Dutch youth say smartphones are hurting their faith — but also credit social media with their first encounter with Christianity, according to a new report presented at the inaugural "Young Generations Day" in the Netherlands.
The Youth Trends 2026 report, based on research with more than 700 young Christians aged 12 to 30, identified five currents reshaping how young believers engage with faith: a desire for clear spiritual direction over personal freedom; growing curiosity about the supernatural; a hunger for authentic community; unease about smartphones as a barrier to spiritual growth; and a view of the digital world as a legitimate mission field. The findings prompted more than 80 youth ministry professionals from over 15 church traditions to gather in Veenendaal to discuss how local congregations can respond.
MissieNederland (the Dutch Evangelical Alliance) organized the May 29 event at De Verbinding Baptist Church in Veenendaal, where participants from local churches, youth ministry organizations and research institutions discussed what those trends mean in practice — and what churches should do about them.
Martine Versteeg-ter Veen, director of MissieNederland, told Christian Daily International that the day examined how churches and youth ministries can better serve young people following Christ.
“Following a research report presentation about the five trends, the event’s participants—including local churches, youth ministry organizations, and researchers—discussed what the outcomes meant and explored solutions within different contexts,” Versteeg-ter Veen said.
A follow-up research report detailing the data “behind the trends” is anticipated in the coming week, and organizers are planning a practical toolkit to help churches engage with the findings.
Regarding the trends, Versteeg-ter Veen noted that a prior emphasis on giving young people space to discover what faith means has been superseded. “Now we see that, much more than before, this generation longs for direction and guidance. And that's what they are looking for in Christianity and in following Christ,” she explained.
She also remarked that the trend concerning digital life is particularly striking, given that young people themselves expressed concern over the negative effects of mobile phone use on their spiritual lives.
“What I found interesting in the research was that a high percentage of young people say mobile phones are not helpful in growing their faith,” Versteeg-ter Veen said. “Yet, on the other hand, we do see that it is very much a digital mission field, because many searching young people have their first connection with Christ through online contact and content.”
Versteeg-ter Veen added that the data led participants to discuss how children’s and youth ministries can directly address these concerns.
The Young Generations Day 2026 is the first iteration of an ongoing initiative, with the next event tentatively planned for Fall 2027.
The May event builds upon the February launch of a two-part resource titled “Samen Jong in de Praktijk” (“Young Together in Practice”), as previously reported by Christian Daily International. The workbook was created to help Dutch churches cultivate intergenerational communities.
The resource was officially introduced by Sabine van der Heijden, a researcher at the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede (CHE); Saskia de Graaf-Bakker of MissieNederland; and Rozamaryn Orsel, 24, who was recently named the “Young Theologian of the Netherlands” for 2025–2026.
A launch event for the book drew 200 participants on Feb. 13 at the CHE campus in Ede, Netherlands. The symposium was organized through a collaboration between MissieNederland, the Christelijke Hogeschool Ede (serving as venue and academic partner), Kerkpunt, and the Theologische Universiteit Utrecht.
At the time, Versteeg-ter Veen told Christian Daily International that the Samen Jong book was published because Dutch churches frequently struggle to build communities where all generations truly belong, resulting in many young people leaving the faith.
“The book is based on the Growing Young research from the United States but contextualized for the Dutch church,” she said. “It is unique because it focuses not on youth ministry in the traditional sense... but on church community development. The core question is: How can we become a church where all generations flourish and grow as followers of Christ?”
According to Versteeg-ter Veen, this approach establishes intergenerational ministry as a distinct discipline within practical theology rather than a mere expansion of youth ministry.
“Since its launch, hundreds of churches have taken up the challenge of cultivating the core values that help churches welcome younger generations and enable all generations to flourish.”
Versteeg-ter Veen listed these core values as: taking Jesus and his gospel seriously; prioritizing younger generations and their families; loving young people; being a warm community; giving meaningful responsibility within the church; and being a church that is good news for the world.
