Barna’s Top Trends of 2025, Part 2

The most-read Barna stories of 2025 reveal more than traffic patterns—they point to the questions shaping the Church right now. As readers moved from curiosity to commitment, from personal belief to communal practice, five themes rose to the top. (Part 1 explores stories #10 through #6, offering additional context for the trends shaping the year.)

This second installment counts down from #5 to #1, highlighting the stories that drew the deepest engagement and signaled the most consequential shifts in faith and culture.

#5 — Pastoral Flourishing: What Helps Leaders Thrive

Church leaders are asking harder questions about sustainability.

Building on conversations around burnout, this article reframed the discussion toward flourishing—looking at the conditions that help pastors remain spiritually grounded, emotionally healthy and vocationally resilient. Readers responded to a more holistic and hopeful vision for pastoral life—one that looks beyond endurance to long-term sustainability.

Key data point:
Pastors who report strong relational support, clarity of role and alignment with their church’s mission are significantly more likely to describe themselves as thriving—not just surviving.

#4 — Fostering Relationships at Church Still Matters—Deeply

Belonging remains a central driver of faith connection.

As churches navigate digital tools, hybrid gatherings and changing attendance patterns, this article reaffirms a core truth: relationships remain one of the strongest predictors of long-term church engagement.

Key data point:
When Barna asked U.S. adult churchgoers who they talk to before, during or after church, at least half say they engage with a pastor (57%), other attendees (53%) or church staff (50%). These everyday interactions represent meaningful entry points for deeper discipleship—opportunities leaders can intentionally strengthen.

#3 — Women and Men Experience Church Attendance Differently

Gender gaps are shaping the future of congregations.

This article examines how men and women relate differently to church participation, leadership and belonging. Together, these differences suggest churches may need more tailored approaches to engagement rather than assuming uniform experiences across genders.

Key data point:

In the early 2000s, women were more regular attenders than men by a wide margin. Over the years, however, churches have been losing women more than they are gaining men, with the exception of 2025 when male attendance spiked upward.

As of 2025, 43 percent of men and 36 percent of women report attending church regularly, based on reported weekly attendance. In five of the last six years, men have outpaced women in this key measure of religious engagement, and the 2025 gap is the largest measured.

#2 — Young Adults Are Leading a Resurgence in Church Attendance

A surprising shift is challenging long-held assumptions about younger generations and churchgoing.

This article pointed to an unexpected and compelling finding: recent increases in church attendance are being driven largely by young adults. After years of decline, Barna’s data reveals a reversal that complicates familiar narratives about disengagement among Millennials and Gen Z, and invites closer examination of what’s drawing younger adults back into congregational life.

Rather than signaling a simple return to “business as usual,” the findings suggest a more nuanced reengagement, shaped by questions of belonging, meaning and spiritual exploration.

Key data point:
Millennial and Gen Z Christians are attending church more frequently than before—and more often than older generations. The typical Gen Z churchgoer now attends 1.9 weekends per month, while Millennial churchgoers average 1.8 times, representing the highest attendance levels among young Christians since Barna began tracking them.

#1 — Belief in Jesus Is Rising—Especially Among Younger Adults

Belief in Jesus is increasing, particularly among younger generations. 

The most-ready Barna article of 2025 captured widespread attention in mainstream and religious media outlets by documenting an unexpected development: belief in Jesus is rising. This rise signals renewed openness to the person of Jesus—particularly among Gen Z men.

Key data point:
According to Barna’s latest data, 66 percent of all U.S. adults say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today. That marks a 12-percentage-point increase since 2021, when commitment levels reached their lowest in more than three decades of Barna tracking. This shift is not only statistically significant—it may be the clearest indication of meaningful spiritual renewal in the United States.

What These Stories Reveal About the Church in 2025

Taken together, the most-read Barna stories of 2025 tell a layered story: curiosity is rising, belief is shifting and belonging still matters. As the Church looks toward 2026, these insights offer both encouragement and invitation—to meet people where they are, invest in relationships and leaders, and respond thoughtfully to a changing spiritual landscape.