CYM dissertation - Philip Patterson by Institute for Children, Youth and Mission

Does Autumn Soul Help or Hinder the Youth Ministry in Local Churches? by Phillip Patterson

CYM Dissertation Showcase www.cym.ac.uk

Acknowledgements Grateful thanks to the following people who have supported and helped me throughout this project: 

The Staff of Centre for Youth Ministry Ireland.

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Those in St Mary’s Church of Ireland, Comber.

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Rev Dr. David Rock and Lisa Best from the Irish Methodist Youth and Children’s Department.

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The youth workers who gave up their time to be interview: Chris, Gemma, Sammy and Grace.

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Those young people who took part in focus groups from: Sydenham Methodist, Knock Methodist, Newtownabbey Methodist Mission and St Gall’s Church of Ireland, Carnalea.

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My Mother who was a constant help and gave sound guidance.

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My Father who gave constant encouragement and support.

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My Brother who kept me sustained with baked goods.

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My fiancé who in ten weeks will be my wife. Who also gave support and always had patience.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of youth worship events on local church youth ministry. Specifically, the study looked at whether Autumn Soul, a youth event run by the Irish Methodist Youth and Childrensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; department, helps or hinders the youth ministry in local churches. Research was gathered via two means. Semiâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;structured interviews were carried out with those who organise Autumn Soul and with four youth workers who bring young people to the event. Focus groups were held with four youth groups from the greater Belfast area that attend the event. The research aimed to look at three main areas. These areas were; the benefits of Autumn Soul upon young people; the impact of Autumn Soul upon the churches from which the young people attend; and the impact upon the faith of the young people who attend: focusing upon their view of church. The research has highlighted a number of points. Autumn Soul is beneficial to those young people who attend, and has the potential to be of even greater benefit. Autumn Soul is also beneficial to the local churches from which the young people regularly attend. The research brought to light the importance of church leaders processing an understanding of the event; its aims and purposes. The main issue that arose during the research was surrounding the churchesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to appropriately support the young people who return to their congregations from Autumn Soul and other similar events. In order for Autumn Soul to reach its potential churches need to be committed to working more closely alongside the event. Autumn Soul shares the same gospel and beliefs as local churches, but is able to do so through a relevant and engaging medium. However, for many churches this is an area in great need of development.

Contents

Chapter 1

Introduction

Chapter 2

Literature Review

Chapter 3

Methodology

Chapter 4

Findings and Discussion

Chapter 5

Conclusion

Appendix 1

Research Information Sheet for Participants

Appendix 2

Consent Form for Participants

Appendix 3

Questions for Organisers

Appendix 4

Questions for Workers

Appendix 5

Questions for Focus Groups

Bibliography

Ethical Clearance Form

Chapter 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Introduction

The culture around us is ever changing, life is fast moving, instantaneous, and ever growing, because of this young people are growing up in a world that is not constant. Pete Ward uses the words of Leonard Sweet to express how he has noticed culture and modernity change to the stage, which he defines as Postmodernity. “If the Modern Era was a rage for order, regulation, stability, singularity, and fixity, the Postmodern Era is a rage for chaos uncertainty, otherness, openness, multiplicity, and change” (2002, p.15). With culture change having a major impact on young people and their lives, youth ministry and its approaches are also changing, developing and growing to try and keep in touch with the world our young people live in. In light of this, the subject that I have chosen to study and research is youth worship events. Specifically the impact that such events have on youth ministry work, which takes place in local churches. The subject of youth events incorporates several key themes, which will be important when learning about and researching this topic. These themes are the youth culture that exists in our churches, worship and the impact it has on our young people and how they view church. The aim is to look at the influence of youth culture and the sub culture of youth events and their impact on young peoples’ faith and on the development of local church and local churches’ youth ministry. Consideration will also be given to the young peoples’ opinion of the wider church by looking specifically at their view of local church and the youth ministry provision it provides. Within Ireland the context in which I work there are a wide range of youth events. The range of events is so large that it is very hard to list them all. However, they include: 

Summer Madness (www.summermadness.co.uk)

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The Hub (www.1way-youth.org/hub)

