The Surge in Church Attendance: What It Means for Us

The Surge was Real. Now Let's Learn to Welcome

Sep 15, 2025

The Historic Opening Before Us

On September 14, 2025, something happened that stopped me in my tracks. People all over the country got online and said the same thing: I went back to church today.

Not just one or two. Thousands.

Here’s a taste of what showed up on X (what used to be Twitter.)

“Attended church for the first time in so long today. This is going to be a challenge, but I refuse to feel discouraged.”
“Just went to church for the 1st time in a long time. It was nice to escape the current reality we are living in and embrace something inspirational.”
“We did it fam. Went to church for the first time in more years than I can remember. Feels good man.”

That’s not noise. That’s a signal.

And the data backs it up.

On an ongoing basis, Barna says Gen Z and Millennials are showing up more than any other age group—almost two weekends a month, nearly double where they were before the pandemic. Lifeway says half of U.S. Protestant churches are growing again, with new commitments to Christ in the dozens. And across the pond in the UK? Youth attendance has jumped by 50%.

This isn’t a blip. It feels like the beginning of something historic.

But yesterday was huge, according to X. Something is happening. (And for those in liturgical tradition, it is no accident that yesterday was Holy Cross Day! Praise God!)

What People Are Looking For

I’ve read dozens of these little testimonies online. They tell a story. And it matches what I’ve seen in real life, and what research has been saying for years. Here are the themes:

1. Spiritual Hunger

People aren’t coming back because church is clever or trendy. They’re hungry. They want God. One young woman said it simply: “People are hungry for peace and for the grace of our Savior.”

2. Community and Connection

COVID left us lonely. People want belonging again. They want to raise their kids with others. Young adults want accountability. One man said, “The church community is worth its weight in gold… being forced to connect without digital crutches is a gift.”

3. Moral Guidance and Relevance

We live in a confused, angry world. People are asking for biblical clarity. Not politics. Not spin. Truth. “People are scared and need solid Biblical leadership,” one post read.

4. Reverence and Tradition

The young, especially, are tired of gimmicks. They want something holy. They want worship that points to God, not the stage. “Liturgical worship, not a rock concert,” said one.

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5. Healing and Evangelism

A lot of people coming back carry wounds—bad experiences, scandals, grief. They’re asking for a safe place to heal and for the Gospel to be preached with clarity. As one person put it, “Evangelism needs to happen inside the church too.”

How the Church Can Respond

If this is an opening for revival—and I believe it is—we can’t just pat ourselves on the back for higher attendance. We have to make disciples. That means a few practical things:

Welcome and Connection
Remember people’s names. Follow up. Get them into groups where they’re known. Lead with grace, not shame.
Reverence and Depth
Let worship be serious and beautiful. Preach Scripture with conviction. Treat the sacraments with dignity.
Community for Families and Young Adults
Build ministries that cross generations. Let young adults serve, not just spectate. Support parents with teaching and accountability.
Healing and Evangelism
Be ready to walk with the wounded. Preach the Gospel clearly—even to folks who’ve been in church for years.
Adapt Without Losing the Core
Use tech, sure. But call people back to embodied worship. Keep the focus on Christ, not personalities.

The Seven Tools Every Church Already Has

In my book The Seven Tools: Rediscover Your Church's Hidden Potential for Growth and Vitality, I said every congregation already has what it needs for this moment. It’s true. The tools aren’t shiny or expensive. They’re as old as the church itself:

Compassion
Focus
Worship
Training
Small Groups
Community
Planning

Not new. Not revolutionary. But when used together, they make a congregation the kind of place where the weary find rest, the curious find meaning, and the lost find a home.

A Roadmap to Renewal

We may be standing at the edge of a season of renewal in America. But it won’t just happen. Pastors, vestries, members—we all have to pick up the tools God has already given us and use them.

If we do, then this isn’t just a spike in attendance. People will stay. They’ll grow. They’ll become part of the household of God.

One X user said it best: “God always brings good out of evil. The light shines in the darkness.”

That light is shining now. The question is whether we’ll lift it high for all to see.

👉 What signs of renewal do you see in your own church? And how are you preparing to welcome it?

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