A new report from the Bible Society shows that church attendance is increasing, especially among the younger generation, especially among the younger generation.
This report, Quiet Revival, is based on two datasets compiled by YouGov. One is 2024, with 19,101 adults starting from 2018 and 13,146 adults in England and Wales. It was found that young people, especially young men, are experiencing a surge in church attendance.
In 2018, only 4% of people aged 18 to 24 attended churches at least once a month. By 2024, that number had risen to 16%. Young men increased from 4% to 21%, while younger women increased from 3% to 12%.
“Overall, Christians in the Church currently account for 12% of the population, starting from 8% in 2018,” the report states. “Numberwise, it grew from 3.7 million in 2018 to 5.8 million in 2024, a 56% increase.”
The report also highlights greater diversity within the congregation, noting that 19% of church people are now from ethnic minority backgrounds, rising to one in three adults aged 18 to 54.
At the same time, Catholicism rose sharply, and Pentecostalism became the third largest Christian tradition. The share of church members is identified as a steadily declining church in the Anglican Church,” the report states.
In addition to this demographic change, the report found signs of new spiritual involvement among church members.
“While the percentage of belief in God remains high, both Bible reading and Bible confidence rates are increasing among church people compared to 2018. This indicates that new attendees are engaged in Christian beliefs and practices.”
The report also said that people who are not engaged in spiritual fields, such as attending church meetings or reading the Bible, are unlikely to identify as Christians.
“Christianity is increasingly involved in a positive commitment rather than a passive cultural label, and there is a clear difference between non-church Christians when they go to church,” the report states.
In particular, young people showed increased openness to spirituality and faith practice. Forty percent of ages 18 to 24 reported prayers, with 51% saying they were engaged in spiritual practice within the past six months, compared to 42% of older respondents. 37% expressed interest in learning more about the Bible.
“With a large population, especially young people, mental health, loneliness and the loss of meaning in life, the church appears to provide answers,” the report says.
“We found that church carriers are more likely to report higher levels of life satisfaction and greater community connection than teachers than non-teachers.
Church people also found themselves more involved in their community.
“It is likely that church people volunteer, donate to food banks, give to charity causes, and show the positive effects of Christian faith on their lives and the impact that the rise in the church has on society as a whole,” the report states.
Despite positive trends, the report provided words of caution. A third of church people are not confident in their study and understanding of the Bible.
“There is a clear need for more discipleships regarding the Bible,” the report states. “There is a greater interest in Bible reading, Bible confidence and more learning among young Christians.
“However, we also see that compared to older church people, they are more likely to say that the media and British culture often shake up their faith in the Bible, and they report less confident in the Bible than before.
“They are also the age group who report learning about learning about the Bible is challenging. This brings a challenge to the church, but they can harness their energy and enthusiasm and deepen their Scriptures while learning.”
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