Big Trends With Big Promise

By Mark Adams

For 2,000 years, life for the common Egyptian barely changed. Floodplains, family structures, and social classes remained stable. Solomon’s observation in Ecclesiastes 1:9 — “nothing new under the sun” — held true for the ancient world.

Not anymore. Moore’s Law continues: Computing capacity doubles every two years. Artificial intelligence (AI) consumes exponentially more resources to deliver answers at the speed of electrons. Futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts the “singularity” by 2029 — when artificial intelligence exceeds humanity’s intelligence, forging a merger of biology and technology as different from modern life as the moon landing was from the invention of the wheel.

Maybe, maybe not. But one thing is certain: things are not staying the same.

Yet some things remain eternal. God is God. Jesus is Lord. The Holy Spirit empowers, convicts, and unites. People sin and need a Savior (not made of electrons). These three remain: faith, hope, and love.

Speeding into 2026, here are four shifts you must grasp while standing on the firm foundation of Christ the cornerstone and the teachings of the prophets and apostles (Ephesians 2:20). Some of these shifts are actually good news! The economy will be more stressed, forcing hard decisions. More people will be coming to church — are you ready? Technology shifts can be leveraged to your advantage. Political divides sharpen, but your church still holds the key to unity and positive change.

The economy is shifting.

The trajectory of the U.S. economy over the next one to five years remains unclear. Economists are divided. The clear trends are rising costs, flatlined incomes, a challenged job market, and soaring property values.

Most young adults don’t believe they’ll ever own homes. For the second consecutive generation, they won’t be economically better off than their parents. Expect significant increases in health care and insurance costs, consuming what little disposable income remains. Globally, nations (including the United States) face a $400 trillion gap between promised pensions and available funding.

“Churches that are transparent and generous always fare better than those that hide reality and withhold blessing.”

What does this mean for church leaders?

Making ends meet will be harder. Fewer staff will be hired. More lead pastors will need additional income sources, often “gig economy” work. But here’s the hope: Church growth can offset economic downturns. Every church must focus on saving souls, developing healthy communities, and multiplying disciples who multiply disciples.

The church has faced downturns before. Just as God provided for Elijah during drought, God provides for us. Have faith. Begin each day in prayer — this is where power comes from. Be diligent. Continue being generous. As John Wesley wrote in the 18th century: “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”

Churches that are transparent and generous always fare better than those that hide reality and withhold blessing. God’s principles of tithing and generosity, especially to the poor, always pay both spiritual and financial dividends.

You can help! Make giving easy. Even in hard times, people give to worthy causes. No one carries cash. Many young adults don’t know how to write checks. Ensure online giving is available. Many cost-effective digital platforms exist.

Who is coming to church in 2026?

Surprisingly, young people are returning to church — and gaining momentum. Over the past two years, spiritual seeking among young adults increased, but not church attendance. Now young adults are actually going to church!

“God’s eternal work is indestructible and undeniable.”

These aren’t people who grew up in church. The largest growth: largely non-white, non-churched individuals seeking real community and existential answers to life’s hard questions. Many have children and want family guidance. Millennials (around 40) are also increasing attendance. While overall attendance still shrinks among elders and boomers, Gen Z (20- to 30-year-olds) is increasingly attending. The average 25-year-old now attends twice monthly.

Nine years ago, my first address to the Network of Undeniable Blessing acknowledged downward trends but reminded us that God remains God, the Spirit remains powerful, Jesus remains the Savior, and not a single historic downturn has meant the end of the church. Often it’s a reinvention (“behold, I make all things new”), but God’s eternal work is indestructible and undeniable. Honestly, I didn’t expect to see the nation’s downward curve flatten and tick upward before my term ended. But here it is! We’re undeniably blessed to see it!

How can you seize this opportunity?

Don’t squander it. Adjust to younger attenders. They need welcome and love, discipleship and engagement, acceptance and understanding. When someone arrives wearing tattoos and nose rings, greet warmly: “We’re glad you’re here.” “Welcome to your community.”

Real disciple-making happens in small groups — discipleship groups, Bible studies, work teams, service opportunities. Listen to God and others as you engage new attenders in welcoming smaller communities. Many young churchgoers have no church background and lots of questions. Be kind, gracious, and open. Give room for different ideas as they approach Jesus with fresh eyes. Immediate correction rarely helps. Instead: “That’s an interesting question — let’s explore it more.”

Old-school friendship evangelism remains statistically the best predictor of riding this Spirit-fueled wave. That always starts with prayer! There’s a direct correlation between churches seeing growth and those adopting the 10:02 practice — setting an alarm for 10:02 (Luke 10:2) daily to stop and pray: “Lord of the harvest, send workers into your field, equip me to embrace the harvest work today.”

Create a culture of true hospitality and invitation. The majority of those who want to come to church but don’t? They weren’t invited! On average, 15 out of every 100 invitations to church receive a yes. Hallelujah.

But that percentage jumps to nearly 80% when the invitation includes eating with your invitee for a meal before or after church. What would happen if only two of your church members invited one person monthly to a meal and then to church, and if only half of those invitees joined? That’s 24 more people. The average U.S. congregation has 60 worshippers. In two years, especially inviting young adults for meals monthly, the church could double in size. And remember to share your story and God’s!

