Ministry Trends to Prepare for in 2026
As we come to the end of the year and Christmas approaches, we at Rukes Group want to say thank you. It has been a privilege to partner with churches, nonprofits, and ministry leaders who are committed to building healthy teams and stewarding their mission well. By walking alongside ministries and leaders like you, we’ve gathered meaningful insights into the trends shaping churches and ministries in 2026. Below are curated insights from our Alliance Partners in their respective fields to help you prepare for the year ahead:
Eric Camfield
Founder & President - Altar Fly Fishing
“Of the 75 pastors we had on retreat this year at Altar Fly Fishing, I would say 70 percent are moderate to severe burnout, but only half knew it when they showed up, and by day two or three, they were confronted with the weight of complexity, the demands of leadership, and the highs and lows of daily ministry. Yet despite fatigue, isolation, and trying to keep up, leaders are hungry to grow, showing up, saying, 'just tell me what to do,' because they want to flourish and thrive. Providing structured support, practical guidance, peer connection, and intentional soul care helps leaders move from merely surviving to truly thriving.”
David Staal
Author & Nonprofit Consultant, Pastor - Davidstall.net
"A growing number of ‘hybrid’ attenders - those who attend church in-person one week, then attend online the next. The reasons for this are many, but especially focus on 1) variable work schedules, 2) kids' sports and other activities, and 3) continued increases in the amount of life that can be lived online."
Bill Donahue
Founder & President - LeaderSync Group
"I’ve noticed a growing emphasis on integrating spiritual practices into the life of the whole church, not just in small group settings, aiming to transform the heart rather than focus only on agreement or shared ideas. This approach seeks to foster discipleship of the heart, nurturing a deeper, more embodied sense of community across the entire congregation."
Troy Page
Director of Recruitment - Pinelake Church
"Like many churches today, we’ve noticed that many of our prospective leaders carry emotional or spiritual wounds, whether from past church experiences or from life itself. That’s why at Pinelake, we’ve built a Care and Recovery Team that serves both our congregation and our staff. We want to be a place where people can process pain, pursue healing, and walk in wholeness. Before stepping into leadership, every candidate goes through a ‘Care Connect.’ It’s a conversation designed to gauge emotional health, relational alignment (especially with a spouse), and openness to growth. It’s not about perfection or past mistakes. It’s about support and readiness. This process, inspired by Pete Scazzero’s Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, has reshaped how we develop leaders. And we’ve seen transformation happen not just in those we’re assessing, but in us too.”
Ed Ollie
Vice President of Advancement - Coalition for Christian Outreach
"Some of the most vibrant churches are those where older and younger members mentor each other naturally and worship blends charismatic expression with historic liturgy. In one Anglican church I visited, young adults consistently pointed to communion as the steady, unshakable anchor in their lives.”
Jeff Vandergiessan
Co-Founder & CEO - Amplio Group
"There seems to be a real hunger for liturgy and a fatigue with what some younger people perceive as emotional manipulation in modern worship services. Churches that embrace liturgy and the rhythms that have shaped the church for thousands of years are likely to see growth, and much of that growth will come from younger generations.”
Justin Erickson
Founder - Hardwired Coaching
"Lately, a clear pattern has emerged in my world: so many people are living in the tension between the ‘already' and the ‘not yet.’ I’m watching individuals walk through pressure of: uncertainty, financial strain, recovery, transition, and waiting seasons—not as signs of failure, but as places of formation. Over and over, I’m seeing that what feels like delay is often preparation, what feels like loss is often realignment, and what feels like hiddenness is often God building the infrastructure for future influence. The common thread right now isn’t collapse—it’s a quiet, deliberate, sometimes painful construction for what’s coming next. It feels like a collective ‘in-between’ space where God is doing His most important work underneath the surface, preparing His people to have Kingdom impact in their sphere.”
Erik Ellifson
Director of Network & Improvement - Baylor University
"In the Christian school space, there is a hope as school choice has passed in more states and looks like a possibility to expand in a few others next year. However, overall, the demographics for all schools are not good, so I suspect we will start to see schools struggle as competition increases for fewer students and the economy continues to be uncertain."
Craig Higgins
Pastor Emeritus - Trinity Presbyterian Church
"I think there is a brewing renewal within mainline Protestantism, especially among the younger folks, as the old fights between conservatives and liberals seem to be quite foreign to them. The people I'm thinking of are deeply committed to Nicene orthodoxy—they are not theological "liberals"—though they may not toe the line on many classic evangelical social issues. And the divide above is pushing them away from evangelicalism."