New data reveals double-digit increases in volunteering, small group participation, and generosity as churches build stronger community bonds
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pushpay, the leading payments and engagement solutions provider for mission-driven organizations, today announced key trends in generosity and church engagement for 2025, revealing a year of growth and impact as churches deepened connections within their communities. The findings are based on data from Pushpay's network of more than 14,000 church customers, offering a statistically meaningful view of broader trends across the faith community.
Findings reveal that when churches invest in cultivating deeper relationships, generosity follows. Group participation surged on average 22% year-over-year, while volunteering increased 19%, demonstrating that faith communities are not only growing numerically but also building stronger bonds. This engagement translated directly to financial health, with the number of gifts up more than 5% and recurring giving volume climbing 11% compared to last year.
"The data tells a powerful story: churches that prioritize authentic connection, and make it easy for people to engage, are thriving," said Kenny Wyatt, CEO of Pushpay. "Every percentage point reflects real people choosing to engage, serve, and give to their church. Pushpay is proud to equip ministry leaders with tools that remove friction so they can focus on building those transformational relationships. The momentum we’re seeing alongside our customers is remarkable, and it's transformative for the millions of lives these churches touch every week."
Engagement Drives Growth
The correlation between connection and generosity has never been more clear. Churches leveraging Pushpay's engagement tools facilitated 1.7 million moments of connection each week in 2025, creating a foundation for sustainable growth:
- Group participation: Up 22% on average across the Pushpay platform, with 24.4 million group engagements activated in total.
- Volunteering: +19% increase, with 950,000 volunteer engagements input through Pushpay’s platform.
- Child check-ins: +3%, with 21 million total check-ins via Pushpay technology.
- Catholic sacraments: Parishes leveraging ParishStaq, Pushpay's Catholic-specific solution, demonstrated powerful adoption of digital tools, with more than 5.6 million sacramental records imported to date, and 53,000 new sacraments performed and recorded through the platform in 2025.
- Mobile app sessions: 5% increase on average per customer, reflecting growing digital engagement.
“We were growing exponentially and it was really hard to keep up with capturing details and following up information for first-time visitors, while still maintaining that small church feel. With Pushpay, we’re able to follow up with those people a lot better. They feel more connected, both through their ways of giving, but also through the app,” said Beth Dandino, Associate Director of Operations at Zeal Church. “People use the app each week for sermon notes, event registration, and opportunities to get connected into the community a lot faster. Pushpay has been a huge godsend.”
Pushpay’s findings align with broader cultural trends. According to recent Barna research, the number of Americans who say they have a personal commitment to Jesus that is still meaningful in their lives rose 12 percentage points between 2022 and 2025. Notably, Gen Z has emerged as the most frequent church attenders of any demographic at 1.9 times per month.
End of Year Generosity Fuels Impact
December 2025 proved to be another landmark month for church giving, with Pushpay customers receiving more than $1 billion in December alone, equipping ministries with resources to expand programs, serve their communities, and advance the mission of the Church:
- Average gift size: Up 53% in December compared to other months in the year.
- Year-end surge: The average gift size in the final three days of the year was up 240% compared to daily averages.
- Total gifts: Pushpay processed and recorded 53.6 million gifts in 2025 (up 5% from 2024).
- Mobile giving: 18.4 million mobile gifts processed in total, up an average of 9% year-over-year per customer. Pushpay data also shows that 58% of first-time givers use Apple Pay.
- New donors: 1.8 million first-time givers were captured through Pushpay in 2025.
- Recurring giving: Volume increased 11% on average per customer compared to last year. Notably, pledges paired with recurring giving options jumped 59%, indicating that donors are converting commitment into consistent generosity.
- Everygift® value: Pushpay helped grow and secure nearly $200 million in donations annually through our proprietary technology.
Crypto and Stock Donations Surge
Non-cash generosity options saw continued growth in 2025, reflecting both donor sophistication and churches' readiness to receive gifts in multiple formats. Through Pushpay’s long-standing partnership with Engiven, an industry-leading non-cash giving solution, churches offered new opportunities for their community to express generosity in 2025.
As a result, there was a 73% increase in the number of Pushpay customers who accepted cryptocurrency donations in 2025, and an increase of 128% in the total number of crypto gifts compared to last year. Additionally, the average crypto gift in 2025 was $3,153, up 21% from $2,615 in 2024.
The same holds true for stock donation trends. In 2025, there was a 105% increase in the number of churches that accepted stock donations through the Pushpay and Engiven integration, and a 127% year-over-year increase in the number of gifts processed. The average stock gift in 2025 was $11,930.
"Non-cash giving through Engiven saw substantial growth in 2025, with the number of stock and cryptocurrency donations reaching all-time highs on our platform,” said James Lawrence, Founder and CEO at Engiven. “Our continued partnership with Pushpay once again set a new benchmark for donor and ministry engagement, delivering triple-digit growth in both crypto and stock giving for the Church. We are deeply proud of the impact our shared efforts are making in advancing the Kingdom."
Digital Ministry Reaches New Heights with Resi
Digital ministry continued to play a vital role in 2025, with churches recognizing that livestreaming isn't a replacement for in-person community but a powerful complement to it. Resi, Pushpay's livestreaming solution, enabled churches to extend their reach far beyond physical walls:
- Total viewing: More than 850,000 events streamed with Resi in 2025, with 40,000,000 unique viewers, and more than 1 billion minutes of content watched (up 16% year-over-year).
- End of year reach: 2.8 million people tuned into a church livestream through Resi in December alone.
- Weekly engagement: 23 million minutes of mission-focused content consumed each week.
- Global footprint: 2,000,000 streaming destinations in 2025, with more than 75,000 in December alone.
Looking Ahead
The 2025 data reflects a broader trend in renewal of faith life in America. According to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), after two years of decline, cash giving to churches rebounded in 2024 with 1.5% growth and continued that momentum into 2025. This marks the second consecutive year churches have seen stronger growth than nonprofit organizations.
"Over the past five years, Pushpay has facilitated over $37 billion in generosity for the local Church, which results in millions of lives being transformed through connected, engaged communities in Christ," added Wyatt. "As we look to 2026, we're committed to continuing to innovate and equip churches with the tools they need to deepen relationships and inspire generosity in all its forms."
To learn more about Pushpay visit www.pushpay.com/innovation.
About Pushpay
Pushpay empowers mission-based organizations to engage their communities. We exist to bring people together and help people be known. Through our innovative suite of products, we cultivate generosity by streamlining donation processes, enhancing communication, and strengthening connection. Whether managing donations, organizing events, or connecting with community members, Pushpay’s integrated tools enable ministry leaders to focus on what matters most – growing their ministry and deepening engagement. For more information visit www.pushpay.com.
PR Contact: PR@pushpay.com
