Dear Friends
February 1, 2024
LENT 2024
March 2, 2024At the previous Synod Meeting of the Cape Church (2021), a question was raised about the role of children and youth in the ministry. It seemed as if especially the youth are not meaningfully engaged, even worse, that the youth are uninvolved, or even totally disappearing from our congregations. What should the church do? Should we make adaptations to our ministry, our liturgy, our outreaches? Should we implement special programs? How best can we work towards an effective intergenerational ministry? In answering these questions, it would be vital not to only talk about the children and youth, but deliberately also discuss it with them, or rather: we need to listen to them.
As joint venture with Ekklesia, an interdenominational body serving the ministerial needs of various churches, the Unity for Innovation and Transformation of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Stellenbosch was requested to conduct a survey on Intergenerational Ministry in the Cape Church.
The survey was conducted amongst 172 respondents. It has been an empirical survey, focussing on qualitative (in depth, about perceptions and experiences) rather than merely quantitative (based on mere numbers) questions. The survey has been completed and the results submitted to the Bishop’s Office.
What follows is an attempt to summarise and interpret the results. However, it is also important to read the full report, since it contains valuable information.
