A Barna briefing produced in partnership with Aspen Group
On Tuesday nights in College Station, Texas, thousands of 18–22-year-old students gather in Texas A&M University’s Reed Arena for worship, prayer and a time of teaching. Much of the work of putting on a Bible study of such magnitude is carried out by volunteers, many of whom are upper classmen who have spent two, three or even four years attending the events known as Breakaway.
“I get a lot of questions about what I see since committing the focus of my ministry to Gen Z here at Breakaway,” says Brian McCormack, executive director of Breakaway Ministries. “My answer is the same every time: I see hunger. For God’s presence, for God’s word, for meaningful discussions about things that matter and for visible examples of what a life well lived looks like.”
For many Americans, Sunday mornings are still for church. But congregations are aging. Barna data puts the average age of U.S. churchgoers around 45 years old. And according to Faith Communities Today, 33 percent of church participants are 65 or older—a stark contrast to the core demographic of a gathering like Breakaway.1 When people across generations do come to church, they often don’t fellowship, worship or learn together.
“For much of history, church services and activities were inter-generational. In the past half century, North American churches have adopted a more segmented approach to ministry, responding to age-specific needs through children’s classes, youth programs, senior activities or similar ministries,” says Dr. Jolene Erlacher, founder of Leading Tomorrow, a nonprofit that equips leaders for effective intergenerational leadership.2 Barna research supports this. In Aging Well, Barna’s 2023 study of the needs of older generations, we asked adult Christians of all ages if their church offers options for intergenerational ministry with older adults. Just 19 percent of Christians say their church provides opportunities for such interaction.3
