American Bible Society today released the second chapter of its 16th annual State of the Bible report, which shares insights regarding American parents and parenting tendencies in relation to the Bible. Beyond exploring overall well-being, the data reveals the top challenges that parents face include how they personally engage with Scripture and how often they pray and read the Bible with their children. The second chapter of State of the Bible: USA 2026 is now available to download at StateoftheBible.org.

“Most American parents are open to the Bible, but behavior hasn’t kept pace with that openness. They’re curious but not deeply engaged. These same individuals are navigating the pressures of work, family, and the sheer exhaustion of caregiving,” said Dr. John Farquhar Plake, American Bible Society’s Chief Innovation Officer and editor-in-chief of the State of the Bible series. “Church leaders and fellow Christians need to intentionally invest in parents during this demanding season of life. With support from their church, these caregivers can establish life-giving rhythms of prayer and Scripture engagement with their children, and in their own personal discipleship. Parents are carrying a heavy load, and all of us in the Church can help them carry it.”

 The chapter’s data focuses on the task of parenting, surveying individuals that serve as a “primary caregiver” for children (under 18) in their home. The term “parents” could include relatives or other individuals providing a child with primary care, not strictly birth parents.

State of the Bible findings come from a nationally representative survey designed by American Bible Society and fielded by NORC at the University of Chicago, using their AmeriSpeak panel. Responses came from 2,649 online and phone interviews with American adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data were collected from January 8-27, 2026.

Key findings analyzed in Chapter 2: Parenting with the Bible

  • The top challenge facing parents is “managing work-family balance,” experienced by 42% of parents. Tied for second and third are “parenting fatigue or exhaustion” and “addressing the family’s financial needs” at 27% each (pages 2–3).
    • Other parenting challenges include providing wise guidance (23%), establishing appropriate boundaries (19%), discipline (19%), and addressing spiritual needs (10%).
  • In terms of Scripture Engagement, parents represent a large portion of the Movable Middle, vastly outnumbering non-parents. Parents also show a notably lower rate of Bible Disengagement (46%) compared to non-parents (59%). Although parents appear to be more open to the Bible than non-parents, they are not more engaged with it, (pages 10–11).
  • 64% of young parents (Millennials and Gen Z) identify as Christians, compared to only 47% of their peers who aren’t parenting (page 10). 42% of non-parents in these two generations claim no religion, compared to just 27% of young parents.
  • More than one in four parents in America pray daily or often with their children, while only one in seven reads the Bible with them at that same frequency. More than half of caregivers rarely or never engage their children in either practice (page 13).
  • Nearly three-fourths (73%) of churchgoing parents say they feel supported by their church (page 17). 63% of parents say their kids like going to church (page 16). Church is a positive experience for most kids, but younger kids enjoy it more than older kids (page 17).

Continuing monthly through November 2026, six distinct chapters in this year’s State of the Bible series will be released. Upcoming chapter highlights include findings on artificial intelligence, calling and purpose and the supernatural.

To download the second chapter of State of the Bible 2026, visit StateoftheBible.org.

*State of the Bible includes definitions of Scripture Engagement, Bible Use (active and occasional users), Movable Middle, Nones, and other key terms on their website.