What do young people in the Seventh-day Adventist church need to grow and maintain a close relationship with Christ? Adventists in Europe are hoping to find the answer through an extensive study that will mine the thoughts of young Adventists living in European countries. The study, Valuegenesis Europe, is based on a similar study done in the United States in 1990 and again in 2000.
In the U.S.-versions of the study, researchers studied what role the combination of Adventist schools, homes and churches played in helping students develop faith. Building on the experience of the previous Valuegenesis surveys (in the U.S. and the South Pacific), the research committee for the European study, made up of lecturers and experts from Friedensau Adventist University in Germany, Saleve Adventist University in France and Newbold College in England, tailored the study to reflect the European culture. The study seeks the participation of those between 14 and 25 years old.
“Because there isn’t a large network of Adventist schools in Europe, this study will be focusing on the impact of family, church and society among young Adventists in Europe,” says Manuela Casti, director of the José Figols Centre for Youth Ministry based at Saleve Adventist University in Collonges-sous-Saleve, France. Casti is also a lecturer at the school’s theological seminary and is primary organizer of the Valuegenesis Europe research.
“Our young people are so exposed to society,” Casti says. “Eighty percent of their lives have influences other than church. The questionnaire hopes to discover how young people are receiving Adventist teachings and practices, if they are involved in church life and the church’s relevance to young people. We hope to see if we can do better and find new ways to reach them.”
V. Bailey Gillespie—a professor at La Sierra University in Riverside, California—was very involved in the Valuegenesis studies in the U.S., which he says resulted in the most extensive data on Adventist kids. Gillespie is also director of the John Hancock Center for Youth and Family Ministry, based at La Sierra. The first studies resulted in 27 publications and two books. Gillespie is consulting on the European studies.
He notes that because this study will not take into account Adventist education, the results could be very different than what he found in American Adventists.
Some of the differences could result from living in a postmodern society. Casti expects that postmodernism will play a significant part in the results. However, Gillespie thinks that based on similar studies done in Australia and Northern Europe, the differences between the impact of postmodernism on young Adventists in America and in Europe will be minor. “We are impacted by postmodernism here just as well,” he says.
Casti does not agree: “The U.S. is still very much more involved and sensitive to church life in general. Look at the percentage of church attendance in U.S. It is much higher than Europe. While here churches are becoming more and more empty. In the Northern countries [of Europe] the percentage of people that regularly attend church is below 10 percent.”
“Churches are not perceived as a necessary part of individual life anymore,” she continues.
Casti calls the situation analphabet. “Not knowing religion,” she explains, “is like not knowing how to read or write. Religiously speaking, many [in Europe] don’t know the grammar of religion.”
When asked what she believes is responsible for declining church attendance in Europe, Casti shares one theory: “One of the weaknesses of the church is the family transmission of faith. It is not just the Adventist church but everywhere. Religion is now private. Families have not transmitted religion as connected to an institutional choice. In many cases, famil[ies] delay choice of religion to when young people are big enough to make the choice themselves.”
But she says religion is not completely out of the question for European Adventists today because “young people are deeply interested in spiritual things.” European youth leaders are hoping that Valuegenesis research will show youth leaders how to reach young people and keep them in the church.
“There isn’t just a fear of losing our young people—it’s [already] happening,” says Paul Tompkins, youth ministries in the Adventist church’s Trans-European region.
“Young people are [not only] the present, but also future leaders of the church,” adds Corrado Cozzi, youth ministries director for the church in the Euro-Africa region. “We need to know what our youth are expecting in the future for the church. We must prepare them to be the future leaders of the church, but [first] we must know how to.”
“Through this study we want to make sure we are hearing our kids,” says Tompkins.
The study, which is expected to last until March of 2007, is a partnership between the youth ministries departments in the Adventist church’s Euro-Africa and Trans-European regions and will only include the countries in Europe. The study has already started in Portugal and Italy. Every few months the study will be available to two or three more countries.
The Valuegenesis questionnaire is available only online and requires a password. Adventists between 14 and 25 may get the passwords from their youth directors.
Because the study is done online, organizers say raw data will be available more quickly. In depth analysis will take place later.
Gillespie notes that the Valuegenesis studies in the United States had a powerful impact on youth ministries and led to some changes in the Bible study curriculum for young people.
“The North American research team is looking forward to the European research so we can contrast and compare our youth with those overseas,” he says.
For more information see www.valuegenesis.org.