Generational Trends in Church Giving, Serving, and Worship Patterns
Church leaders often wonder whether future generations will embrace generosity and fully engage in the life of the church. The 2025 Giving USA Generations Report offers key insights that all church leaders need to understand. The news might be more hopeful than you expect.
1. Household Giving Increased Across All Generations-Boomers and Millennials Lead the Way
Boomers (born 1946–1964) continue to give significantly more than subsequent generations. Over the last three years, Boomer households have increased their giving by 27%, significantly outpacing the 15% inflation during this period.
Generation X (born 1965–1980) households have lagged previous generations in their giving. While their giving grew by 12% from 2021, Gen X households still contribute only 42% of what the Boomer generation households give.
Millennial (Born 1981 -1996) households increased by 22% over the last 3 years and now give 15% more each year than their Generation X elders, reversing the trend of each generation giving less than the one before!
Generation Z (Born 1997 -2012) increased giving by 16% since 2021, but most of this generation has yet to enter the workforce.
2. Generation X Households Volunteer the Most
Over the past three years, Generation X increased their volunteer hours by 39%—a sharp contrast to their more modest financial contributions. Boomers also saw a significant increase, boosting their volunteer hours by 36%. Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen Z decreased their volunteer hours by 17% and 16%, respectively, over the same period.
3. Places of Worship and Faith-Based Nonprofits Remain Top Giving Priorities for all Generations
Giving to places of worship remains a top priority across all generations. Since 2021, Millennials increased giving to churches by 57%. Gen X, who previously ranked environmental causes as their top priority for giving, now identifies places of worship as their primary destination for charitable giving.
For church leaders, this is both a reason to celebrate and a timely opportunity to reengage younger givers with a clear and compelling vision. Don’t underestimate the spiritual hunger of the next generation. They are giving to churches, but faced with a myriad of effective appeals from both faith-based and secular nonprofits, they are both seeking and responding to compelling stories of impact to give through their local church.
It’s encouraging that churches and faith-based nonprofits consistently rank among the top three giving choices for every generation. Still, the story beneath the surface is more complex. Some trends are encouraging, while others raise concerns. Each generation has distinct values and priorities, which means churches must communicate with messages and strategies that resonate with each generation. For example-
- Gen-Z: Giving to places of worship fell by 16%, but giving to faith-based nonprofits soared by 133%.
- Millennials: Giving to places of worship increased 57% while giving to faith-based nonprofits declined by 5%.
- Gen-X: Giving to places of worship grew 34%, but giving to faith-based nonprofits fell by 23%.
- Boomers: Giving to their place of worship grew by 15%, while faith-based nonprofits fell by 17%.
4. Next Generation Givers Are in the Room in Surprising Numbers
Churches that consistently track household engagement find a strong correlation between giving and participation in small groups/Sunday Schools and/or serving ministries. Households that are active in small groups and/or serving give 3-4 times as much as those who only attend worship 1-2 times per month.
According to Giving USA, the percentage of givers who attend religious services in person weekly or nearly weekly has held steady at 37%, after declining from 40% in 2016 to 36% in 2022.
What may come as a surprise: Millennial and Gen Z givers report higher levels of worship attendance than their older counterparts. In other words, younger givers are more consistently engaged in worship than older generation givers.
The key insight is that when younger generations are discipled to become givers, they are more engaged in worship than Gen X and Boomers. This isn’t just encouraging—it’s a strategic insight. Younger generations, especially those already giving, are showing up in high numbers.
If your church doesn’t yet have an effective plan to attract and engage younger generations, I encourage you to get started with Strategic Ministry Planning to create effective strategies to bring your Vision to life.
Next Level Generosity: Empowering the Future of the Church
The next generation is not lost to the church—they are looking for leadership. Now is the time to disciple them well, invite them into purpose, and build the future of generosity together. At Horizons, we believe every generation has a part to play in funding God’s mission. Let’s make sure the church is ready.
Stay informed and equipped by joining Giving365—your free, on-demand resource for the latest generosity research, trends, and tools to strengthen your discipleship pathway. Sign up today and take the next step in building a culture of purposeful, multi-generational generosity.