Young People and Christian Worship:
Experiences, Stories and Values
Purpose
The purpose of the Young People and Christian Worship (YPCW) study is to listen deeply to how young people, including teenagers and emerging adults (aged 13-29), experience public Christian worship in a range of liturgical contexts—Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant, evangelical and charismatic.
Instead of lamenting the absence of younger worshipers, or trying to counter demographic change, this study aims to shape better conversations about younger people and Christian worship by valuing the experiences and insights of teenagers and emerging adults who are already actively involved in Christian communities.
It is anchored in the theological commitment that young people are the church right now, not only the church of the future. They have valuable experiences and insights that can enrich how all participants understand and practice Christian worship.
“This study aims to shape better conversations about younger people and Christian worship by valuing the experiences and insights of teenagers and emerging adults who are already actively involved in Christian communities, instead of lamenting the absence of younger worshipers, or trying to counter demographic change.” —Rev. Sarah Kathleen Johnson, PhD, Co-Principal Investigator, Saint Paul University
Approach
This research is based at multiple sites in the United States and Canada and integrates various research methods including participant observation, focus groups, interviews and a survey. The first phase of the study took place during the summer of 2024 at six summer programs held on university campuses for high school students that are focused on Christian worship and often incorporate the arts. Most participants in these summer programs are also engaged in local congregations, making these excellent settings for listening to young people who are actively involved in Christian worship.
The programs represent six different Christian traditions and geographic regions and a range of forms of worship.
Animate
Samford University
Alabama
Evangelical
Awakening
Hope College
Michigan
Reformed
Ontario Mennonite Music Camp
Conrad Grebel University
Ontario
Mennonite
One Bread, One Cup
St Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology
Indiana
Roman Catholic
Worship Arts Lab
Azusa Pacific University
California
Pentecostal
Worship Lab
Baylor University
Texas
Baptist
“Worship matters to young people, and if we want to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ factors behind that statement, we need to consult young people themselves. Our research project is responding to that need, and I look forward to continuing to learn through it.” —Mykayla Turner, Doctoral Student Researcher, Saint Paul University
Research
Phase 1
- Focus groups with high school student participants (20 groups with more than 185 participants).
- Individual interviews (30-45 minutes) with emerging adult student leaders (69 interviews).
- A short survey completed by both high school students and emerging adults (155 responses).
- Participant observation of worship services and other activities (38 worship services, 29 days of observation).
Sample Questions
- What is most important about worship for you?
- Tell me about a time when you visited a worship service at a different church.
- What kinds of things do you think about, feel, or do during a worship service at your church?
- In your wildest dreams, what would the best worship service ever be like?
- What do you wish that other people knew about how younger people experience Christian worship?
Phase 2
The second phase of this study involves a nationwide survey in the United States that will be disseminated in the spring of 2025. Fieldwork will continue in the summer of 2025 at additional program sites that further expand the diversity of participants.
“We’re deeply grateful to the multitude of participants who were not only willing but enthusiastic to collaborate with us. From university program directors to ministry leaders, to lay mentors, to the young people themselves—so many offered their time, energy and vulnerability to make this project possible.” —Rev. Emily Snider Andrews, PhD, Co-Principal Investigator, Samford University Center for Worship and the Arts
Research Team
Co-principal Investigators
- Emily Snider Andrews, Assistant Professor of Music and Worship, Executive Director of the Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University
- Nelson Cowan, Director of the Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University
- Sarah Kathleen Johnson, Assistant Professor of Liturgy and Pastoral Theology, Saint Paul University
Doctoral Student Research Assistants
- Mykayla Turner, PhD Student, Faculty of Theology, Saint Paul University
- Erik Sorensen, PhD Student, Faculty of Theology, Saint Paul University
Undergraduate and Graduate Research Assistants
- Claire Alford, Undergraduate Student, Business, Samford University
- Tom Horner, Graduate Student, Church Music, Samford University
- Caroline Lewis, Undergraduate Student, Psychology, Samford University
- Noah Myers, Undergraduate Student, Music, Samford University
- Peyton Robbins, Undergraduate Student, Studio Art, Samford University
- Lori Walker, Undergraduate Student, Graphic Design, Samford University
Funding
- Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
- Future Church Project Grant, Baylor University
- Samford University Center for Worship and the Arts
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Institutional Grant, Saint Paul University
- Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Further Insights
- Research at CWA: Big Things are Coming! by Nelson Cowan and Emily Snider Andrews
- Awakening – The Impact of Worship Experiences on Young People by Mykayla Turner
- Immersed in Liturgy: Insights from Young Leaders at the One Bread One Cup Conference by Erik Sorensen
“Imagine how the church might flourish when we listen deeply to young people and help them live into the unique callings that God has placed upon their lives.” —Rev. Nelson Cowan, PhD, Co-Principal Investigator, Samford University Center for Worship and the Arts
Supporting Institutions
Young People and Christian Worship: Experiences, Stories, and Values (YPCW) is a collaborative research project jointly sponsored by Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario, and Samford University’s Center for Worship and the Arts, Birmingham, AL. Primary investigators include Emily Snider Andrews, PhD, Nelson Cowan, PhD, and Sarah Kathleen Johnson, PhD. The YPCW study is made possible thanks to generous funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc., the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Baylor University’s Future Church Grant program, and a SSHRC Institutional Grant from Saint Paul University.
“I am immensely grateful for this opportunity to learn from youth and young people. What I learned from these young people will help me to be a better minister to the communities that I serve.” —Fr. Erik Sorensen, SJ
