Since COVID-19 and the nation’s response to the pandemic have disrupted daily life in the U.S., Barna data show that churchgoers across the country have been rethinking their once routine Sunday morning experience. As of May 2020, during the initial peak of social distancing measures, nearly half of churched adults had not streamed online service in the past four weeks, and one in three practicing Christians had simply stopped attending church during COVID-19. Some of these numbers may attest to the role physical community plays in encouraging regular church attendance and engagement. Like faith leaders around the country, we’ve been asking, what do Christians value most in their weekly worship experience—and are these perhaps some of the things that are difficult to replicate in digital services?

One aspect of the “new Sunday morning” that has largely been impacted by social distancing guidelines is group expressions of worship, like corporate singing or taking communion. This article will take a look at some pre-COVID data to illuminate the worship styles and preferences of believers across generational, denominational and ethnic lines.

62 Percent of Elders Prefer Traditional Worship—Only 38 Percent of Millennials Say the Same Worshipping through music and song is a part of nearly every Christian tradition and worship service, but styles of music vary across generational, cultural and denominational lines, just to name a few. In early 2020, Barna asked practicing Christians what sort of music they prefer. Multiple choices were allowed and included everything from liturgical to lively.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, some of the most notable differences are found among the different age groups. When compared to other generations, Elders are the most likely to choose hymns (66% vs. 45% Boomers, 32% Gen X, 19% Millennials) and a traditional style (62% vs. 51% Boomers, 39% Gen X, 38% Millennials) for worship services. On the other hand, after traditional worship, Millennials gravitate toward lively (30% vs. 21% Gen X, 23% Boomers, 15% Elders) and charismatic worship, (18% vs. 13% Gen X, 10% Boomers, 9% Elders), but also show greater openness than older adults toward a more contemplative form (17% vs. 8% Gen X, 9% Boomers, 8% Elders). Gen X and Boomers neither lead nor lag when it comes to worship preferences; typically, their responses bridge the gap between Millennials and Elders.