Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12, NKJV)
The 2017-18 Global Church Member Survey (2017-18 GCMS) included church members from all 13 divisions, with a total of 63,756 respondents ranging in age from 8 to 102 years old. The survey had 7,490 valid responses from youth (up to 20 years old) and 17,970 valid responses from young adults (ages 21-35). With such a large group of young people participating, the survey provided insights into their views on their local churches, their own involvement, and whether they felt accepted and valued.
In a previous blog, we looked at how young people perceive their churches. Now, we are exploring if and how they are involved in the local church and if they feel accepted and valued.
Involvement in Local Church Ministry and Outreach
To get a better understanding of if and how young people are involved in their local churches, researchers asked them several questions in connection with local church ministries. The results showed that 41% of the youth (up to 20 years old) helped with a ministry on Sabbath almost every week or more. However, almost the same number (42%) of them stated that they never helped with a ministry on Sabbath or only did so once or twice in twelve months. Among the young adults (21-35 years old), 51% reported helping with a ministry on Sabbath, while less than a third (30%) never helped with a ministry on Sabbath or only did so once or twice. About one in five young people stated that they were involved in a ministry on Sabbath on a quarterly or monthly basis.
When asked about their involvement with a ministry during the week, a third (33%) of the youth sample and almost 40% of the young adult sample reported that they did so almost every week and more. However, more than half (51%) of the youth sample and about 4 in 10 of the young adult sample stated that they never helped with a ministry during the week or only did so once or twice.
Similar answers were reported, when the respondents were asked how often they supported another church members to grow spiritually.
Young people were asked to respond to questions in the area of outreach ministries at their local churches. The results revealed that 31% of the surveyed youth shared their faith with non-Adventists almost every week or more, while half of them never did or only did so once or twice. Among young adults, 36% reported sharing their faith with non-Adventists almost every week, while nearly 40% never or only did so once or twice.
More than a quarter (27%) of the youth sample reported that they met the needs of non-Adventists in their community almost every week. However, more than half of the surveyed youth (52%) reported that they did so never or only once or twice. Among young adults, 29% of them said they met the needs of non-Adventists almost every week, while 44% of them reported they did so never or only once or twice.
The results also indicated that forming friendships with non-Adventists almost every week was more common among the youth sample (45%) compared to the young adults (41%).
When researchers asked them how they felt regarding their involvement in the areas of church ministry and outreach, an overwhelming majority of the young people in both age groups reported that they felt their involvement needed to increase.
It is very encouraging to see that young people would like to be more involved in their local churches.
Care and Acceptance
Researchers also wanted to find out if young people felt valued, accepted, and cared for.
The majority of young people in both age groups felt that their Sabbath School teachers or leaders, pastors, and church members care about them. However, results also revealed that they felt most cared for by other church members in comparison to their pastors and Sabbath School teachers or leaders.
More than half (56%) of the youth sample and two thirds of the young adults (67%) felt that they had the freedom to be themselves, while nearly a third (30%) of the youth and a quarter of the young adults felt that was only somewhat true.
Nearly two-thirds (60%) of the youth and two-thirds of the young adults (66%) felt that they were able to use their spiritual gifts, while more than a quarter in both age groups reported that was only somewhat the case.
Two-thirds in both age groups felt loved and cared for, while more than one third in each age group felt that was only somewhat the case.
More than half of the youth sample (55%) and the young adult sample (61%) felt that they were able to and serve other people in important ways, while about a third in each age group sample stated that was only somewhat true.
The results revealed that young people in both age groups would like to voice their opinions more freely and have a say in what happens in their local churches. Only 41% of the youth sample and 50% of the young adult sample felt that they had a say in what happens and could voice their opinions. Among the youth sample 38% felt that was only somewhat true and almost a quarter (21%) reported that they did not have a say in what happens in their local churches and they could not voice their opinions.
When the respondents were asked about their relationships with other people, only 50% of young people reported they had close relationships with other people, and less than 50% felt free from pressure to behave in certain ways.
The age breakdown revealed that more than half of the youth sample (57%) felt distant in their relationships with other people to some extent, and more than half (56%) also felt pressured to behave in certain ways. Similarly, among the young adults, the results showed that 52% of them felt a lot of distance in their relationships with others, and 50% felt pressured to behave in certain ways.
It is wonderful to see that young people, even though they live busy lives, want to be involved in their local churches. While some of them are involved on a regular basis in church ministry on Sabbath, many would like to be more involved in the areas of outreach and church ministries.
They like to share their opinions and like to be listened to when it comes to decision-making at their local church. Let us look for ways to involve young people in decision-making at the local church level and create opportunities for their meaningful involvement in the mission of the church.
Let us pray for them and encourage them to use their spiritual gifts in the church. Every church needs young people. They are a gift from God to further the mission of the church.
For more information on the total sample of the 2017-18 GCMS see the Meta-Analysis Report.
You may also want to look at some of our previous blogs and presentations on young people:
- Research Data on Young People: Gen Z and Millennials Read more
- Engagement of young people in church life. What did former students say about their participation in service to the church or community during their college years? Read more.
- What does the 2017-18 global research say regarding Adventist adolescents’ and young adults’ involvement in local church life and ministry? Read more.
- Can a local church prevent the loss of young people and ensure they feel connected to the church? What attracts young people to their church the most? Read more.
Published by ASTR on 02/28/2024