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Mad Weekend (http://pciyac.org/events/mad-weekend/)

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Anois (http://www.anois.me)

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Relentless (https://www.facebook.com/RelentlessS4G)

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Turning Point (www.belfastbb.org.uk/index.php/eventsmain/turning-point)

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Scripture Union Northern Ireland Camps (http://suni.co.uk/su-events/)

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Scripture Union Ireland (www.scriptureunion.ie/index.php/camps)

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Autumn Soul (http://www.irishmethodist.org/imycd)

With so many youth events existing to cater for young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs, I have chosen to focus on one specific event, Autumn Soul, which is run by the Irish Methodist Youth and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department. The department is part of the Methodist Church in Ireland. Autumn Soul has been running for around eighteen years and takes place every year around the Halloween half-term holiday. It attracts over 500 young people annually from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland making it a truly national event. Researchers Personal and Professional Interest in Subject This area of research into youth worship events is of great interest to me as I have grown up within and I am now working in the area of Christian youth ministry. As a result I have seen the development of an event culture take place around me with many denominations and para church organisations developing events that they provide annually or occasionally throughout the year. I have gained a lot personally and spiritually from attending such events in my teens. I would attend on an annual and even monthly basis such events in which there would be modern worship and inspiring teaching, parts of which I was not receiving within my local church context. I would often attend with a large group of Christian friends from different church denominations and different areas of Ireland. Looking now at the local church and similar events there are many of this group who no longer attend church or volunteer at such events. It is this trend that I am interested in looking at further, to examine if this is a trend that can be seen throughout church youth ministry in my generation, or is it even present in youth ministry that is taking place in the local church at this time. Professionally I work with young people within a local church context. My role as the youth worker is to disciple young people; one tool that I use is weekends away or trips to such youth events. My hope for this piece of research is to further understand the impact of such events on my ministry. I wish to understand whether taking young people to events such as Autumn Soul is beneficial to the work that I do with young people or whether it has a negative impact on youth ministry in a local church context. Should I as a worker be taking my young people to such events if it does damage the local church and young peoples commitment to their local context? Do large-scale youth events help local church or do they have a negative impact?

Concluding Summary With these themes identified and these questions forming I have narrowed my dissertation research down to the title â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Does Autumn Soul help or hinder the youth ministry in local churchesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. I have chosen Autumn Soul because of its medium size compared to other events such as Summer Madness, (www.summermadness.co.uk) which is a larger event annual event or The Hub, (www.1way-youth.org/hub) which is a smaller bi-monthly event. I have also had a more experience of Autumn Soul while attending as a teenager, volunteering as a steward or as part of prayer team. More recently I have taken different groups as a youth worker. I hope these insights will also aid in my research.

Chapter 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Literature Review

I spent most of my teenage years attending youth worship events. These included: 

Mannafest: an event held on a Saturday night each month it consisted of worship and a speaker run by Youth for Christ Northern Ireland.

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Summer Madness: a Christian Festival held over five days at the start of July, which includes outdoor activities, worship, seminars, music gigs, cafes etc. Summer Madness was originally run by the Church of Ireland prior to becoming a limited company. It still has connections with the church.

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Autumn Soul: a weekend event held once a year comprising of worship, seminars, discos, cafes and teaching. The Methodist Church in Ireland’s Youth and Children’s department run Autumn Soul.

In working with young people I have observed an increase in youth worship events run by different Christian organizations that were not present when I was growing up. Due to this rise in events and what I am terming as event culture, (young people going from one event to another always looking for the next event) I have been interested in what popular Christian writers have thought of the trend and what input youth work writers have in understanding the effect it has on the whole church. When looking at the question, ‘Does Autumn Soul help or hinder the youth ministry in local churches’, it is not a specific subject area that writers have chosen to write about. However there are three themes within the literature, which I feel, will help me to have a good basis for research and understanding around the subject. The three themes in literature I have chosen are youth culture and the church, worship and culture and local church ministry specifically youth ministry. Youth Culture and the Church Youth Culture is ever changing, as Ashton states, “much has been written about youth culture, and some of us reckon we are beginning to understand it. In the world of music, arts festival, road show, magazines sport and media, excellent work has been done” (1995 p.2). However as he continues to develop his argument, he makes us understand that we may feel we can relate to young people better and understand what they like through interaction in our Christian youth worker roles but in effect is posing the question. If we understand young people and what they like why have we not been able

