Teenagers are some of the most religious Americans according to a new study by the Barna Group. The research found that 72% of teenagers pray during a typical week and that 48% regular attend a weekly worship service. But despite the fact that they may pursue religious activities more than their parents or other adults, teens are less interested in spiritual things than they were 10 years ago (down from 81% in the mid-nineties).
The study also looked at the expectations teens have for church and the most common interest was “to worship or make a connection with God” (45% described this as very important) and “to better understand what I believe” (42%).
David Kinnaman, the lead researcher on the project notes that despite the interest in spiritual things it does not automatically mean their faith is deep. He says, “Teenagers are a pinch-of-this-pinch-of-that generation, so without intentional decisions on the part of youth workers, many teenagers ride out their teen years in fruitless experimentation rather than genuine forms of spiritual development. Still, the maturation years are ripe with spiritual possibilities.”
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