Children’s 24/7 spirituality highlighted in Methodist research
-14/11/06
By Ed Thornto
Children’s 24/7 spirituality highlighted in Methodist research
-14/11/06
By Ed Thornton
Despite the waning interest in institutional religion among the young, new research by the Methodist Church in the UK has found that children are getting stuck into activities outside traditional structures during the week.
An online survey conducted by MethodistChildren found that mid-week groups for children were nearly 100% bigger than Sunday groups and that, among the 43% of churches that had such groups, an average of 38 children attended.
ìMany churches are doing great work on Sundays but itís clear from our results that children want church to be more than just that ñ they want to go to activities during the week,î said Steve Pearce, the Churchís Childrenís Secretary. ìSundays are special, but weíre called to be Christians every day of the week and this survey shows that children and young people have a 24/7 spirituality that needs to be fed all the time.î
The survey found demand for mid-week activities was at its highest among the 9-13ís age group and that specific services sought by young people included a local forum to discuss ideas, more resources and more training.
Pearce added that the Methodist Church was meeting this need through services such as the MethodistChildren website and a free weekly texting service, launched in October, but admitted there was room for further growth.
The organisation has also produced a new resource, The MethodistChildren Journey, which is being sent to all churches this week. The document sets out the steps it thinks the Church needs to take to carry out effective work with children and how the organisation can support local churchesí in this work.
Doug Swanney, the Churchís Childrenís Work Development Officer, said the surveyís findings strengthened the case for churches to develop work on days other than just Sunday and to experiment with one-off events and holiday clubs. ìIt shows the opportunity churches now have for partnership with schools and clubs as they develop their extended services,î he said.
Swanney added: ìThe most significant finding of the survey is that when churches do something new, it usually works. Churches need to be ready to take the risk of trying new things ñ they might just surprise themselves with how successful they are.î
The Methodist Church has for some time been highlighting the importance of spirituality among the UKís young people. In November last year, it raised concerns that a Government Green Paper, entitled Youth Matters, did not pay enough attention to the spirituality of young people and also failed to address concerns about alienation, rural isolation and the specific needs of those from minority ethnic groups or with disabilities.
The Church also attempted to draw attention to the role played by the voluntary sector, including Christian organisations, in providing services to young people.
Last year the Methodist Church organised a series of events to explore the well being of young people after research commissioned by the Commission on Urban Life and Faith and information from the World Health Organisation found that young people in Britain were among the unhappiest in Europe.
The results of the survey can be found online at www.methodistchildren.org.uk
Children’s 24/7 spirituality highlighted in Methodist research
-14/11/06
By Ed Thornton
Despite the waning interest in institutional religion among the young, new research by the Methodist Church in the UK has found that children are getting stuck into activities outside traditional structures during the week.
An online survey conducted by MethodistChildren found that mid-week groups for children were nearly 100% bigger than Sunday groups and that, among the 43% of churches that had such groups, an average of 38 children attended.
ìMany churches are doing great work on Sundays but itís clear from our results that children want church to be more than just that ñ they want to go to activities during the week,î said Steve Pearce, the Churchís Childrenís Secretary. ìSundays are special, but weíre called to be Christians every day of the week and this survey shows that children and young people have a 24/7 spirituality that needs to be fed all the time.î
The survey found demand for mid-week activities was at its highest among the 9-13ís age group and that specific services sought by young people included a local forum to discuss ideas, more resources and more training.
Pearce added that the Methodist Church was meeting this need through services such as the MethodistChildren website and a free weekly texting service, launched in October, but admitted there was room for further growth.
The organisation has also produced a new resource, The MethodistChildren Journey, which is being sent to all churches this week. The document sets out the steps it thinks the Church needs to take to carry out effective work with children and how the organisation can support local churchesí in this work.
Doug Swanney, the Churchís Childrenís Work Development Officer, said the surveyís findings strengthened the case for churches to develop work on days other than just Sunday and to experiment with one-off events and holiday clubs. ìIt shows the opportunity churches now have for partnership with schools and clubs as they develop their extended services,î he said.
Swanney added: ìThe most significant finding of the survey is that when churches do something new, it usually works. Churches need to be ready to take the risk of trying new things ñ they might just surprise themselves with how successful they are.î
The Methodist Church has for some time been highlighting the importance of spirituality among the UKís young people. In November last year, it raised concerns that a Government Green Paper, entitled Youth Matters, did not pay enough attention to the spirituality of young people and also failed to address concerns about alienation, rural isolation and the specific needs of those from minority ethnic groups or with disabilities.
The Church also attempted to draw attention to the role played by the voluntary sector, including Christian organisations, in providing services to young people.
Last year the Methodist Church organised a series of events to explore the well being of young people after research commissioned by the Commission on Urban Life and Faith and information from the World Health Organisation found that young people in Britain were among the unhappiest in Europe.
The results of the survey can be found online at www.methodistchildren.org.uk