to bring more young people into our churches which are somewhat aging? Through looking at youth culture and the church a common theme has arisen. Which is while adults want young people to be present in their church and while they are trying to understand them, young people make the same adults feel anxious. Mark Yaconelli voices this opinion, also giving an interesting suggestion for why adults feel this way saying “they exaggerate and mirror adult postures that make grown-ups self-conscious and uncomfortable” (2006 p.12). While there is a want to understand young people and their culture from a church perspective, church as a whole, is even struggling to connect with current culture itself whether youth culture mirrors adult culture or not. “To be meaningful – and therefore worth pursuing – faith had to connect more obviously with the issues of lifestyle with which we now had to wrestle, and that meant it had to relate to this life here and now and not just in some esoteric notion of life in another word” (Drane, 2008 p.3) this extract shows the importance of churches reconnecting with the world around them making themselves accessible and relevant. Drane continues his train of thought noting the effect the failure of not doing this has on the attendance or commitment of young people, “Growing numbers of young people found little that spoke to them, and either left the church or never connected with it in the first place” (2008, p.3). When continuing my research these insights and themes of thought will enable me to look at what culture or non-culture Autumn Soul is connecting with and whether that is the same culture as the local churches from which the young people attend from connect to. Worship Worship is a hot topic in the church, often being a flash point for argument. While there are often arguments about style or what songs and hymns to sing it is central to Christian life. As William Temple phrased so well “to worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God” (Cited in Foster 1989, p.199). In the introduction to ‘Selling Worship’ Ward explores the change that has been seen in some churches styles of worship from traditional forms of worship to what he calls 12

“charismatic worship” incorporating popular styles of music from the current culture. Ward* expands “as one generation has given way to another, so more youth orientated music has been adopted by the church” this insight can be seen in some churches. However, in many of the churches that I have experienced this has not come to full fruition, and because of this the responsibility has been left to youth event organisers to introduce young people to new and more modern types of worship. While these events happen every year most of the responsibility for introducing young people to contemporary worship falls on youth leaders as they are the people who are working with young people on a more daily basis. Middendorf follows this line of thinking on the role of a youth worker but instead of trying to cover all the roles youth workers are asked to fulfill he asks the reader to as the book is entitled create a ‘worship-centered youth ministry’ (2000). While Middendorf highlights the need to create a culture of worship within youth work practice it is important that young people create their own identity. While this is true, the culture of consumerism has crept in and has influenced in part the way we now facilitate worship with young people. “Young people create their own cultures and subcultures by the choices they make when they go shopping. They are creative consumers: they make their choices consumer items in a symbolic way” (Ward 1993 p.41). This consumerist style of worship and worship events can be seen in the rise of the amount of merchandise that is available from t-shirt to CDs and how young people choose which events they want to attend due to the bands who are leading worship. With these insights in mind through the focus groups and interviews that I conduct I aim to look at the issue of added extras and how they affect the experience or the want to worship from the point of view of the young people. Youth Ministry In defining the term youth ministry I would state that youth ministry is youth work with the desire to develop young people while also involving a discipleship aspect at its core, but as Nash writes “it is impossible to give an overview of youth ministry today as it happens in so many diverse places: churches, schools, local projects, national organizations’” (2011 p.xvii). While it may not be possible to give an over all view of the youth ministry, I have focused my reading on local church youth ministry. While all

