The Anxious Generation Goes to Church: What the Research Says about What Younger Generations Need (and Want) from Your Church

by Thom S. Rainer

A new generation is going to church. But is the church ready?

Church consultant and researcher, Thom Rainer, believes God is at work in this generation, and he believes that this moment in time has created unique opportunities for churches to grow, thrive, and revive.

The culture is at inflection point. Nearly two-thirds of Gen Zers reported experiencing at least one mental health problem in the past two years. This statistic was lower for all older generations, including Millennials (51%), Gen Xers (29%) and Boomers (14%). Gen Z is the loneliest generation of Americans, lacking deep relationships and offline connection. Sixty-eight percent of Gen Z feel like nobody knows them well. That is one reason why this generation is called the anxious generation. Researchers have identified everything from social media to pandemic lockdowns as the prime culprit of why Gen Z is struggling with issues like mental illness more than other generations.

Thom Rainer views the church as God’s Plan A for helping this generation discover their true calling and thrive in a purposeful and genuine faith community. In this book, Thom explores research that reveals that the anxious generation is yearning for meaningful community and is waiting to be invited in.

The Anxious Generation Goes to Church:presents research on the anxious generation that engenders hope for the future of the churchdescribes the unique challenges for the anxious generation as well as their dreams and goalsprovides strategy and inspiration for church leaders who want to prepare believers to provide help and hopeWith the unique challenges of our times, the anxious generation needs the church more than ever. Is your church ready?

181 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 19, 2025

About the author

Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers and Executive Director of Revitalize Network. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama where he received his degree in business administration. He received both the master of divinity and the Ph.D. degrees from Southern Seminary.

Dr. Rainer has served as pastor of four churches. He is the former president of Rainer
Group consulting. He served for twelve years as dean at Southern Seminary and for thirteen years as the president and CEO of LifeWay Çhristian Resources.

Dr. Rainer has authored or co-authored 33 books. Among his greatest joys are his family: his wife Nellie Jo; three sons, Sam, Art, and Jess; and eleven grandchildren.

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good. I appreciated the insight and learning about the Anxious Generation through the lens of the church. I do feel that much of it could have been condensed into a well-thought out blog post that made it more meaningful, especially at the end where I felt I was reading the same chapter over and over again. Overall, practical insight and tips into how to love our younger generation better. I will recommend, specifically for those in our church who don’t work with the Anxious Generation on a daily basis.

Thanks Netgally for the ARC!