ArticleBlog | Youth evangelism today: powered by young Christians
Youth evangelism today: powered by young Christians
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 24.12.22
In 2020, as lockdowns came into place across the UK, the church’s relationship with young people was severely disrupted. With buildings closed and events cancelled, the usual sites for youth leaders to meet young people were cut off. Many churches lost touch with children and youth altogether.
Yet young people didn’t lose touch with each other. They were still having conversations online, maintaining connections and friendships.
This reminder of the importance of peer relationships among young people left church leaders with searching questions about what those relationships would mean longer term and their potential impact on young people’s faith.
How important are peer relationships in a young person’s faith journey? What do young people think or feel about the word ‘evangelism’? Do they share their faith, and if so, how? What can we, as the church, do to support them in being confident in talking about their beliefs? What do they need from youth leaders in order to do this?
The key question, and one with exciting possibilities, is: What if the best people to reach young people are their peers?
To answer this question, and others, a partnership was formed between Alpha, Church Army, Church of England, Hope Together, Scripture Union, Youth For Christ and Youthscape, who jointly commissioned a research project, Influencers.