youth ministry is interconnected with so many young people going to more than one organisation or church activity I feel that this will be most beneficial when looking at my question. For many youth work writers, youth ministry is about creating a ministry that focuses on the individual. Focusing on the individual enables them to live their faith out rather than just being filled with knowledge. The aim of forming relationships is to provide a space to model and teach through everyday life. Speaking of his own experience Folmsbee shares; “for nearly ten years I saw discipleship training as filling students with as much theological information as I could before they graduated high school – in hopes that they would not also “graduate Jesus” when they completed school” (2007 p.39) he continues with *idea of a new type of youth ministry that enables young people to grow spiritually through relationship with the worker. This form of discipleship is known as incarnational ministry or relational youth ministry. Ward, in what he calls the nurture stage of relational youth work, supports this description of youth ministry “The aim of nurture is to see a group of young people start to explore the Christian faith themselves” (1999 p.71). While this aim of nurturing relationships is what most youth workers try and achieve, it in reality is often hard to achieve due to the small amount of time that workers get to spend with young people: sometimes only twice a week or in some cases less. Hickford highlights “for a young person to have any real chance of being discipled, the youth group had to be so good that it became the dominant peer group” (2003 p.104). One place Hickford highlights that this influence or impact can be achieved is through times spent in community such as residential trips. Ward supports this, terming such times of community as experiences, “when we share experiences we develop intimacy” (1997 p.53). Continuously the writers put the emphasis on relationship, giving the impression “relationships are key to a healthy ministry!” (Fields 2002 p.82).

Chapter 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Methodology

The purpose of this study was to look at the impact of youth events on youth ministry in local churches specifically the impact of Autumn Soul on the churches that bring groups each year. Autumn Soul has over 500 young people attending each year; this total does not include the leaders or the vast amount of volunteers that facilitate the event. Due to the event being a national event, those who attend Autumn Soul come from all over the island of Ireland from places such as Cork, Dublin, Enniskillen, Lisburn, Belfast, Coleraine and Ballymena. This gave a wide range of possible participants who could take part in the research. With the amount of possible participants from all over Ireland and a small time scale in which the research could take place the decision was taken to narrow the research field down. Therefore, the research was focused on church groups within the greater Belfast area. When planning research three types of participants were chosen to target for taking part in the study. The first demographic of participants were those who organise the event. This would include the members of staff of the Irish Methodist Youth and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s department who are responsible for the organisation and implementation of the event. It was hoped this would give a more in depth picture of the event, its aims and purpose and give insight into the opinions of those people who help organise. The second group, were those who bring young people to Autumn Soul, either paid workers or volunteer youth workers. The reason for their inclusion was that they know the young people whom they bring. They see first hand the effects that events can have on young people and also experience how they react once they return to their local churches. They would give an overview of experience. The third demographic of participants are those young people who attend annually or have attended in the past. The study revolves around the influence Autumn Soul has on young people and the ministry conducted with them in a church setting. Therefore, it was important to gather their experiences and views on the subject. With these possible participants identified it was then important to decide which method of research best suited each type of participant. Two methods of interviews were chosen to collect data and aid research these being semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Both of the forms of research are qualitative rather than quantitative. 16

Punch defines quantitative research as research that uses “numerical data and, typically… structured and predetermined research questions, conceptual frameworks and designs” (2005, p.28). Bell defines the qualitative research as a method that sees the researcher as “more concerned to understand individuals’ perception of the world” (2010, p.5). It is qualitative research that best describes the aim to gain an insight from the three participant groups into their views of the event and its impact. Semi-structured Interviews Semi-structured interviews were the first choice of research method when looking at gaining information and material from both event organisers and youth workers or youth leaders. This form of interview allows for a wider range of content to be covered. Whilst this method does have a list of questions its purpose is “to let the interviewee develop ideas and speak more widely on issues raised by the researcher” (Denscombe, 2010 p.175). This process allowed for the interviews to be beneficial, in developing further the themes and issues that are raised or brought to light within the interview. Interviews with those who organise the event were completed first. This enabled a picture of the event to be created in which the response could be measured. These interviews provided background information. Both organisers who took part in the study gave answers that matched; this occurrence was felt to give a strong starting point of the research and a clear picture of Autumn Soul. Both interviews were conducted in the offices of the Irish Methodist Youth and Children’s department. When planning research it was decided that the aim when asking youth groups to participate was to ensure that while the young people would take part in focus group the workers of the same groups would* take part in interviews. This allowed for possibility of common themes from across both methods of research to be highlighted and* was hoped *would give a greater picture of the impact of the event on workers and young people alike and from this the impact on the local church may be seen. Four workers or leaders interviews were conducted as part of the study. While the main purpose of this method of research was to develop further themes, interviews also have advantages, which encourage their use. Denscombe (2010, pp.192193) presents a range of eight advantages. From the eight-presented four of the

advantages finalised the decision for the use of interviews in the research process. During the process these advantages were evident as research was carried out. 

