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Why Young People Leave Churches (New Data)
Is it the worship? Politics? Programs? Thatโs what we tend to blame. But new data from Pew and PRRI - covering 80,000+ respondents - points to a very different primary reason people leave. Today, weโll unpack what the data actually says, why common assumptions fall short, and what churches can do in response.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 3:39 - The #1 Reason People Leave - They Stopped Believing 10:05 - The Quiet Exit - Drift, Not Drama 16:07 - Childhood Experience Is the Strongest Predictor of Whether Someone Stays 29:50 - Scandals and Institutional Distrust 36:49 - Big Takeaways   IMPORTANT LINKS - The Gen Z Church Communication Playbook: https://youtu.be/zQnhOKlV91Q - People Complained Our Church Was Too Loud. So We Did This: https://youtu.be/4ij1tR-EMHE   THE 167 NEWSLETTER ๐ซ 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH ๐ The Company: https://prochurchtools.com ๐ฅ๏ธ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church ๐ฑ SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY ๐ธ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer ๐ต TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer ๐ฆ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer   ALL CITATIONS PEW RESEARCH CENTER - "Why Do Some Americans Leave Their Religion While Others Stay?" (December 2025, n=8,937 ATP + n=36,908 RLS) โ PRIMARY https://pewrsr.ch/3NATWA3 - "Religion Holds Steady in America" (December 2025) โ PRIMARY https://pewrsr.ch/4bLrZ1y - "Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off" โ Religious Landscape Study (February 2025, n=36,908) โ PRIMARY https://pewrsr.ch/4bZp7Nm   PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) - "Religious Change in America" (March 2024, n=40,000+ via American Values Atlas) โ PRIMARY https://bit.ly/4s6Y2xM - "Exodus: Why Americans Are Leaving Religionโand Why They're Unlikely to Come Back" (2016 baseline data) โ PRIMARY https://bit.ly/3PGWdu1 - "Religion and Congregations in a Time of Social and Political Upheaval" / Health of Congregations survey (2024) โ PRIMARY https://bit.ly/4tjNAUC - "Unveiling the Exodus: Americans' Reasons for Leaving Religious Traditions" (2024) โ PRIMARY https://bit.ly/3PRRy8z   SURVEY CENTER ON AMERICAN LIFE / AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE - "Young Women Are Leaving Church in Unprecedented Numbers" (2024) โ PRIMARY https://bit.ly/4chJXZK - Note: This is an AEI project, not PRRI โ frequently conflated in church media.   PRRI CENSUS OF AMERICAN RELIGION (2024) - Substack analysis by Melissa Deckman (PRRI CEO) โ SECONDARY analysis of primary PRRI data https://bit.ly 3PK3I3k
The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer
http://prochurchpodcast.com
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