Church Attendance Is Up. Here’s Why That Matters.

Church Ambassador Network, , ,

Research continues to show church attendance in America is growing.

A recent report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found that median in-person worship attendance rose from 65 in 2020 to 70 in 2025. That may sound modest, but researchers called it significant.

The data suggests more congregations are stabilizing or growing rather than shrinking. Volunteers are showing up, and ministers are feeling more optimistic.

This is part of a broader trend we have been watching for a while now.

We have written before about the “quiet revival” taking place among young adults in America and abroad.

Bible sales have soared, young men and women are driving a resurgence in church attendance, and CBS News has reported on the large number of adults — particularly Gen Z — who have been baptized into the Christian faith in recent years.

A recent Gallup poll shows young men are now more likely than young women to say religion is “very important” in their lives.

It’s good to see more Americans returning to church and engaging with scripture.

Of course, as we have said many times, it isn’t enough simply to show up at church or own a Bible, but all of this is very encouraging.

Church congregations help believers live out their faith in daily life. Being part of a local community of believers is an essential part of discipleship.

Hopefully this “quiet revival” is one that will continue to spread.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE

Arkansas Legislature Approves $3.5M in Grant Funding for Mothers with Unplanned Pregnancies

Abortion, , , , ,

The Arkansas Legislature continues to put its money where its mouth is by approving millions of dollars in grant funding to support women with unplanned pregnancies.

Since 2022, Arkansas law generally has prohibited abortion except to save the life of the mother, and abortion facilities in the state have closed down. But data shows that Arkansans may be traveling out of state for abortions. We also know that abortionists in other parts of the country are shipping abortion drugs into Arkansas illegally.

That’s why Family Council has encouraged Arkansas’ lawmakers to provide grant funding for pregnancy help organizations across the state.

These pro-life charities give women real options besides abortion. That’s why a growing number of states provide these organizations with public funding.

This year, the Arkansas Legislature raised its Pregnancy Help Organization Grant fund from $2 million to $3.5 million.

Lawmakers approved the funding last Wednesday as part of the Department of Finance and Administration’s 2026-2027 budget for its Disbursing Officer, and Governor Sanders signed the budget proposal into law.

The measures makes it clear that “pregnancy help organizations” include nonprofit organizations that promote infant and maternal wellness and reduce infant and maternal mortality by:

  • Providing nutritional information and/or nutritional counseling;
  • Providing prenatal vitamins;
  • Providing a list of prenatal medical care options;
  • Providing social, emotional, and/or material support; or
  • Providing referrals for WIC and community-based nutritional services, including but not limited to food banks, food pantries, and food distribution centers.

Abortionists and their affiliates are not eligible for grant funding.

Family Council is grateful to the General Assembly and Governor Sanders for approving this $3.5 million in grant funding to provide alternatives to abortion. This is money well spent. We look forward to seeing the state award the funds to pregnancy help organizations in the coming months.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE

New Poll Shows Young Men Are Growing More Religious

Christianity, Church Ambassador Network,

A new survey shows young men in America are becoming more religious and are now more likely than young women to say religion is “very important” in their lives.

Gallup’s latest polling data shows 42% of men aged 18 to 29 say religion is very important to them — up sharply from just 28% in 2022-2023. Young women held steady at around 29-30% during the same timeframe.

Young men also now match young women in church attendance, with 40% of young men reporting they attend services at least monthly.

Interestingly, Gallup’s data shows that the growth in church attendance is concentrated among Republicans.

Gallup writes,

Since 2022-2023, attendance has risen seven points among young Republican men, eight points among young Republican women and three points among young Democratic men. Only young Democratic women show little change.

Longer-term, however, attendance among young Republican men has been trending upward since 2018-2019, while young Democratic men’s attendance has generally declined. The recent increase in young Republican women’s attendance contrasts with no meaningful change among young Democratic women.

Gallup draws the odd conclusion from this that “political dynamics may be playing a role in religious changes among the nation’s young adults.” In other words, Gallup seems to suggest that becoming a “Republican” encourages people to go to church, but that’s probably not the case. Politics is downstream from culture, and people’s moral and religious convictions tend to guide their political opinions.

This is part of a broader trend we have been watching for a while now.

We have written before about the “quiet revival” taking place among young adults in America and abroad.

Bible sales have soared, young men and women are driving a resurgence in church attendance, and CBS News has reported on the large number of adults — particularly Gen Z — who have been baptized into the Christian faith in recent years.

It’s good to see more young men and women turning to Christ and engaging with church.

Of course, as we have said before, it isn’t enough simply to own a Bible or show up at church. The Bible is meant to be read, learned, and followed, and church congregations help believers live out their faith in daily life. Being part of a local community of believers is an important part of discipleship. Church isn’t optional for Christians. It’s essential.

These numbers are a reminder of why that matters — and an encouragement to keep investing in the next generation of believers.

Hopefully this “quiet revival” is one that will continue to spread.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE