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This Easter—2026—multiple Catholic parishes across the nation saw a surge in adult baptisms and new converts entering the church. Some dioceses reported all-time records for people becoming Catholic at Easter. This trend parallels a broader trend of renewed interest in religion, especially with young people. Protestant and nondenominational churches have also had an influx of younger converts. According to a study from Barna Group, which tracks data on faith in U.S. culture, younger adults—Gen Z and Millennials—have become the most regular churchgoers, outpacing older generations.
While some are calling this a religious revival, the reality is that attracting young people to church doesn’t necessarily, automatically translate into offering them a reason to stay for the long term. If young people are showing up for church because they are looking for something—are they finding what it was they were looking for?
On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talked to three guests from different backgrounds and Christian affiliations about what young people want from the church. Catalina Morales Bahena is Director of Learning at Faith in Action; Drew Stever is a chaplain, spiritual director, and ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; and Baird Linke is an activist who currently serves as pastor of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Bonner, Montana. They are some of the contributors to a new book, Hungry for Hope: Letters to the Church from Young Adults (Edited by Jeremy Paul Myers and Kristina Frugé, and published by Eerdmans).
Learn more about this topic in these links:
- Hungry for Hope: Letters to the Church from Young Adults
- New Barna Data: Young Adults Lead a Resurgence in Church Attendance
- Rise in Young Men’s Religiosity Realigns Gender Gaps
- Religion Holds Steady in America
- “Young people are seeking connection. Can the church respond?” A U.S. Catholic interview
- “What young Catholic peacemakers want from the church,” by John Noble
- “Younger Catholics are seeking new models of sainthood,” by Rhina Guidos
- “Church revival? New numbers don’t show whole picture, experts say,” by Brian Fraga
