Revitalized Church Communities See Growth Among Young Adults and Families
Audrey Ellis, a recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, reflects on her evolving relationship with church attendance, which began as a cultural norm during her childhood. “I grew up in the church, but it was very much just like a cultural thing that I did,” she explained. Her perspective shifted during her freshman year at UNL when she started attending Citylight Church.
Citylight Church in Lincoln is affiliated with the Salt Network, home to the Salt Company, its college ministry. This connection has fostered a youthful congregation. Ellis, now a first-year resident at the Salt Company, describes the transformation she observed: “When I started going to Salt and Citylight, I saw that there was, like something different about this church and different about the people who went there.” The church’s relocation to a new facility at the corner of 18th and O streets, with a capacity of 1,200, marks a significant change from its previous 400-seat location.
Ellis highlights the accessibility of the new site: “It’s essentially on campus, and so students can just walk, and so people who don’t have cars, like, that’s a huge barrier broken down for people to come.” This move has contributed to a diverse mix of college students and young families attending services.
Despite a decline in overall church attendance across the United States, with only 30% of Americans regularly attending services, younger demographics are showing an increase. A Barna Group study reveals that Gen Z and millennials are attending church almost twice a month on average, the highest rate since 2018.
Citylight is not alone in its expansion. St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Elkhorn recently moved to a new location, doubling its chapel capacity to 1,300. “Since then, we have had an uptick of more than 1,000 people at our weekend masses,” said Candace Thompson, the church’s communications director. The Omaha metro area’s growth and the return of recent college graduates contribute to this increase.
In Lincoln, First Plymouth Congregational Church experiences growth through its online presence. Jim Keck, the senior minister, notes, “People watch our services online, and then the first time they finally decide to come physically they’re ready to join because they’ve already decided this was the church I want to worship at.” The church hosts about 1,200 attendees in person and 4,000 online each Sunday.
First Plymouth celebrated a record number of new members this year, with 230 individuals joining, including a diverse age group from their 20s to their 90s. A Facebook post from the church highlighted this milestone, mentioning its humble beginnings in 1866 with just nine members.
Citylight’s Ellis emphasizes the importance of community over physical structures, stating, “The church isn’t like these four walls that we’re in, but the church is the people who gather.” This sentiment captures the essence of the growing and evolving church communities in Nebraska.
By way of full disclosure, First Plymouth Congregational Church is a financial supporter of Nebraska Public Media.
