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Christian media is playing a major role in bringing young people back into the faith, religious experts say
Young people are using a combination of 21st century technology and old school storytelling to learn about the Bible and spread the good word.
Young Americans, who often spend up to 10 hours a day behind computer and smartphone screens, are finding solace in Christian prayer apps and comic books, which have garnered millions of views and reads, to help them learn about the Gospel.
Fox News Digital spoke with Hallow CEO and co-founder Alex Jones, Franciscan University of Steubenville President Father Dave Pivonka, Pray.com founder and CEO Steve Gatena and Kingstone Comics CEO Art Ayris on why young people are turning to God and how digital media can be used as a tool to help spark interest in faith.
Gatena said he remembers a time when a “single act of sharing faith through technology” changed the trajectory of his life.
In 2016, he lost his business partner in a plane crash, and in a search for meaning, he was sent a Christian podcast that inspired him to share the Gospel with others. Now, he sees how digital media can be a powerful tool in bringing people to God.
“Younger audiences under 30 are engaging with biblical stories like never before,” Gatena said. “When Scripture is presented in formats that meet them where they already are, whether cinematic retellings, short-form video or audio devotionals, curiosity turns into genuine engagement… The Gospel has always traveled through the language of its time, from papyrus to the printing press to podcasts. We’re simply the next chapter.”
Pivonka, who ministers to thousands of teenagers and young adults through the university’s Steubenville Conferences, said the search for meaning leads young people to find God.
“They find in the church a relationship with God, and I would say also with the Scriptures, a sense of meaning, purpose, boundaries, something worth it that they can invest themselves in,” he said. “The world is so loud, it’s so mechanical, it’s so digital. When they can go and be quiet, be still, encounter God — that’s really satisfying.”
Storytelling plays a major role in reaching young people because the Bible is the “greatest story” ever told, Jones said. Hallow uses social media to invite young people to encounter God by inviting them to stop scrolling to hear a verse of Scripture.
“The only thing that gives you real peace is God, and He does that in Scripture,” Jones said. “What we see is just trying to break through that noise of letting God give you that peace and then share with you in that peace, how much He loves you. It’s this pretty transformational thing, especially for young people, both men and women.”
Jones told Fox News Digital that storytelling is “incredibly important” and the company tries to bring Scripture to life in a new way for viewers.
Comic books are also proving to be a powerful tool in introducing the Gospel to younger audiences in a way they can understand. Ayris told Fox News Digital that in his work with kids and teenagers, he struggled to find engaging material until finding comics.
“The comic medium is near universal and communication is most effective when delivered in medium familiar to that culture… Over 41% of teens have never read the Bible, so we created a Bible that could be read and understood in a matter of months,” he said.
The Kingstone Bible has been a “perennial seller” for the company. Calling to mind a quote from Walt Disney, Ayris explained it best: “Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.”
Pivonka said that while media can be used as a tool to help young people make that “initial connection,” ultimately, people are searching for authentic connections in the church.
“The digital world can only satisfy so much,” he said. “So, they’re starting to pray, they’re starting to read the Scriptures, they’re starting to go to church. I think the initial connection can be through social media, and, in fact, I think that’s a wonderful way to use it.”
Gatena said the purpose of Pray.com is not to get people to “scroll more,” but instead to encourage them to “pray more.”
“Technology isn’t the enemy of faith — distraction is. We’re building tools that bring people back to what matters most: time with God,” he said.
Catholic leaders across the United States are reporting an increase in the number of adult converts, according to a previous report. For example, the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey reported that 1,701 people were preparing to join the Church, which is up 30% since 2025.
Pivonka, who served in NET Ministries, explained how encounters with God have the power to touch people in difficult moments.
“Some of the kids that I talked with were just in profoundly difficult family situations and structures that the love of God really — it was their anchor,” Pivonka said. “It was their lifesaver that there was some sense of hope, and I think that’s really, for a lot of kids, that’s what they’re really hoping, looking for.”
The president of Boston University has apologized after pride flags were removed from office windows over spring break.
“Our university and our policies exist within a larger social context — one that is dynamic and complex,” Melissa Gilliam, president of Boston University, wrote in a message Monday sent to students, faculty and staff.
“In the public conversation about Boston University’s time, place, and manner policies, that spotlight has fallen disproportionately on our LGBTQIA+ community, and I have heard how difficult and painful that has been. I am deeply sorry.”
BU’s Publications & Publicity Policy states that putting up “signs, posters, and fliers is permitted only on authorized bulletin boards. Materials may not be placed on walls, doors, windows, or trees, and may not be attached with permanent adhesives.”
The student newspaper, The Daily Free Press, reported that the “policy’s enforcement has led to the recent removal of pride flags and political messages from office windows — drawing scrutiny and prompting protest from faculty, students and advocacy organizations.”
BU Today, Boston University’s daily website, posted an editor’s note to a March 24 article about university signage saying that, on Monday, Gilliam announced Boston University would temporarily stop removing outward-facing signs.
