Passing on the faith to the next generation has been an on-going challenge for the Church, for Christian families and faith-based schools. Now the churches of Australia are finding it even harder to meet the challenge.
While around 30 per cent of all Australian young people attend a church-run school, connection with churches continues to decline, despite the growth in some mega-churches. Of those who attend as children many cease to do so during their teenage years. Of those who do attend as teenagers, more than half say that, although church communities are generally warm, church services are typically boring and not relevant to them.
More than 80 per cent of young people believe there could be a spiritual dimension to life. But less than 10 per cent of young people have actively explored religions or spiritualities other than the Christian faith, unlike the generation in their 40s and 50s who make up the majority of New Age 'Seekers' and those interested in alternative spiritualities. For most young people life revolves around the enjoyment of life, which they find primarily with their friends and family and in excitement-generating activities. They value music greatly and often turn to music to express themselves, to reflect or to change their moods. In the long term, many see the way to an enjoyable life as being through success in their studies and finding an interesting job.
While many have a sense of purpose and feel good about themselves, nearly one in five young people said they were hurting deep inside and nothing seemed to help. Breakdown in family relationships is the most significant contributing factor. Some young second or first generation immigrants also feel this way, as they find themselves caught between the culture of their parents and the Australian culture. Others find it difficult to make sense of life because they have no clear beliefs about the world and their place in it. More than 80 per cent of young people say that, at least sometimes, they find it hard to know what to believe about life. A great many are simply uncertain what life is about. One third of all young people say they are unsure whether there is a God. While one-third say they believe in reincarnation another 22 per cent think reincarnation may be true. Twenty-five per cent believe in astrology and another 19 per cent say 'maybe' they believe in the influence of stars on their life. While they are often clear about what the schools or churches want them to believe, young people are quite sure that they must make the decisions about what to believe themselves. They are not willing to simply accept the authority of church or school, but are searching for what works for them.
These results of a four year study of young people involving more than 350 in-depth face-to-face interviews, 1200 telephone interviews, and 3500 questionnaires have been published in a new book by the senior research officer of the Christian Research Association, Dr Philip Hughes. In Putting Life Together: Findings of Australian Youth Spirituality Research, Hughes argues that the challenge of engaging with young people has cross-cultural dimensions. He challenges the church to think again about how it can engage young people in a world where networks have replaced organisations as the basis for community, and where religious belief is seen as being a personal decision rather than something inherited, given authority by a community of faith.
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