Some pastors have reported an increase in church attendance, particularly among younger adults, following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Jp de Gance, founder and president of Communio, is a ministry that helps the church better communicate and expand its outreach capabilities, and believes Kirk’s message has encouraged many young people to experience the Christian faith through the church community.
“We have had a lot of anecdotal feedback from churches in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Douglas County, Colorado, and report seeing an increase (in attendance) on the last two Sundays,” De Gance told the Christian Post.
“There’s one church in Michigan where there weren’t many young adults raised in churches, and people said they hadn’t seen them in years.”
The commune, which serves around 400 churches across the country, has received reports of an increase in attendance from a variety of religious denominations, including the Anglican Church, non-denominational and Catholic Churches.
When speculating whether Kirk’s death, which was headline news worldwide, was the driving force behind young people attending churches, De Gance said that some people probably began taking their lives after hearing that someone within their age range had died violently.
De Gance explained that many young people, especially young people in their 20s, believe they have a long time before they die. However, Kirk’s murder appears to have led young people across the country to reevaluate their lives and seek out Christian communities.
Kirk, the leader and co-founder of conservative group Turning Point USA and TPUSA Face, was 31 years old when he was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10th, shortly after being asked about the massive shootings by individuals identified by transgenders. The suspect is 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
De Gance also believes that more young people are beginning to know who Kirk is and what he had to say about his marriage, his family, his living for Christ.
“And I think that will trigger a level of introspection,” the founder of the commune told CP. “I think it asks people, ‘What am I living for now?’ ”
Despite reports of attendance at multiple church services, De Gance encourages religious leaders to implement plans to ensure those who attend the church for the first time.
The church must share the gospel, but De Gance argued that the best way to do this is when there is a “relationship of trust between the listener and the presenter.”
“Our message to the church is free. How can we come up with ideas about creating an environment where authentic trust and community exist, allowing us to share the gospel more effectively?” he asked.
The founders of Communio advised the church to develop a plan to include newcomers and people returning to the church for other activities besides worship.
“For example, in our churches we organize social activities that are less didactic for young adults. They’re simple things like the ultimate frisbee or kickball, or fun for people to engage in and form relationships,” says De Gance.
Other activities he proposed could help people remain involved in the church and faith community.
“If you have a real person-to-person community in a playful context of fun, meaningful relationships can form, and in that context you can share your testimony,” says De Gance. “In that context, you can learn someone’s story and the people who appear in the church feel like they’ve come to know who they are.
“And they find a place to belong.”
Earlier this month, the Barna Group released data suggesting that church participants at Gen Z join the service more frequently than older generations of counterparts. The group retrieved data from 5,580 online interviews conducted between January and July.
After examining church attendance patterns among 3,579 church adults, the group found that the average attendance rate was 1.6 times more than per month. That number rose 1.9 times a month among Gen Z.
Barna also looked at data collected from 132,030 US adults, dating back to January 2000, extended to July this year, finding that monthly church attendance rates for the two youngest groups of American adults almost doubled between 2020 and 2025.
However, another analysis of church attendance from the American Bible Society’s 2025 US report found that ZERS generations were significantly less involved with the church than their older counterparts.
Subgroups analyzed in the report include millennials born between 1982 and 1996, Gen X born between 1965 and 1981, baby boomers and elders born before 1964.
Based on the assessment that asked respondents five questions to measure church involvement, the report found that only 35% of adult Z participants strongly agreed that “the past year had the opportunity to learn and grow my faith.”
Meanwhile, 46% of millennials, baby boomers and elders, along with 48% of Gen X respondents, agreed or strongly agreed that they had the opportunity to grow in their faith.
Originally published by The Christian Post.