The Boston Globe reported that Keith Vincent, a professor in the women’s gender and sexuality studies department, which had a pride flag removed from its office window over spring break, is thankful for the message.
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“It’s about as good as we could’ve hoped for,” Vincent said of Gilliam’s message. “That [Gilliam] sent such a resounding, unambiguous message to the students is really, really important and appreciated.”
In her message, Gilliam reaffirmed the school’s commitment to LGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff.
“Issues of speech can be complicated, but our institutional values are not. Let me be unequivocal: LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff are an essential part of Boston University,” Gilliam said.
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“You belong here and are needed here,” she added. “You are valued and have our support. We remain committed to ensuring all members of this University feel welcome, feel respected, and can thrive.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Gilliam and Vincent for comment.
America’s favorite burger chain isn’t bowing to delivery trends and app-based ordering preferences any time soon.
In-N-Out Burger’s chief executive officer recently said the California-based fast-food restaurant chain does not intend to offer online ordering or delivery.
The restaurants, which are mostly located on the West Coast and in the Southwest, are best known for their fresh, made-to-order burgers, upbeat employees and Bible verses printed on the packaging — a formula that’s helped build a loyal fan base.
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In-N-Out CEO Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson made the remarks while speaking at Pepperdine University on March 31 when the moderator asked if the fast-food chain would introduce things like mobile order pickup and app ordering.
“We have, for sure, had that put in front of us — and the answer is no,” Snyder-Ellingson said.
“The main reason is part of what makes In-N-Out and the experience so special — [it’s] the interaction and the customer service that we’re able to give, the smile, the greeting, just that warmth and feeling, that culture.”
The CEO added, “And so, the mobile ordering will definitely take a piece of that away and there’s also the freshness factor.”
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Snyder-Ellingson, 43, also said she doesn’t see In-N-Out “being on the East Coast in my lifetime.
“We won’t compromise on quality just to expand,” she said.
In-N-Out’s branding is “intentional and central to its strategy,” said Amore Philip, a public relations strategist based in New York.
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Philip told Fox News Digital that In-N-Out’s in-person experience, atmosphere and fresh food are all qualities that delivery services might compromise. (She is not affiliated with the brand.)
“Brands with strong followings do not need to be available everywhere. they create destinations,” she said. “In-N-Out has fostered loyalty through scarcity and consistency, achieving more than most brands that rely on widespread convenience.”
Philip added, “This approach is not nostalgia, but deliberate positioning.”
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There’s something “psychologically powerful” about the In-N-Out ordering experience, said Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist based in New York City.
Alpert told Fox News Digital the chain’s consistency “builds loyalty over time.”
“There’s also something to the fact that not everything should be instantly available,” he noted. “When people have to seek something out, it can feel more special and more tied to habit, ritual and even identity.”
Alpert said it’s about more than just people ordering lunch.
“For a lot of customers, going to In-N-Out is part of the experience people have come to associate with the brand,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to In-N-Out for comment.
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‘Who’s the Boss?’ star Danny Pintauro trades Hollywood fame for delivery routes as industry stalls
Danny Pintauro is getting brutally honest about life after child stardom.
The former “Who’s the Boss?” star, now 50, shared what his life is like after fame as he posted a selfie from his latest side hustle — delivering packages.
In a candid Instagram post, Pintauro shared a photo of himself sitting behind the wheel with a car full of deliveries.
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“Working hard while ‘not working.’ The entertainment business has been soooo slow, so I’ve been doing what a lot of people do — figuring it out, showing up, and taking the work that’s there while I keep building the work I really want. 38 packages today! There’s no shame in staying in motion,” Pintauro captioned the post.
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Pintauro shot to fame on “Who’s the Boss?”, starring opposite Tony Danza, Judith Light and Alyssa Milano. As Jonathan Bower, he became a fan favorite during the show’s eight-season run from 1984 to 1992.
His candid post comes after a frightening health scare that nearly turned deadly.
In December 2024, Pintauro revealed he was rushed to the hospital following a Thanksgiving scooter accident.
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Sharing a video slideshow on Instagram, the actor detailed how a bike lane he was riding in was “suddenly blocked with cones,” leading to a serious crash.
His husband, Wil Tabares, drove him to the hospital, where doctors discovered the accident had caused a tear in his stomach lining — a life-threatening injury.
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According to Pintauro, the damage triggered “an infection in my bloodstream,” while “air and stomach acid, etc, were escaping into my abdomen.”
Calling it “the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt in my whole life,” he revealed the diagnosis led to “emergency surgery last night to repair the tear.”
“If I had waited any longer, I could have died,” Pintauro shared at the time, adding that listening to his body ultimately saved his life. He said it “was the one who told me something was absolutely wrong.”
Since his early success, Pintauro has largely stepped away from the Hollywood spotlight, relocating from California and pursuing a different path while still taking on occasional acting roles, including appearances in projects like “The Quarantine Bunch” and “A Country Christmas Harmony.”
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