A new Barna poll reveals a disturbing statistic…..Half of Practicing Christian Millennials Are Not Viewing Services Online during the coronavirus quarantine.
A profile of groups of online churchgoers reveals a strong generational pattern. When asked if they had attended church within the past four weeks, exactly half of practicing Christian Millennials say they have not.
The percentages of Gen X and Boomers who have stopped attending online services — 35 and 26 percent respectively – are lower than among their younger counterparts, but still show the impact of COVID-19 precautions and regulations on what used to be a regular practice.
Barna’s data does not include Elders due to a low sample size, but the researchers say it’s important to note that the Elder and Boomer groups combined make up over half of the practicing Christian population in the U.S.
Though younger generations might be more accustomed to digital routines and innovations, their tenuous relationship with institutions seems to persist during this era of digital Church.
Barna says these trends highlight the importance of churches continuing to reach out to and disciple the next generation, especially those who are seemingly falling away during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, a double digit percentage of Gen X and Boomers say they’ve switched churches during this online church period.