When Young Adults Seek God, Will We Be Ready?

By Michael Scheele & Christine Temko-Scheele

It’s easy to become discouraged by what we hear about younger generations and faith. But recent Barna research gives us something worth considering: some young adults are attending church more often, and their reasons include prayer, reconnecting with their faith, and building deeper relationships with other Christians. Barna published its latest analysis on September 30, 2026, using survey responses collected in October 2025. www.barna.com

Those findings don’t tell us everything about a generation. They do remind us to look beyond assumptions and consider the people walking through our church doors.

What are they looking for? And are we ready to help them find it?

We’ve wondered whether the growing divide in our society might be prompting some people to examine what they actually believe. Could that lead to fewer people remaining comfortable with a lukewarm faith?

That’s a possibility we’re pondering, rather than a conclusion the research establishes. Whatever brings someone through the doors, though, our responsibility remains the same: share a clear Gospel message and meet them where they are.

People don’t need to repair their lives before they can hear about Jesus. We can welcome them in their brokenness, love them in their brokenness, and point them toward the new life available through Christ.

That welcome should lead somewhere. We want people to understand who Jesus is, their need for repentance and salvation, and what it means to follow Him. Christian love makes room for honest conversations about both grace and truth.

Sometimes those conversations begin with a simple question.

How are you doing? What’s been weighing on you? What questions do you have about God?

Ask, then give the person room to answer. Listen without rushing to judge. And when something deserves concern, don’t be afraid to express it with kindness. Caring about someone includes caring about where their choices may lead.

Older believers have a particular responsibility here. Biblical mentoring requires us to take an interest in younger people and help them grow. That takes patience, humility, and a willingness to be honest about our own mistakes.

There’s a difference between sharing a past mistake to help someone and telling the story as though we’re reliving our glory days. We aren’t trying to win cool points. We’re trying to connect, explain what we learned, and show how God has worked in our lives.

A younger believer may need to hear, “We’ve made mistakes, too. Here’s what they cost us. Here’s what God taught us.”

For our own children, church camps and Christian conferences have been significant influences on their faith and decisions. Sometimes the concentrated time in God’s Word has had an immediate impact. Other times, a seed was planted that continued growing through conversations and prayer after they came home.

That’s an opportunity for parents. Ask what your children heard, what challenged them, and what they’re still thinking about. Open the Bible together. Help them carry what they learned into ordinary life.

Young people also need to know that their example matters right now.

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

1 Timothy 4:12, KJV

Live like someone’s watching, because someone is.

That applies to the young adult learning to follow Christ. It also applies to the older believer offering guidance. Our words carry greater weight when our lives demonstrate the faith we’re encouraging.

If young adults are coming with questions, we should be ready to listen. If they’re seeking Christian relationships, we should make time for them. If they’re beginning to follow Jesus, we should walk alongside them.

Love people where they are, faithfully share God’s Word, and help them grow toward the life He calls them to live.