I’ve seen anecdotally what researchers are finding empirically. Young men are coming to church in greater numbers—leading a resurgence of young-adult church attendance.

I attend a five-year-old church in Southern California that I helped plant during the pandemic. Our congregation is small but growing—and many of our most faithful leaders are Gen Z men. It’s encouraging to look around the room on Sunday mornings and see so many young adults passionately praising God and scribbling down sermon notes (with pen and paper). And when I observe the young men of our church in small-group Bible studies or prayer circles, their enthusiasm to grow in holiness—and take ownership of the mission—is infectious and inspiring.

My observations are hardly unique. Churches all over the world are experiencing this too. What’s behind the trend? Few would have predicted it. Why are young-adult men so drawn to Christianity in 2025?

J. T. Reeves is a Gen Z man and a devoted church leader. He has a theory that can be summarized in four words: Young men became poor. Reeves elaborates,

Stripped of any vision for manhood, the men of this generation have become beggars. And now, in a surprising turn of events, God Almighty has made blind men see. Jesus whispers gently, then firmly, then—gripping our uncalloused palms, dragging us to our feet—he shouts, “Blessed are the poor in spirit! Yours is the kingdom of heaven!” And we’ve begun to believe him.

Whether you’re a young-adult man or a parent, pastor, or mentor of young men, you’ll find Reeves’s article sobering but helpful, explanatory and inspiring. For various cultural reasons, young men have been brought low. They’re honest about their need for God. And those most desperate, needy, and hungry for God are usually the most primed for revival.