Written by Barry Gibson, pastor of Jeffersontown Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky
Many of us feel the absence of young adults in our churches. We see it both in the pews and in the data. Nearly 4 in 10 now claim no religious affiliation, and many who grew up in Christian homes step away from the church before they turn 30. For pastors, who carry the weight of telling the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord (Ps. 78:4), this is more than a trend to observe. It’s a pastoral burden we feel deeply.
Yet this moment isn’t as hopeless as it can feel. Alongside years of discouraging statistics, quieter but encouraging signs have emerged. There are pockets of renewed spiritual curiosity and early indications of increased church engagement among young adults. It’s too early to declare this a turnaround, but it’s not too early to ask whether the Lord is opening a window of opportunity, one that calls us to prayerful attentiveness and intentionality.
With this in mind, my friend Chris Sarver and I wrote recently about what we learned from studying “magnetic churches”: congregations seeing unusual fruitfulness among twentysomethings. Rather than offering quick fixes or ministry hacks, we highlight six strategies evident in these congregations. We hope they’ll encourage you to press into the work of reaching and discipling young adults.
Grace and peace,
Barry Gibson
