Is Gen Z putting Christ back in Christmas, or are we watching them remove organized religion for good? The data appears contradictory: belief in a higher power among young adults has more than doubled since 1988, yet the share who never attend religious services has climbed to 35.2%, the highest level ever recorded. Beneath the holiday decorations lies a generational reckoning with faith itself.
In this episode, generational futurist and keynote speaker Ryan Vet examines what Gen Z’s relationship with Christmas reveals about broader shifts in religion, institutional trust, and belonging. He explores the tension between rising spiritual belief and collapsing institutional participation, drawing on data from the General Social Survey, Springtide Institute, and Pew Research. Ryan identifies religion as one of the seven cultural pillars in his Generational Prism framework and shows how each generation has approached faith differently, from the Silent Generation’s dutiful observance to Boomers’ church-growth era to Gen Z’s preference for spiritual independence over organizational affiliation. He also addresses the “War on Christmas” debate, noting that 90% of Americans still celebrate the holiday in some form, even as fewer than half feel comfortable saying “Merry Christmas” in public spaces.
This episode is for church leaders, pastors, nonprofit executives, educators, and anyone leading organizations that depend on institutional loyalty. It is equally relevant for parents trying to understand why their children’s relationship with faith looks so different from their own.
The future of faith is not disappearing — it is being rebuilt outside the walls of institutions. Read the full essay with data and analysis on Collide.
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