“Depth of information” throughout an interview questions can be edited or added to follow certain lines of probing allowing for depth of information that may not have been gained if the same questions were asked within a questionnaire. A range* subjects were covered in depth giving a beneficial overview of experience and opinion from the point of view from worker and leaders alike. Laws supports the thinking that focus groups are beneficial when depth of thinking is wanted they provide what “people think about an issue – their reasoning about why things are as they are, why they hold the views they do” (2003, p.299)

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“Informants’ priorities” with face-to-face interview, interviewees are able to explain and expand their answers showing their opinions and ideas. As previously mentioned through experiences and opinions expressed, the participants priorities were brought to the fore.

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“Validity” Interviews allow for direct contact, which enables the interviewer to monitor data for relevance, rather than later looking through large amount of data and screening it then. The interview process also allows for the judgment of statements and truthfulness of answers.

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“Therapeutic” interviews are a more personal approach to research allowing for personal interaction and opportunity to build a relationship. I enjoy learning and thinking through discussion so I feel that through interview I would be able to do this to an extent. Interviews were beneficial due to prior relationships with those being interviewed it also proved a positive experience in discussion and probing interviewees around specific areas of this study.

In comparison to advantages Denscombe (2010, pp.193-194) also highlights seven negatives in using interviews as a method of research. Five out of the seven have been focused on due to the experience of using this method for this study. 

“Time-consuming” Travelling to and from individual interviews can be time consuming for an hour-long meeting. Along side this, collection of data can also

be time consuming. If in the instance of this study the interview was recorded then the transcribing of a collection of interviews can be a long process. While travel was not time consuming in this instance due to the chosen geographical area. It was the planning of meetings, which was most difficult, and time consuming. 

“Data analysis” Due to each participating having their own opinions or understanding questions differently, each question does not have a standard answer. Therefore, a wide range of answers means a large amount of data to decipher.

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“Reliability” Due to an interviewer being present consistency and objectivity may be affected. Both are not always achievable and vary. This is especially true in this study as all participants were known prior to the study, therefore prior relationships could have had an impact upon the data collected.

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“Interviewer effect” This area of disadvantage is based around what people say rather than what they do. This can be partly down to what interviewees think the researcher may want to hear or down to their opinions. Opinions do not always match with actions.

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“Resources” Interviews can use a lot of resources. Due to the cost of travelling or providing for refreshments for during meetings depending on the venue.

Focus Groups Focus groups share many of the advantages and disadvantage put forward by Denscombe this is due to the method of research falling under the category of interviews. The main disadvantage that was evident was the time consuming nature of focus groups, while there were a small number completed. The arranging and conducting of the groups still took time. With focus groups it is sometime difficult to keep young people focused, while this was seen in some of the research it did not have a negative impact on the research. Though similar to semi-structured interviews through having a set of prearranged questions. Focus groups in my opinion are more open to discussion due to larger numbers of participants and a greater range of opinions. One reason for this is because “it is less intimidating to speak in a group than in a one-to-one interview with a stranger” (Fraser, 2004, p.167). It was felt that this form of research was better suited to the young people who would take part in the study. 19

The aim of using focus groups was to create conversation around similar subjects that were covered in interviews with organisers and workers. Four focus groups were arranged with four different churches. Three were from the Methodist church in Ireland while a fourth was a Church of Ireland church. The four chosen were spread out across the greater Belfast area. It was hoped this range of churches would provide different contextual backgrounds: 

Traditional Worship or Contemporary Worship present in church services

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Different social indices within the churches community

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Different denominational aspects

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Different sizes of youth attendance

