Dissertation Library

The research took place over a four month period and the study investigates the impact of short term international experiences on the faith development of young people. It aims to outline how these experiences can be best used to promote faith development in young people.

The study outlines and examines existing literature on International Experiences, Short Term Mission and Faith Development providing the reader with background information on these three key areas. The researcher worked with three faith based youth organisation within Northern Ireland who regularly send teams of young people internationally. The research was carried out using a range of methods including desk research, interviews, focus groups and questionnaires.

The research suggests that the short term international experiences do have a significant impact on the faith development of young people. The researcher examined six main themes that were identified from the data collected and from these was able to identify factors which positively influenced faith development in young people taking part in short term international experiences.

Conclusions were made regarding how these factors could be used to help youth workers strategically develop short term international experiences that would best promote faith development in the young people going.