How can the church regain influence and achieve more impact? What can the church look like in a time of society-wide anxiety, self-serving ambition, and soul-sucking algorithms? After three decades of work at Barna, I’m increasingly stirred by those questions. Hope bubbles up in the form of spiritual openness. Yet forces of secularization are hard at work to unseat the plausibility of Christianity.
Church leaders cannot become consumed with securing our own legacy; I’ve learned how fleeting life can be. Instead, we must build something enduring, something timeless that serves God’s purpose for generations to come.
During a recent visit to the United Kingdom, I was deeply impressed by a tour of Westminster Abbey. Builders created this structure with a vision so grand it outlived them by centuries. One can’t help but feel awe and wonder inside that great hall. Later that day, I visited a pop-up Gucci exhibit. Though it was a fascinating and interactive celebration of a brand, it was ultimately self-referential and transient.
These two experiences couldn’t be more different. One is an enduring monument to faith, the other a fleeting glance at fashion. This juxtaposition made me wonder what kind of vision the American church envisions and is working to build. Are we creating Westminster Abbeys or Gucci exhibits…or something else entirely?
The answer lies in the paradoxical truths of embracing innovation and nurturing our roots. I strongly believe we’re in a moment for new thinking, new leaders, new models, and new opportunities. This is a “new wineskins” moment, as Jesus describes in Matthew 9:17. “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” (NIV).
Institutions, leaders, and congregations have opportunities to reinvent. We can reimagine the church in ways that meet the challenges of our secular, tech-driven age while staying rooted in the transforming Gospel of Jesus.
The Need for Perspective
First, we should assess the challenges as well as the bright spots. Religious affiliation is in decline. The rise of “spiritual nones” and the disaffection of young people from traditional faith structures are sobering. For the first time in more than 30 years of Barna’s social research, young women are increasingly churchless and, surprisingly, more likely than young men to identify as unaffiliated. Historically, women have led the way in propelling church activity and religious affiliation. Now they’re setting the pace in saying the church no longer works for them. This is massive! It’s the first time we’ve seen this kind of disaffection among young women, and Christian leaders must grapple with and respond to this major shift.
Still, signs of life abound. Millennials and members of Gen Z show remarkable openness to spirituality, provided it’s authentic and relevant. These groups even outpace Boomers and Gen-Xers at saying the pandemic opened them to God. The church must meet younger explorers where they are and invite them into the grand epic of following Jesus as the answer to their spiritual quest.
Technological Disruption
Technology, which has changed the world in unimaginable ways, has huge implications for Christian leaders. The same smartphone that connects people can isolate them. Algorithms that link us to the world can replace the Holy Spirit and prayer, seeming to know us better than we know ourselves.
If wielded wisely, technology can enhance community and mission. But it also can detract from the very essence of human connection that God calls the church to foster. As artificial intelligence and other innovations emerge, church leaders must discern how to navigate them. We can view these tools as neither dystopian nor utopian but instead stay grounded and hopeful.
Rising Spiritual Openness
Amid the chaos of modern life, a growing hunger for meaning is emerging. Younger generations crave authenticity and community. They want a faith that addresses life’s deep challenges—loneliness, purpose, and healing. In Barna’s two-year study “Engaging the Spiritually Open,” 72% of U.S. adults said they believe it’s at least possible that life has a spiritual dimension, and they’re curious to explore it. This openness is a call to action. The church must step into its role as a beacon of hope and healing through Jesus.
Lack of Imagination
Perhaps the greatest barrier to a bigger vision for the church is a lack of imagination. Too often, people and churches are content with the status quo. But God calls us to dream bigger, to see beyond the immediate, and to envision faith communities that embody Jesus’ life-changing power.
