Director Center for Analytics Research and Data United Church of Christ Cleveland OH 44115 hajbikuccorg Young Adults and Spirituality What Does A Transformative Church Look Like Question What will a transformative church look like in ten years ID: 586295
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Rev. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, Ph.D.Director, Center for Analytics, Research and DataUnited Church of ChristCleveland, OH 44115hajbik@ucc.org
Young Adults and Spirituality: What Does A Transformative Church Look Like?Slide2
Question: What will a transformative church look like in ten years?75-item online survey of individuals under 40 on their faith/spirituality beliefs, practices, thoughts on faith communities, and personal priorities/passionsConvenience/purposive/snowball sampling
Results2,824 valid responses66.6% completion rateMinisters (8.6%); laypersons (91.4%)
Connected with the UCC (33.4%); not connected with the UCC (66.6%)
Responses were weighted in order to give equal emphasis to four different groups of respondents:Regular participants in a spiritual/faith communityLapsed members or infrequent participants in a spiritual/faith communityIndividuals disconnected from religious practice, but identified as a person of faith/spiritualityIndividuals disconnected from religious practice, and not interested in faith/spirituality
OverviewSlide3
I feel the presence of the divine most through… (Choose up to 5 options out of 13 options)
Personal Beliefs and Practices
Item
Percent SelectedHighest
Spending time outdoors/nature
50.7
Music and/or art
45.9
Serving their communities/helping people directly
40.4
Spending time with family and friends
35.6
Lowest
Spending time in space(s) with significant
spiritual meaning (a camp, retreat center, labyrinth, holy site, etc.)
20.7
Spending time in a sacred building (church,
cathedral, mosque, synagogue, temple, etc.)
20.3
Reading holy text(s)
11.9Slide4
True/False StatementsPersonal Beliefs and Practices
Item
Percent
“True”HighestI am a spiritual person.
70.6
I have a group of people with whom I feel comfortable talking about my spiritual journey.
69.2
I have had, or would want, my children to be baptized in a church.
48.9
I pray/meditate regularly.
47.3Slide5
Rate the following attributes of a spiritual/faith community in terms of importance to you: (Scale 1-5)
Faith/Spiritual Community
Item
Mean ScoreHighest
Is fully inclusive of people from diverse backgrounds (LGBTQ, race/ethnicity, language, ability, gender, immigration status, etc.)
4.38
Encourages people to think for themselves
4.35
Serves the poor and/or oppressed
4.31
Works against systems of oppression for justice for all
4.21
Fosters
an environment for making meaningful relationships
4.11
Offers a safe space or refuge for people in crisis
4.08Slide6
Rate the following attributes of a spiritual/faith community in terms of importance to you: (Scale 1-5)
Faith/Spiritual Community
Item
Mean ScoreLowestAdheres to the same beliefs and doctrines2.74Has its own building
2.69
Prepares for the afterlife
2.47Slide7
I am most frustrated or disappointed with a spiritual/faith community when… (Choose up to 3 options out of 8)
Faith/Spiritual Community
Item
Percent SelectedHighestSpecific groups of people are excluded from the community or are made to feel unwelcome.55.6The theology is restrictive and goes against my own personal beliefs about spirituality/religion.
46.8
It
follows outdated and irrelevant traditions or practices.
37.6
The people focus more on the internal management of the congregation and less about making a difference in the world.
35.3
Lowest
There are no people my age with whom I can relate.
12.2Slide8
What national and global issues do you believe will most greatly impact the world in the next ten years? (Choose up to 5 options out of 23)
National/Global Issues
Item
Percent SelectedHighestClimate change/environmental justice47.4Racial justice
37.2
Income inequality
31.7
Immigration reform/immigrant
rights
24.5
Religious
intolerance/violence
21.2
Mental health issues and awareness
20.4Slide9
Differences Between Groups
Rate the following attributes of a spiritual/faith community in terms of importance to you: (Scale 1-5)
Most significant differences between
regular participants
(rated higher importance)
and
those disconnected from religious practice, and not interested in faith/spirituality
(rated lower importance)
on the following items:
Statistically
Significant Items (at the
p
≤
.001 level)
Adheres
to the same beliefs and doctrines
Stands up for its beliefs
Prepares for the afterlife
Fosters
connections in the wider community
Provides spiritual guidance
Provides a place
of comfort
Has its own buildingSlide10
Solidifies existing research on young adults and spirituality (Pew, PPRI, Christian Smith, etc.)“How We Gather” – Angie Thurston and Casper
ter Kuile
:
http://howwegather.org/ Community, Personal Transformation, Social Transformation, Purpose Finding, Creativity, AccountabilitySurvey is currently collecting data with individuals 40+ in order to provide comparisonsLimitations:Sampling challengesSurvey language/phrasingFactor analysis, regression analyses
Conclusions/LimitationsSlide11
Complete Report:http://www.uccfiles.com/pdf/Strategic-Visioning-Task-Force-Survey-Summary-Report.pdf
Rev. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Analytics, Research and Data (CARD)United Church of Christ700 Prospect Avenue East
Cleveland, OH 44115
www.ucc.org/research
hajbik@ucc.org