Across the country, something surprising is happening in churches: rows of young men in their twenties are showing up — and leaning in. These aren't cultural Christians going through the motions. They’re hungry — for truth, structure, and purpose in a world increasingly hostile to all three. As one church leader put it, these men are “faithful, spiritually hungry, and interested in cultivating a deep, personal faith.”

For the first time in American history, men now outnumber women in church attendance — reversing a trend that’s defined the modern church for decades. Among young adults, the shift is even more striking. In the U.K., monthly attendance among 18–24-year-old men has soared to 21%, nearly twice that of women the same age.

Why are young men returning?

Part of the answer lies in a growing dissatisfaction with a culture that promised meaning and delivered confusion. These young men have been shaped by a digital age that isolates, a society that mocks faith, and an education system that’s often hostile to biblical values. In response, many are reaching for something deeper.

One pastor noted, “Young men are looking for leadership, they’re looking for clarity, they’re looking for meaning.” Another campus minister observed that Christianity stands out as “the one institution that isn’t formally skeptical of [young men] as a class.” In biblical Christianity, young men are finally discovering hope, truth, and purpose.

That same hunger for truth is revealing itself in how young men are confronting one of the most destructive forces in modern life: pornography.

A recent study from the Survey Center on American Life found that 64% of Gen Z men (18-24-year-olds) now support restricting online pornography — up from just 51% in 2013. Their views now more closely resemble those of men over 65 than those of their generational female peers.

“Gen Z men have grown up with easier access to pornography than any generation,” said Joseph Backholm of the Family Research Council. “But their own lives and the lives of many people they know prove [how damaging it is]… So, they are reaching the reasonable conclusion that we shouldn’t act like harmful things are innocent.”

In a world that preaches self-gratification and moral ambiguity, these men are pushing back. They’re rejecting the lie that freedom means indulgence — and they’re rediscovering that true freedom is found in Christ.

These young men aren’t coming to church for social connection or moral slogans. They’re coming for something real — something eternal. They’re turning to the Savior who demands everything and offers even more.

They’re rediscovering a vision of manhood grounded in biblical truth. They’re finding a call to holiness and freedom in Christ. As Backholm put it: “They’re [discovering that] living the way God intended is what produces good outcomes.”

Young men today desperately need and want the full counsel of God — a faith that speaks to every part of life: how they treat women, how they fight sin, how they lead their families, how they stand in a world that wants to shut them down. They need churches that are compassionate and courageous — willing to walk with them in struggle and call them to holiness.

This movement among young men is an encouraging sign of what God is doing among the younger generation. Let us come alongside them as living examples and help them become disciples and transformed followers of Christ. Let us reach out to young people everywhere and offer them the hope of the gospel. All it takes is something as simple as handing out a tract.