Written by Grace Sargent
Gen Z continues to change the narrative- not only in church attendance, but now also Bible reading.
Just over a month ago, we released an article urging the Church to recognize and respond to Gen Z’s statistically leading church attendance. Since then, another major shift has emerged—and it’s just as significant.
Bible sales have surged. Church attendance is up. And now, we have proof that people are actually opening the Bible’s they’re buying.
A Historic Rise in Bible Engagement
Weekly Bible reading among U.S. adults has climbed to 42 percent, a 12-point increase from a 15-year low in 2024. This streak-ending statistic is again being led by Gen Z and Millennials with nearly half now engaging Scripture weekly.
According to new Barna data from State of the Church 2025, a joint initiative with Gloo, this surge represents the highest level of weekly Bible engagement in decades. For context:
- In 2000, 39 percent of U.S adults reported reading Scripture weekly
- That number fluctuated for years before dropping to 30 percent in 2024.
- Now, based on interviews with more than 12,000 adults, weekly Bible reading has climbed back to 42 percent.
Among self-identified Christians, the number rises to 50 percent, marking the highest level in over a decade.
This is a complete statistical flip from previous trends. Boomers now show the lowest levels of weekly Bible reading of all generations at 31 percent, followed by Gen X coming in with 41 percent. Meanwhile, Gen Z and Millennials are surging ahead, with half of each generation reading Scripture weekly.
Even more striking: Gen Z alone jumped 30 percent to 49 percent in just one year.
What the Numbers Look Like on the Ground
We again bring first-hand testimonies.
In Sioux Falls, all 5 high schools plus Tea, Brandon Valley, Harrisburg, and Watertown have a ministry called Collision that has outreach events and in-school Bible studies.
Ava Wornson, 2024 Lincoln High School graduate and dancer on the SDSU Dance Team, shared that her passion for outreach and sharing the Gospel was ignited through Collision. Now, her two younger sisters are carrying on the torch in their schools.
“Gen Z has such a hunger for the Gospel- I see it at different worship events, in my sisters, and on my college campus… I’m also on the dance team. I can use that to shine my light for Jesus, too, and get to know the girls one on one and share that passion for Jesus with them,” said Wornson.
On the west side of the state, a ministry called Campus Ventures has a presence at both Black Hills State and the School of Mines and Technology. Shane Vietzke, BHSU Campus Ventures director says that higher attendance has been noticed and that SDSMT has seen a significant increase in their ministry.
“Students want to do something,” Vietzke explained. “They want to meet people, try things, ask questions. Christian students are willing to become active members of our ministry sooner than in the past several years. Non-Christian students seem to be open to learning about basic Christian beliefs. I know students are having Gospel conversations with their friends.”
A Surprising Shift: Young Men Lead the Way
While the dramatic change in the age demographic of weekly Bible reading is shocking itself, the narrative has yet again flipped: young men have now outpaced young women in weekly Bible reading.
For the past eight years, women consistently led Scripture engagement. That trend has now reversed, revealing young men as key catalysts in renewed interest in the Bible. This reinforces what we highlighted in our previous article on the need for strong men—when young men take faith seriously, it creates real momentum, even in a countercultural environment.
Elijah Schroeder has seen this firsthand on the SDSU campus. Through intentional conversations, Bible reading, and discipleship, he led two young men in choosing to follow Christ this year.
Schroeder spends much of his free time having spiritual conversations on campus, some of which yield fruit, and others are discouraging. Elijah said, “Twice this year it’s been really cool, I’ve gotten to see two people come to Christ, and that has been so encouraging.”
He went on to share that, “It makes any other evangelism experience that didn’t go as well as I’d hoped so worth it because two people have come to Christ in that. Both looked very different, but, same results. They’re both saved brothers now.”
The Tension That Still Remains
Despite these encouraging trends, a gap remains between engagement and belief.
Only 36 percent of American Bible readers say they believe the Bible is totally accurate. Even among self-identified Christians, fewer than half affirm Scripture’s teachings. In other words, while younger generations are reading the Bible more frequently, retention, understanding, and application still need growth.
And that’s where the Church comes in.
From Curiosity to Conviction
Openness to Scripture is re-emerging—especially among young adults—but curiosity alone won’t sustain revival. As we’ve said before: revival without discipleship fades.
Ministry leaders must not only celebrate this surge but also steward it. Gen Z isn’t looking for bright lights, they’re searching for authenticity, truth, and belonging. Churches that rise to meet this moment will be those who build real relationships, strengthen young leaders, and create spaces for honest conversation and growth.
Now is the time to move from observation to action. Equip mentors. Strengthen small groups. Bridge the gap between Sunday and everyday faith. The fields are ripe, and Gen Z is ready to harvest.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again:
The Church has the football. RUN.
