The dynamics of how people are engaging in worship and giving are continually shifting, creating both new challenges and significant opportunities for churches of all sizes.  Understanding the trends shaping giving and attendance is vital for effective ministry leadership.

Horizons Stewardship's survey of 223 churches across the country has identified key patterns in giving and attendance, as well as the factors that separate thriving churches from those facing decline. This post explores these findings and provides essential benchmarking data to help you make informed decisions for your church. To see the complete analysis, you can download the full report.

The State of Giving and Worship Attendance in 2025

The latest data shows a story of steady but varied growth across the country. Overall, more churches are seeing positive momentum than in 2024.  A majority of churches reported growth in both giving and attendance, an encouraging sign for ministry leaders.

Here are the headline numbers from the 2025 report:

• 57% of churches reported growth in giving, nearly identical to 56% in 2024.
• 19% reported a decrease in giving, a slight improvement from 21% the previous year.
• 58% of churches reported growth in worship attendance, a small increase over 56% in 2024.
• 15% reported a decline in attendance, slightly better than the 16% who saw a decline in 2024.
• The gap between the trends by church size continues to widen. 

While these overall trends are positive, they do not tell the whole story. The data reveals significant differences between churches based on their annual budgets and locations. Understanding these details is the first step toward building a strategy that fits your unique context. To explore these trends further and see how your church compares, download the complete 2025 Giving and Worship Report.

The Widening Gap: Budget Size and Growth

One of the most significant trends identified in our research for several years is the strong correlation between a church’s budget size and its growth trajectory.  The larger the church, the more likely it is to be experiencing growth in attendance and giving.   

That said, our research findings and work with hundreds of churches indicate that vitality and growth are occurring in churches of all sizes- suggesting a strong correlation with size between church size and growth, but not a strong causal relationship.     Consider the attendance figures from 2025:

• 85% of churches with budgets over $5 million saw an increase in attendance.
• Only 13% of churches with budgets under $100,000 experienced attendance growth; nearly three times as many (34%) reported a decline.

When examining changes in giving, we see an acceleration of the gap between small and larger churches.  For example, the number of churches with annual budgets between $1 million and $5 million reporting growing giving increased by 13% over 2024, but the number of churches with growing giving with budgets between $500,000 and $999,999 declined sharply. 

Why does this gap exist?  There is no single answer that applies in all settings.  It's easy to point to the advantage larger churches have in resourcing investments in skilled staff, technology, and programming that foster engagement.  The budget size alone does not explain why some small churches are thriving while others are in decline.

Horizons' experience working with thousands of churches of all sizes suggests that a willingness to adapt is a far more important indicator of success than budget size.  We stand witness every day to thriving smaller churches that have embraced innovation and change for the sake of their mission.  The key is understanding your specific challenges and opportunities.

The full report breaks down giving and attendance growth across five different budget categories, providing a clearer picture of where your church fits.

Regional Differences and Local Opportunities

A church's location directly affects its growth potential. The 2025 data shows clear regional disparities, emphasizing that a one-size-fits-all approach to ministry is ineffective.

Here’s a look at the regional giving trends:

• The Southeast leads the nation, with 68% of its churches reporting an increase in giving.
• The West and Northeast struggled most, with only 47% of churches in each region seeing giving increases.

Attendance trends also vary by region. For instance, the Northeast reported the lowest percentage of declining-attendance churches (6%), suggesting stability. In contrast, the Midwest and Southeast saw the largest percentage of churches reporting attendance declines (20%), even while many other churches in those same regions grew.

These statistics highlight the importance of understanding your local context. What economic or cultural factors are influencing your community? What unique ministry needs are present in your area? Answering these questions can help you develop outreach and engagement strategies that resonate locally. The full report provides a detailed breakdown of these regional trends to help you lead with greater awareness.

What Thriving Churches Do Differently

It is easy to look at the data and feel discouraged if your church falls into a category that is struggling. But the numbers also point toward a hopeful conclusion: any church can grow. The difference between struggling and thriving ministries comes down to mindset and action, not size or location.

Across all budget sizes and regions, growing churches share common characteristics:

1. They Have Vision and a Plan:  Churches with a clear vision—a picture of their preferred future that is both measurable and time-bound—and a roadmap—a strategic ministry plan—on how to transition from their current state to their desired future, which is flexible, defines responsibilities and decision-making authority, and includes quarterly objectives, Key Performance Measures, and longer-term goals—are significantly more likely to outperform churches that lack these elements. 
2. Prioritize Engagement and Discipleship:  Churches that have a defined discipleship engagement plan that includes worship, creating community & spiritual formation, serving, and giving are far more likely to be growing than churches that do not.  One research study found that persons who were actively engaged in a group that created community and provided spiritual formation or who were active in a hands-on church ministry gave about 3.5x the percent of household income as people who attended worship 1-2 times per month, but who were not engaged in a group or serving. 
3. They Are Willing to Adapt: Thriving churches have largely overcome the fear of and resistance to change for the sake of accomplishing their mission.  A vision, ministry plan, and commitment to a discipleship pathway greatly enhance the willingness to change, but making the case as to why trying something new is important to their mission and vision.  
   

Your church has the potential to grow. It begins with an honest assessment of where you are and a commitment to taking the next faithful step.

Build a Brighter Future for Your Ministry

The data in the 2025 Giving and Worship Report is more than just numbers. It is a tool to help you lead with confidence and clarity. It provides benchmarks to measure your progress, insights to inform your strategy, and encouragement to keep moving forward.

At Horizons, we are dedicated to equipping church leaders like you to build flourishing ministries. We believe that every church, including yours, can grow its impact and deepen its discipleship. The first step is to understand the landscape.

Download the free report today to get the complete picture. Use it with your leadership team to start a conversation about your church's future and discover the practical steps you can take to foster generosity and grow your congregation.

Tags: Giving, Giving Trends, Discipleship, Vision, Strategic Ministry Plan, Growing Giving