A recent study from the Barna Group has shown that belief in Jesus Christ is on the rise, and the groups with the biggest increases might come as a big surprise. According to the data, which is part of Barna’s 2025 State of the Church, 66 percent of US adults have made commitment to Jesus that is still important to their lives today. That is a 12-point increase from 2021 and 2022 when that number fell to 54 percent. Since 2022, that number has steadily increased. David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna, stated the increase may point to a spiritual awakening in the country. “Undeniably, there is renewed interest in Jesus. Many people have predicted the growing irrelevance of Christianity; however, this data shows that spiritual trends have a dynamism and can, indeed, change,” he said. “This is the clearest trend we’ve seen in more than a decade pointing to spiritual renewal—and it’s the first time Barna has recorded such spiritual interest being led by younger generations.”

Surprisingly, the growth appears to be spurred on by younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Zers. Commitment to Christ amongst Gen X women has remained fairly stagnant at 66 percent from 2019, while Gen X men have shown an increase from 57 percent to 64 percent. Faith amongst female Boomers has actually dropped since 2019, from 70 percent to 66 percent while faith in male Boomers increased from 53 percent to 62 percent. Younger generations showed the highest spikes, particularly among men. Faith amongst Millennial men increased 19 points from 52 percent to 71 percent, while in Gen Z men it rose 15 points from 52 percent to 67 percent. The increases amongst younger women weren’t quite so high, rising from 58 percent to 64 percent for Millennial women and from 54 percent to 61 percent in Gen Z women.

Another interesting discovery of the study is that not everyone who states a commitment to Christ identifies as a Christian. According to the study, nearly 3 in 10 people who don’t identify as Christian say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus, a near all-time high. Kinnaman sees that number as a sign of increased interest in Jesus. “At this time, we are seeing interest in Jesus that is growing among those who do not otherwise describe themselves as Christians, indicating that many of the new followers of Jesus are not just ‘recycled’ believers,” he said. “Along with younger generations coming to Jesus, this is another strong sign that interest in Jesus is brewing in new population segments of society.”

Such numbers could present new challenges to churches looking to reach younger generations. “The increase in commitment to Jesus among those under 40 suggests a growing spirituality that is quiet, personal, unconventional and hopeful, but also challenging. That’s because today’s spiritual openness is unlikely to translate into church affiliation or attendance and may not resemble renewal movements of the past,” said Kinnaman. “Still, Christians should be encouraged to hold greater confidence in the gospel and to meet this significant opportunity by cultivating deep-rooted discipleship.”