A new set of supplemental reports from the Evangelical Alliance suggests that young adults are emerging as a significant group among those coming to Christian faith in the UK, with authenticity, Scripture and community proving decisive factors in their journeys.
The findings form part of the wider Finding Jesus research project published last year, which surveyed 280 adults who became Christians within the past five years.
The latest supplements focus on specific groups, including 18 to 24 year olds, over-65s, non-Christians, and differences between men’s and women’s faith journeys.
Among 18 to 24 year olds, researchers found a striking combination of spiritual openness and intellectual seriousness.
Nearly half (47%) said they began exploring Christianity because they “needed help” with life, while 45% pointed to challenging experiences. A further 38% said they were searching for purpose.
Despite widespread assumptions that young people are uninterested in faith, the report found that half of respondents in this age group were men — notable given that women have historically outnumbered men in religious participation.
Their journeys were often described as both demanding and transformative.
More than half (55%) said exploring Christianity was challenging, yet nearly as many (49%) described it as life-giving.
Difficult Christian doctrines (53%), lifestyle change (43%) and concerns about social perception (45%) featured prominently. Nonetheless, the report describes “a significant act of resistance” against highly individualistic cultural norms.
Crucially, young adults were not only seeking emotional support but also truth and authenticity.
Nearly half said they were drawn to Christianity because “the gospel is true, profound and beautiful” — a higher proportion than in the overall sample — yet the single most compelling factor was the experience of being loved by Jesus, cited by 45% of 18 to 24-year-olds.
That conviction was reinforced through lived examples of faith: more than half (55%) said “the hospitality, generosity or service of Christians” played a key role in their journey.
One participant said a friend had helped them see that “it was possible to have an intellectually honest faith” by sharing resources that addressed the evidence for Christianity.
Close friends and members of church communities were the most influential, with 43% of young adults saying a close friend played a key role in their faith journey, the same proportion citing people from church, while nearly a third (30%) pointed to the quiet but significant influence of family members.
Reading the Bible (49%) and attending church in person (49%) also emerged as the most beneficial practices as young adults explored faith.
After deciding to follow Jesus, many young adults continued to face significant challenges, with just over half (51%) saying they struggled to learn how to pray and understand the Bible, while nearly half (49%) still found some Christian notions (49%) and making adjustments to the way they lived difficult. Almost four in ten (38%) reported early disappointment with God, including unanswered prayer or unmet expectations.
In the early stages of discipleship, many young adults relied on personal spiritual practices to navigate these challenges, with 36% saying that reading the Bible on their own was most helpful, and nearly a third (32%) identifying praying alone and being part of a church community as crucial to sustaining their new faith.
“Clearly, it is important that churches not only create space for discussion and faith community but also help new disciples learn how to engage with God directly," the report states.
"Since direct engagement with God is so significant for them, it needs to be a priority to help them begin that journey immediately.”
By contrast, adults over 65 tended to approach faith more slowly and reflectively.
More than four in ten (42%) took three years or longer to decide to follow Jesus, compared with less than a quarter (23%) across all age groups.
Rather than crisis, they were more likely to cite “intellectual curiosity” (25%), a desire to be a better person (25%), or long-standing questions about meaning (29%).
Alongside this reflective searching, lived-out faith also played a significant role: nearly half (46%) reported a Christian’s testimony of their faith sparked their interest, while almost a third (33%) pointed to the lived-out faith of Christians towards them.
Yet, as with younger adults, Scripture played a central role.
Comprehending the Bible was the single greatest challenge for this group, identified by 54%, while it was also the most significant factor in their conversion, with 67% reporting that reading the Bible was most beneficial during their journey to faith and 46% saying it ultimately led them to faith — echoing the importance of Scripture and truth seen among 18 to 24 year olds.
The research also sheds light on those coming to faith with no Christian background — a group dominated by younger adults and almost entirely absent among over-55s.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) decided to follow Jesus within a year of first exploring Christianity, with a third doing so in less than six months.
This group was more likely than others to describe their journey as “hopeful” (51%), “comforting” (47%) and life-giving (47%), yet they were also among the most likely to face negative reactions after conversion, with almost a third (31%) reporting hostility or resistance from non-Christian friends or family.
Direct encounters of God featured prominently, with almost half (49%) saying such experiences were decisive in their decision to follow Jesus, alongside reading the Bible (25%) and taking part in a course (31%).
However, support was often limited: one in five (19%) said no one had helped them on their journey, and just 5% identified a family member as influential — underscoring the vital role of church hospitality and welcome for those encountering Christianity for the first time.
The supplementary report exploring male and female experiences highlights broad similarities alongside meaningful differences.
Some 44% of women compared to 28% of men were more likely to say emotional distress or a need for help prompted their search for faith, while men more often cited intellectual curiosity (24%).
After conversion, women were more affected by negative responses from others, with a third (33%) identifying this as one of their greatest challenges, compared with a fifth (20%) of men.
Men, by contrast, were more likely to struggle with changes to daily habits and behaviour, cited by a quarter (25%).
Despite these differences, personal spiritual practices were central for both groups, with prayer and Bible reading consistently ranked among the most important factors in sustaining and growing their faith.
The Evangelical Alliance said the research offers a counter-narrative to perceptions of inevitable church decline, pointing instead to growing openness across generations — particularly among young adults seeking both meaning and truth.
Rachael Heffer, project lead of Finding Jesus, said the findings challenge assumptions about who is open to Christianity and why.
“These five supplemental reports are a great tool for church and ministry leaders to better understand those coming to faith in their church and provide insight into how they can be discipled more effectively,” she said.
