Bridging the gap between
Faith and the Marketplace

Tomorrow does not look like yesterday

U.S. Faith Decline

A 30 yr. projection based on pre-pandemic data. This drop has likely accelerated. *

Rise of "NONE"

NONE (Religious unaffiliated). The largest group at 30% in 2020. As GEN Z enters the marketplace this is expected to exceed 50% in the next generation.**

Leadership Shift

Generation Z began entering the marketplace in force in 2017. In 2023 14% are business owners **

Expanding Gap

Interest in attending Sunday worship amongst those born between 1980-2012 ***

Clergy Capacity

A pre-pandemic survey from Fuller Seminary and Focus on the Family conducted from 1050 Reformed Evangelical pastors. ^^

Spiritually Open Gap

Do you believe there is a spiritual dimension to our world? In addition to this data, 74% of Gen Z wants to grow spiritually. *^

Engaging as sojourner

Congregational needs exceed pastoral capacity.

Social aversion to corporate worship is rapidly increasing.

The attractional model thrived in the 1970’s

Church Attender

Church non-attender

In the late 1900’s non-Christians lived in a Christian dominant culture. Stepping into a Church community was a way to experience a societal norm. Presently a cultural gap is rapidly expanding between the Church and Society. As Generation Z overtakes Millennials, even seeker friendly Churches will appear irrelevant. With 75% of NONEs not interested in corporate worship, it is unrealistic to expect Sunday morning to be attractional.

Missional Model, engaging social systems

Crossing cultural divides is a biblical norm for members of God’s Covenant community. New Vertical chaplains engage local systems which are rapidly expanding beyond the reach of current Church discipleship models.

These graphs are not about membership or doctrinal fidelity. They illustrate an imperative to cross the cultural gap based on Jesus’s Great Commission and the Great Commandment mandate.

Supporting the Church

A discipleship model to engage the marketplace with the gospel. Supporting the Church and seeking the flourishing of Christ’s Kingdom

NEW VERTICAL is a non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible.

* - https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/09/13/modeling-the-future-of-religion-in-america/
** - https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/generation-z-future-of-faith/
^^ - 1B - http://www.churchleadership.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=42347#:~:text=We%20found%20that%20over%2070%25%20of%20pastors%20are,leave%20the%20ministry%2C%20most%20after%20only%20five%20years
*** - https://news.gallup.com/poll/467354/childhood-churchgoing-habits-fade-adulthood.aspx
*^ - https://www.barna.com/research/rising-spiritual-openness/