Faith Trends
Gen Z teens in the United States are curious about Jesus and more than 75% are at least somewhat motivated to continue learning about Him throughout their lives.
This percentage is higher for U.S. teens than it is for teenagers globally, according to a recent study from Barna. They discovered 32% of teens in the United States consider themselves a committed Christian, compared to 22% of teens worldwide who say the same.
“A teen’s personal commitment to follow Jesus goes hand in hand with their motivation to study Him—the percentage of teens who want to learn more about Jesus rises significantly among committed Christian teens. Even among teens who are non-Christians or don’t know who Jesus is, however, over half are at least somewhat motivated to keep learning about Him.”
Why This Matters
While the number of U.S. teens who want to learn about Jesus is encouraging, this number drops drastically when it comes to adults between 18 and 22. Just 17% of Gen Z respondents see themselves as committed Christians, and more than 52% do not identify as Christian at all.
This data presents a somewhat urgent call to focus on discipleship while teens are still motivated and interested in learning more about Jesus. As our society continues to wane from Christian values and belief in the relevance of Christ and the Scriptures, it is more important than ever to have trusted resources and strong biblical guidance for teens to easily access.
Next Step
Click here to read more about “The Open Generation” and Barna’s research.
Photo from Canva.