When Gen Alpha has questions about right and wrong, 83% say they go to family members. And when asked who they turn to for questions about religion or God, parents topped the list. Nearly all of them can name a trusted adult they look up to.
The data is clear: Gen Alpha, those born between 2010 and 2024, is turning to the people who love them the most for answers to life’s biggest questions. They’re looking to us as parents.
Our research also suggested that they’re encountering things no child should have to face, such as exposure to pornography, anxiety, and mental health struggles. The world they’re inheriting is complex, fast, and often harsh.
But even in the midst of that, there’s reason for hope: Gen Alpha is deeply connected to their families. They’re curious, diverse, globally aware, and often well-connected to each other and to people who love them. Three out of four told us their faith matters to them. They’re facing a difficult world, but they’re not facing it alone. And they know it.
So how do we prepare them for what’s ahead? The answer is simple but profound: The most powerful thing we can do is live out our faith in front of them.
When parents read the Bible, their Gen Alpha kids are more likely to read it too. When parents share their faith, their kids follow their lead. When children see authentic faith lived out at home, they feel safe asking the hard questions. It’s not complicated. They’re watching us. And what they see shapes what they believe is possible.
They don’t need to see flawless faith, they need to see authentic faith. They need to see that following Jesus includes moments of doubt alongside certainty, struggle alongside peace. They need to know that faith is not a performance, it’s a relationship; and that a real relationship with Jesus is strong enough to carry us through whatever life brings.
That kind of faith doesn’t just belong to parents; it belongs to all of us—grandparents, teachers, youth pastors, coaches, neighbors, friends. Every adult who knows and loves a Gen Alpha child or teen has a role to play in modeling this kind of honest, lived-out faith.
What does that look like practically? It starts with something simple: presence. Build warm, high-trust relationships. Make space for them to talk, then really listen. Don’t avoid the hard topics: the confusing parts of Scripture, the uncomfortable questions about pornography or violence online, the doubts they’re afraid to voice. Let them know nothing is off-limits. When they know they can bring you anything, they will. And what they bring will often be what matters most.
Right now, the oldest Gen Alphas are entering adolescence, that critical stage where they’re exploring identity, belonging, and purpose. It’s the moment they begin asking life’s deepest questions, but they’re also still young enough to want guidance from the adults they trust. This is our window.
Global Bible Month is the perfect time to consider not only how we’re engaging with God’s Word, but how we can help Gen Alpha do the same. Simple tools can open powerful doors. The YouVersion Bible App for Kids, created in partnership with OneHope, helps younger children build faith habits early. For preteens and teens, The Kids Bible Experience inside the YouVersion Bible App offers daily opportunities to encounter God’s Word in a way that speaks to their world. Both create accessible starting points for the deeper conversations that build resilient faith.
