CHURCHES should not including families in decisions about children’s and youth ministry, early results from a recent survey from the Institute for Children, Youth and Mission (CYM) suggest.
More than 1500 people have up to now responded to the Taking the Pulse survey, which closes on 31 May. Of the family employees to have responded, 91 per cent said that their church was not including families in decision-making about children’s and youth ministry; 89 per cent of kids’s employees surveyed said that children weren’t included in these decisions; and 60 per cent of youth employees said that young people weren’t included.
Only half of volunteers involved in children’s ministry felt valued by their church, early results suggest; one third (33 per cent) of volunteers involved in ministry for 11- to 16-year-olds didn’t feel valued; and 64 per cent of family employees didn’t feel valued.
The director of research for CYM, Dr Sarah Holmes, said on Tuesday: “If we are able to collate and present anonymised data to indicate the impact that these ministries have, this shall be so encouraging to groups who work hard week after week within the churches up and down the country.”
Almost one third (28 per cent) of all respondents up to now are parents, she said. But just 29 grandparents had up to now taken part. “This shouldn’t be surprising, as often grandparents should not explicitly mentioned in churches as being a part of the team supporting the religion of their grandchildren,” but CYM desired to hear from more of them.
The online survey takes 4 minutes to finish. Participants have the prospect to win a £50 Amazon voucher.
