Taking the Pulse - Research Report
Written by Dr Sarah Holmes
on 1st October 2024
Today we are publishing the research report from out 'Taking the Pulse' survey involving over 2000 responses from those involved with ministry amongst children, young people and families in the UK.
As we were discussing the remit and scope of the newly launched CYM research centre in February 2024, it seemed important to carry out a substantial piece of research work to find out more about the challenges, issues, gaps and opportunities relating to ministry in these areas…so we embarked on: Taking the pulse of ministries amongst children, youth and families.
In Spring 2024, we captured the views and experiences of over 2000: church leaders; Christian parents and grandparents; youth, children’s and family paid and voluntary workers; chaplains; and children and young people themselves. We asked them to share their views on the health of ministry amongst children, youth and families in their respective churches and locations.
Our hope is that in doing this piece of research, we have captured some of the heart, some of stories and some of the hopes of key stakeholders in raising faith in the younger generations of the church and beyond. As we share these research findings with mission organisations, para-church groups, denominations and local churches and ministries, we want them to prompt reflection on how existing ministry can be enhanced, to spark new ways of thinking, and to foster more dialogue and greater collaborations.
The research was completed in September 2024 and the report (available via this link) was published online on 1st October 2024.
We welcome further dialogue on the themes identified in this report. Please contact our Director of Research, Sarah Holmes, with any enquiries.
Read more...
Grandparenting for Faith - update
We are delighted that the Grandparenting for Faith courses are now available in partnership with BRF/Parenting for Faith.
We have two online courses available, for you to complete on your own or gather others to discuss together.
- One is for Christian grandparents and grandparent-figures, comprising six sessions, which you can complete on your own or with others – The course is flexible so that you can choose to do it in 6 sessions, or some groups have split each session in half or even quarters, and spread it over more weeks to allow more time for group discussion - feel free to be flexible according to the needs and preferences of your group. The Grandparenting for Faith course includes lots of ideas, inspiration and encouragement in the video content, to help you to feel more confident in sharing Jesus with the children and young people you love most. Cost £30. By purchasing here, you can watch the course yourself or show it to a small group of grandparents. The certificate of completion will show the name of the person purchasing the course. If you wish to purchase a licence for more people, for example a region, group of churches, network or Diocese etc, please email Sarah Holmes.
Sign up HERE
- A single session course for church leaders/church representatives to help you to equip and empower grandparents and grandparent-figures in your church (1.5 – 2 hours long, depending how long you pause to reflect). Cost £15 for single use, or showing to others in your own church setting. If you wish to purchase a licence for more people, for example a region, group of churches, network or Diocese etc, please email Sarah Holmes.
Sign up HERE
Once you have purchased the course, there is no time limit on when you can use it, and you can return to it as many times as you like, using your log-in details. You can view the launch video to find out more about the courses.
Do you want to get your church involved?
- Why not Download an Invitation to send to others in your church (you can add your details into the box).
- You can Download a PowerPoint to share with others and invite them to join you. This presentation includes some promo slides which you could personalise to your setting, and some of the relevant research findings.
We hope you find these courses useful in your setting. Please email Sarah Holmes with any queries.
Dr Sarah Holmes - Director of Research
10th July 2025
June Ministry Pulse
In June’s Ministry Pulse we asked ministry workers how they felt about the ‘quiet revival’ which was being widely reported and discussed. Most (90%) felt excited and hopeful about increased engagement seen in their setting. However, many reported sentiments of: ‘the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’ 10% of respondents felt disappointed or did not believe in the concept of the ‘quiet revival.’
It is key for organisations who are resourcing and supporting the local church in ministry to be responsive to this call: volunteering rates in churches seem to be depleted across the board – how can we reframe the concept of volunteering? How can we change our ministry models to be less labour intense and increasingly kingdom driven? Let’s continue to support one another in grappling with these realities of mission and ministry…. [click on the image above to view the detailed statistics]
Dr Sarah Holmes - Director of Research
30th June 2025
Easter Ministry Pulse of ministry with adults, youth and kids
Thank you to everyone who took part in the Easter Ministry Pulse….we had 260 responses. The winner of our Easter Ministry Pulse prize draw for a £50 Amazon voucher was Kate (pseudonym to protect anonymity), a volunteer youth community outreach worker in the Midlands.
See an inspiring message from Nick Shephard here
[click on the picture above to read our results]
Dr Sarah Holmes - Director of Research
29th April 2025