Summary of "2025 Church Trends UPDATE: The Gen Z Revival is Real (New Data) + The Mental Health Crisis"

The video provides an update on key church trends for 2025, focusing primarily on the surprising and positive resurgence of Gen Z church attendance and the ongoing mental health crisis impacting church leaders and communities.

Main Points:

  1. Gen Z Revival is Real
    • New data, especially from the UK’s "Quiet Revival Report," shows a significant increase in church attendance among young adults, particularly young men.
    • In England and Wales, church attendance rose from 8% to 12% of the population between 2018 and 2024, with young adult male attendance quintupling from 4% to 21%. Young women’s attendance also increased but at a slower rate.
    • In the US, similar trends are seen with a 12-point increase in adults actively committed to Jesus and a doubling of church attendance frequency among Gen Z and millennials.
    • Bible reading and Bible sales are also rising, driven by younger generations, including significant engagement on platforms like TikTok.
    • The cultural shift sees young adults seeking authentic Christianity as an alternative to mainstream culture, driven partly by a search for meaning amid a mental health crisis and social loneliness.
    • The presenter encourages church leaders to pray, invest in young adult ministries, mentor younger generations, and be open to the Holy Spirit’s leading to engage with this revival movement.
  2. Mental Health Crisis and AI Impact
    • There is a stark mental health divide among church leaders: only 7% of those under 45 report flourishing compared to 21% over 45.
    • AI companionship and therapy have become the top reasons people use generative AI tools in 2025, replacing social media’s role but raising concerns about worsening loneliness and mental health issues.
    • AI bots, including sexualized avatars, provide simulated companionship but lack the authentic, messy, and healing human relationships that churches offer.
    • The church is positioned as the antidote to AI-driven loneliness by fostering real community, connection, and genuine relationships that promote healing and life transformation.
    • Church leaders are urged to prioritize community over content, build authentic connections, and partner with mental health professionals to address these challenges effectively.
  3. Other Church Trends (Brief Recap)
    • Evangelism is struggling but may improve with the Gen Z Revival.
    • Church closures currently outpace church plants by 3 to 1, highlighting a need for more church planters.
    • The rise of non-derivative, authentic churches continues, moving away from cookie-cutter models.
    • The mental health crisis is worsening but also creates opportunities for churches to meet real needs.
  4. Outlook and Call to Action
    • The overall trend shows revival outpacing retreat among younger generations, signaling potential for significant church growth in the next five years.
    • The mental health crisis, cultural openness, and generational hunger combine to create an unprecedented opportunity for the church.
    • Church leaders are encouraged to be humble, prayerful, and proactive in embracing this moment.
    • The presenter promotes ongoing learning and community engagement through her Art of Leadership Academy for church leaders.

Presenters/Contributors:

This update highlights encouraging trends in youth church engagement and warns of the mental health challenges exacerbated by AI, emphasizing the church’s vital role in providing authentic community and hope.

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News and Commentary

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