Research Articles
Written by Dr Sarah Holmes
on 9th July 2024
Is there a place for young children in the modern-day UK church? Investigating approaches to faith nurture in the early years
We’re excited to tell you that a new paper has been published investigating whether there is a place for young children in the modern-day UK church. This was co-written by Sarah Holmes, Emma Olorenshaw and Ann Casson.
Here are the key findings:
- It was very clear that families with young children do wish to engage with their local church and wider Christian community, but often find existing approaches unsupportive and unhelpful.
- Significant adjustments are therefore required by churches to adjust the ethos and approaches to faith nurture to better serve the needs of young children.
- We recommend more flexibility and inclusivity within the church environment, enhanced partnership with parents, and greater church focus on co-constructing faith nurturing pathways within the home and church context to align more with relationships within the child’s microsystem.
Read the paper in full if you want to think about this more in-depth and see some of the data collected as part of this project.
Read more...
Press Release: Investing Together
What does it mean to invest together? To authentically and meaningfully work together – collaborating between ministry organisations and denominations, across generations, between geographic regions, amongst those of different ethnicities, backgrounds and contexts? For the sake of sharing the gospel with the children and young people around us.
On 14th May, there was an inspiring, pioneering, informative gathering of 70 ministry practitioners and academics to consider how research insights could be used to inform and shape ongoing ministry amongst children and young people across the UK. The gathering was organised by the Institute of Children, Youth and Mission (CYM), Youthscape, Churches Together in England and the Free Churches Group. The aim was to work together to co-create a research-informed collective charter for the UK church about their interactions with children and young people in 2026...
Dr Sarah Holmes - Director of Research
21st May 2025
Researching how children’s faith changes
Funded by the Durham Common Awards Seedcorn grant, and in partnership with Trinity College, Cliff College and Liverpool Hope University, we are researching how practitioners understand the changing faith of children and young people. Please take a few minutes to share your views.
Dr Sarah Holmes - Director of Research
17th March 2025
Researching Racial Diversity in Youth and Children’s Ministry
We’re exploring how to enhance racial diversity amongst leadership of youth and children’s ministry? Do you have a story to tell? Any insights or experiences you’d like to share? Please tell us here. Funded in partnership with Westhill Endowment Trust and Liverpool Hope University.
Dr Sarah Holmes - Director of Research
17th March 2025