-related activities to the sidelines of society, teens remain refreshingly open to Jesus as an influence in their lives."
Kinnaman also highlighted that while teenagers are open to Christian witness, they're also open to other faiths.
"They are open to different faiths, including Christianity, and they're open to friends, causes and ideas," Kinnaman said. "Though parents, educators and others who mentor young people have a tall task to provide wise guidance to emerging adults, today's teens are confronting the church with something that I think we haven't seen before — a kind of blank slate; a chance to imagine a different future."
Originally published by The Christian Post
