One of the highlights of Movement Day NYC—held on October 17 at Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem—was the release of the Movement.org 2025 Generations Survey report.

Earlier this year, Movement.org commissioned a youth survey among churches and ministries in Metro New York City. The data was analyzed and compiled by Dr. Tony Carnes (A Journey Through NYC Religions Data Center), and Arik Nabie, assistant pastor of First Assembly in Queens, NY.

Each of the 320 attendees at Movement Day NYC received a copy of the report. Four key insights centered on prayer habits, Bible reading, trust in leadership, and teaching relevance in the Church:

• Prayer Habits: Adults remain deeply anchored in prayer, while Gen Z’s consistency is notably lower. Although most respondents affirmed prayer as important, frequency and depth declined with youth. Ministries should reignite prayer culture among youth through structured rhythms, peer-led prayer times, and digital devotionals that meet them where they are.
• Bible Reading: Bible engagement shows a similar generational divide. Many teens confessed irregular reading habits, with daily readers being a minority compared to adults over 30. This suggests a need for creative approaches to Scripture engagement such as Bible journaling, app-based reading plans, and collaborative study groups that connect Scripture to real-life issues.
• Trust in Leadership: A pronounced trust gap exists between generations. Teens and young adults often perceive pastors as distant or institutional, rating their trust levels around 6–7 out of 10. To close this gap, churches should elevate authenticity, mentorship, and visibility of younger leaders, fostering trust through relationship rather than authority.
• Teaching Relevance: Youth rated the relevance of church teaching to their lives around 7.5/10. This signals the need for more contextual, life-connected teaching that addresses modern challenges like anxiety, social identity, justice, and purpose. The Gospel message remains the same—but its delivery must meet the next generation’s context.

“The survey results reveal both opportunity and urgency: The Church must reclaim its formative voice by engaging Gen Z authentically, creatively, and compassionately. If we fail to disciple them with intentionality, we risk raising a generation that believes in God but no longer finds the Church essential,” said Rev. Arik Nabie.

“The findings of this survey are not simply statistics—they are a prophetic call to action. The next generation is listening; the question is whether the Church will speak in ways they hear.”

The entire report can be viewed by clicking here.