Gen Z is Returning to the Church. But What About the Elderly?

While youth are returning to church in droves, the elderly are silently slipping away from the pews. Gen Z’s interest in Christianity is certainly news worth celebrating. Yet in the excitement of a youthful mission field, communicators can lose sight of a population just as desperate for hope: the Silent Generation and Boomers. 

Barna Group found that older adults are the only generation to experience decline in church attendance over the past 25 years, even as attendance has risen among Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X. The same is true for older generations’ Bible reading patterns. In 2010, 49% of Boomers read their Bible weekly. By 2025, that number had fallen to 31%.  

The generation closest to heaven is furthest from the church. 

Christian communicators are uniquely positioned to bring the Gospel to the elderly and mobilize younger generations to care for their elders. According to research from Edison and NPR, Americans ages 55 and older spend an average of 3 hours and 39 minutes a day listening to audio, with 56% of that time tuned in to traditional AM/FM radio.  

Christian communicators have the tools to reach these generations with hope.  

To better understand the needs of older adults, NRB spoke with its members with experience caring for seniors across the country. We compiled their insights into a practical guide for pastors, communicators, and individuals seeking to reach the elderly with hope through media and relationships.

1. Talk frequently and honestly about aging. 

In a culture which wages war against aging with plastic surgery and endless skincare routines, a burgeoning challenge emerges: The rising generations have never seen aging either normalized or modeled well. As discussions about growing old become increasingly rare, people also grow more uncomfortable around those experiencing physical and mental decline. 

Dr. Pamela Pyle, a physician and thought leader specializing in end-of-life care, remembers that even Christ’s friends forsook Him as He drew nearer to death: “We can anticipate [Heaven] with joy and understand that our Savior had suffering on His journey home.” 

Christian communicators can shape the narrative by speaking and writing about aging on a day-to-day basis, honoring elderly guests, and normalizing conversations about dying and its inevitability. 

“The aging process is not something that we should fear, and believe me, there are so many fears associated with it,” Pyle said. “The only way I’ve seen that really helps is if we do open the conversation.” 

When the world ignores the reality of aging, seniors and their families feel unnecessarily ashamed and afraid to voice their needs and experiences. When the church honors the glory of graying hair, it opens avenues of communication and service. 

“God designed us this way to age, and at the end of the day, we need to embrace this time in our lives and not be fearful,” said Wendy Jones, founder of Next Steps for Seniors and host of the “Conversations on Aging” podcast. 

2. Spend time with seniors in your community. 

The number one struggle facing seniors is the same as that facing Gen Z: loneliness. Across the board, experts agreed that spending time with seniors is the most meaningful action anyone can take. 

“I think sometimes people will suffer in silence because they would like it if somebody were to reach out to them,” said Glenn Lutjens, a licensed marriage and family therapist at Focus on the Family.  

As seniors’ mobility decreases, the responsibility for initiating connection is left to younger generations. Christians can change lives by showing up for the 85% of seniors in care centers who rarely receive one-on-one visitors. 

“All they want is your time. They just want to sit and talk … and share the wisdom, the knowledge that they have,” said Jones.  

3. Give seniors opportunities to give back.

Some speculate that part of the reason for declining church attendance among seniors is the feeling of being warehoused and unneeded. Older Christians are less likely to attend church if they feel disconnected or useless, which in turn increases depression. 

Dr. Michael Youssef, pastor and founder of Leading The Way, intentionally asks older members of his congregation to serve in the church. 

 “They have so much to offer,” he said. “They have experience, they have resources, they have time, and therefore any church that neglects or leaves out that incredible resource is foolish.” 

He encourages pastors to call on older Christians to mentor and disciple the youth who are “crying out for somebody to walk with them.”  

Seniors have gifts and experience that beautify and strengthen the body of Christ. Elders gifted in the arts and trades can teach others. Grandparents in the faith can mentor young families through the challenges of marriage and parenting.  

“Society kind of says that they no longer have purpose, but I personally believe you have purpose until your last breath, and we just need to help them find it,” said Pyle. 

4. Share the Gospel of hope and forgiveness with the elderly. 

It likely comes as no surprise that as death becomes more imminent, people start asking more questions about what lies beyond this life. 

Through her 25 years practicing medicine, Pyle has walked with more than 1,000 Christians as they entered Heaven.  

“There’s nothing like seeing your life with a timestamp that makes you question what you believe, confirm what you believe, or seek belief in something,” Pyle said.  

As individuals approach death, the church has an opportunity to provide answers to questions, messages of salvation, and the assurance of Heaven. The church can also offer the hope of forgiveness to seniors reflecting on their mistakes. 

“They’re 86 years old. They’re completely alone. They’re scared,” Jones said. “And what do they think about when they’re sitting in there by themselves? They think about their lives.”  

Often guilt and regret flood memories. The Gospel’s promise of complete forgiveness could not come to an audience more thirsty for that hope. 

Opportunities for salvation continue until the final breath is drawn. Pyle has witnessed patients wake up from comas proclaiming Jesus’ name moments before dying: “Jesus still met them and heard them and, much like the thief on the cross, they recognized Him as the King of Kings.”  

5. Support families as they care for older relatives. 

As age begins to require increased care for elders, someone necessarily steps up to make decisions and navigate the process — typically a daughter or daughter-in-law.  

These women, between the ages of 45 and 60, are frequently attending to their parents’ declining health while juggling their own children’s graduations from high school and college. Unfortunately, women often lack support in this overwhelming stage of life. 

On the bright side, Jones points out that this demographic is also one of the top media listeners, something Jones leans into with her podcast. 

“That podcast population is all the busy women who are caring for their parents and their children, driving from sport to sport, you know, doing all of that stuff,” Jones said. By acknowledging the challenges families face, influencers communicate to adults that they are seen and honored as they help their aging parents. 

6. Churches, remember the elderly in everyday decisions. 

Often seniors stop attending church because they lack ability, not interest. Lutjens points out that seniors are often kept from services by illness, inclement weather, or a lack of transportation. Churches can help seniors spiritually by offering rides to services.

Lutjens also encouraged churches to consider the elderly when choosing music. Older generations tend to be more comfortable with familiar hymns than contemporary worship.

Meanwhile, Youssef remembers seniors by facilitating multigenerational small groups. Each small group includes members of multiple generations so that they gather as a complete family — parents, grandparents, and grandchildren.  

“It was like the whole family, all ages represented, and they were able to relate to each other and communicate with each other,” Youssef said. 

For Youssef, the elderly are the “acres of diamonds” in the church — a generation so eager to participate that it is surprising that they are often unengaged.  

“These are the treasures that you have in your church,” Youssef said. “They’re not high maintenance. They are very gracious people.”  

7. Connect seniors and their families to resources.

There are a number of resources available for seniors and their families.  

Pyle’s book “Anticipating Heaven” equips believers to age with grace and wisdom. The book is free for pastors upon request so that they can lead their congregations through this issue. Her website is also stocked with resources to help families navigate difficult conversations on aging with worship and peace. 

Next Steps 4 Seniors’ podcast and blog offer ongoing encouragement and resources to seniors and their families. Jones’s primary goal is to cover anyone who calls her office with love and encouragement.  

Focus on the Family provides one-time free counseling calls and connection to Christian counselors nationwide. Lutjens recognizes that this stage of life is sometimes complicated by conflict and estrangement, and he wants to help families navigate it with grace. 

Original blog posted on NRB.