Youth Leaders Invited to Take Part in Research
A Church of God pastor is conducting groundbreaking research seeking to answer questions about how our Spirit-filled youth feel about their Pentecostal/Charismatic heritage and faith.
Youth pastors and youth leaders from within and outside the Church of God are invited to answer the following questions: “Do you often wonder what happens to your youth after they leave your ministry? Are you interested in knowing if the youth you minister to intend on staying a part of the Pentecostal/Charismatic faith? Why or why not? What has been their feelings regarding the Pentecostal/Charismatic faith in which they were raised?”
The survey is a research project that Dr. Michael B. Knight is involved in as a doctoral candidate of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies Ph.D. program at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The University of Birmingham has granted Knight permission to conduct this survey of Pentecostal/Charismatic youth and how they feel and believe about their Pentecostal/Charismatic heritage.
“More importantly what are their future intentions regarding this belief system?” Knight stated about the research. “This research is groundbreaking for several reasons. There has never been a scientific research project of this scope, assessing the opinions of students between the ages of 15-28 that are distinctively Pentecostal/Charismatic. Where are they on the belief in the Supernatural? What are the most effective ways in which they are empowered in a Supernatural life? Are we really developing our children to embrace the precious distinctives of the Spirit-empowered life? Do they even know or recognize the distinctives that have defined our movements over the last one hundred years? How do they feel about social issues such as the use of alcohol, gay rights, abortion, evolution or immigration? Do they know how to apologetically defend their faith in the 21st Century? Are they passionate about the things of the Spirit or indifferent? Together, we will identify the correct answer and thus respond accordingly.”
Knight went on to explain that the survey will give insight into where young people’s beliefs and practices are today compared to previous generations.
“Together we will identify the correct answer and respond accordingly,” Knight said. “We can build stronger ministry programs and target problem areas within our faith as it pertains to our youth and tailor specific areas of our youth ministries to tackle such issues. This research could never be possible without (youth pastors’) direct involvement. To those of us who deeply value our Pentecostal/Charismatic distinctives, and still believe they are vital to a future generation, this research will be ground breaking!”
Knight concluded by saying to youth leaders that when the research is complete, “we will be able to share specific data regarding the students under your leadership. The more students that participate in this survey, the stronger the research results will be for you and our denominational family.”
To participate in the survey, please visit http://www.tnbproject.com/PCASI_Invitation_Feb_23_2016.pdf for more detailed information about this project. This is the link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/knightPCASI . If the links do not work, please contact [email protected].