The spiritual iron is hot. Churches that don’t reach out now don’t deserve new members. Why would God trust fishers of people who refuse to fish in a healthy pond? On the other hand, why wouldn’t God pour out blessing upon blessing for those passionate about inviting people into real relationship with real people and a real Savior? God does.

How is technology impacting your church?

The church depends on the Holy Spirit, not social media and AI. Yet the church has always been at the forefront of communication technologies. Technology’s influence on younger attenders requires real shifts in church communication. While silencing devices during gatherings is appropriate, don’t ask people to turn phones off — that essentially closes the Bible for a large percentage of those gathered.

How can you leverage technology for gospel advantage?

Technology has forged an expectation that communication is two-way, responsive, and multidimensional. This is good! Take advantage. Lecture-format sermons have been honed by 1,500 years of European education. Go very old school instead. Jesus told stories and asked questions. Old school is back.

“The more you actively engage, the more you’ll capture hearts.”

Most attenders younger than 40 expect interactive communication: questions and answers, feedback, participation. This might mean actual Q&A during preaching, or at minimum a conversational style requiring shared feedback (“Can I get an amen!”). Consider taking questions via text during messages, answered during the service or later that day. Consider giving a sermon appetizer with a question, breaking for 15 minutes of conversation over coffee, then returning for the rest of the story. The more you actively engage, the more you’ll capture hearts. Listen to God and others — including during the message itself.

Content is no longer Sunday-based. The Bible is an app. Your messages are recorded and online (or should be). Your articles, schedules, news, announcements — if they’re not online, they won’t be seen. The average 30-year-old churchgoer attends twice monthly but connects with online resources weekly, daily, or multiple times daily. This is increasingly true of the elderly who are physically less able to attend in person but are taking advantage of digital content. Either build digital communities and content or miss how to communicate with a large percentage of your church. This trend has been building for a decade — now fully integrate in-person and online experiences.

A word to the digitally wise: Short video is the most commonly consumed information format across all ages. Your Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, X, and web feeds should include brief videos. Good news — brief videos don’t need professional production. Authentic, low-tech, meaningful interactions gain attention. Don’t be shy. Turn your phone to selfie mode, think of a great catchphrase, and share your story and God’s in a 3-minute-max video, and post it to social media. The Holy Spirit can use a 3-minute biblical point to penetrate hearts, minds, and spirits.

Politics will continue to divide.

Happy unity among Americans is unlikely in 2026. Immigrants will face extreme pressure and often unjust treatment.

In our network, no church has escaped political divides, and some have lost members over these divisions. The gospel of Jesus is never neutral. Seeking the least common denominator produces a tepid gospel that Jesus promises to spit out.

How can a church navigate turbulent waters?

Pray for wisdom and courage. Not every citizen or Christian will agree with how you’re moved to advocate for justice and proclaim good news for the poor, hungry, imprisoned, unhoused, and immigrant. The King of Kings is your Lord, and He calls His children to different passions and concerns (Romans 14:4). The Bible has 600+ verses on being holy and pure before the Lord — saying no to personal sin and yes to the indwelling Spirit. The Bible has 700+ verses on defending widows and orphans, refugees and immigrants, workers and an increasingly just society.

“No good leader sacrifices clear values, integrity, and a clear calling and passion from the Holy Spirit just to catch a trendy wave.”

As you preach and teach in a conflicted society, pray without ceasing. Begin each day in prayer. Speak whatever truth you believe the Word reveals — in love, respect, civility, and kindness. No party politics of any government during any era have ever fully aligned with God’s holy love and penetrating justice. Avoid aligning with parties as a “righteous” endeavor. Yet, and this takes inner courage, don’t fear speaking biblical truth, and warmly embrace those who see things differently.

Haggai believed all would be restored when the temple was honored. Zechariah believed restoration came through caring for the poor, widows, and orphans. Malachi believed restoration required healing families and marriages. They were all right. We need the full perspective of Spirit-led people knowing all are called to the same message.

Listen to God and each other. Let’s learn from, not fight with, each other. Serve as opportunities arise — even when it means crossing political divides. That might make 2026 a year of growth and insight.

These trends are not too different from what’s been emerging over the past five to twenty years. There’s a massive spike in technology shifts with increased reliance upon AI. This is the first year demographers are saying that in the U.S., church decline has stopped and is beginning to reverse. Every leader must be aware of trends — current and long-term — to make good adjustments for the churches and organizations they lead. But no good leader sacrifices clear values, integrity, and a clear calling and passion from the Holy Spirit just to catch a trendy wave.

Remember: God is still God. Jesus is still Lord. The Holy Spirit still convicts, empowers, and unites us. Following the ancient pattern set for us by Jesus Christ Himself, and that I continue to pray we all adopt, just BLESS will make a difference:

Begin each day in prayer (this is where the power comes from).

Listen to God and others (this is the ultimate in two-way communication).

Eat with others (this raises to 80% the likelihood that they will join you in a spiritual endeavor).

Serve as opportunities arise (because there is no app for love, just you helping someone in need).

Share your story and God’s (ultimately, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that will change a life and transform the world).

The world is changing fast. Just BLESS.

Mark Adams, D.Min., is the superintendent of the Network of Undeniable Blessing, which includes connected churches in Northern California, Nevada and Fiji. He is an experienced counselor, social worker, church planter, pastor, social activist, and social work supervisor and administrator. He previously was the superintendent of the North Central Conference that serves seven Midwestern states. This article originally appeared on the network’s blog, and it is republished with permission.