All four focus group proved beneficial to the research and brought out new themes and areas of focus that had not been previously thought about. Reflection on Research Process and Data Collection When reflecting on the research process, there are a few areas, which if the research were repeated would be completed differently or managed in a different way. Firstly, research organization. If repeating the process this would be the first area I would focus upon. The time of year in which the research took place is one of the busiest times for youth groups due to groups starting again after the Christmas break as well as some young people having school exams. Due to this, the research ended up being spread over a longer period of time, which had an effect on the study. In future timing and organisation of research must be focused on to ensure the research take place during the preferred time scale. A second consideration would be the size of focus groups, as Denscombe states “ideally, focus groups have six to nine people in them” (2010 p.177). This was communicated to those leaders who agreed to aid in the organisation of focus groups within their youth groups, however these numbers were not possible to attain in all the groups that took part. While ideal numbers where not obtained twenty young people took part across the four focus groups. Whilst not an ideal number this still generated a large amount of data to collect and analyse. In some circumstances if there were many more young people present during the process not as in depth input could have been gained.

At the outset of the research the audio of interviews and focus group were recorded, this was to enable every input to be collected in the event notes were not recorded fully this enabled me to check the â&#x20AC;&#x153;wording of any statementâ&#x20AC;? (Bell, 2010, p.167). Recording the audio created over five hours of data to listen to which will provide a lot of work to analyse and work through. The final aspect of the process, which stood out, was improvement of interview technique as more research was completed. Research was at competent level and the success of generating conversation in focus groups improved as the ability to make those who were interviewed to feel at ease, improved. This was due to increased confidence in the questions that were being posed and increased research experience.

Chapter 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Findings and Discussion

During the completion of research three sets of participants were included; event organisers; youth workers; and young people. Each set of participants brought interesting discussion and points of view when looking at the question of whether Autumn Soul helps or hinders the local churches’ youth ministry. Within this section of the study findings from research will be focused on and the question tested in the light of the answers, which were given. Research Conducted With Organisers Research began with the interviewing of those in charge of organising and developing Autumn Soul as an event. The aim of interviewing organisers was to develop an understanding of the event, its purpose, its aims and how those aims are measured. I also focused on how those who organise Autumn Soul feel the event impacts young people and the local church. Autumn Soul is run and developed by the Irish Methodist Youth and Childrens’ Department also known as IMYC. During this part of the research process two staff members of IMYC were interviewed, both were interviewed using the same questions. When reviewing the research gathered both members of staff provided answers with similar themes. The two members of staff that took part were the Reverend Dr. David Rock Team Leader of IMYC and Lisa Best the Youth Ministry Coordinator. David oversees all work that run by the Youth and Children’s Department while part of Lisa’s job among other tasks is the planning and running of Autumn Soul. Both interviews started with a focus on the history of the event and its purpose. Autumn Soul has been running for around eighteen years and started with around 100 to 150 young people attending the first year the event was held. Autumn Soul developed out of what was “seen as a need to bring young people together” (David Rock, 21/2/14). The event has now grown to over 500 young people attending on average each year. With these numbers of young people attending there are over 150 leaders and volunteers also taking part and aiding in the provision of the event on a yearly basis, making the total number involved around 600. With the history and attendance discussed the interviews then focused upon the purpose of Autumn Soul, what a successful event looks like and how success is measured. The purpose or vision of the event focuses around three specific areas: 23

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Deep Worship - to encounter God

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Good Teaching - to go deeper with God

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A Challenge to Serve - to live for God

These three areas are worth focusing upon to develop a wider understanding of how they are fulfilled and how each of the areas can impact on young people and the local churches’ youth ministry context. Deep Worship and Good Teaching When discussing deep worship it was highlighted that what is meant by this is not just simply sung worship it is “much more than just singing” (David Rock, 21/2/14). The aim in worship in Autumn Soul is provide different ways in which young people can encounter God. Examples of ways in which God could be encountered were things such as storytelling during meeting times and drama being presented whether by youth groups who are attending or an outside company brought in by those who organise the event. Alongside these methods of encounter, space for individual creativity is also given, allowing young people to paint, draw and even use clay to express themselves and encounter God during worship sessions. With a strong focus on worship the same emphasis is put upon the teaching that is given to the young people who attend the event. There have been a wide range of speakers at Autumn Soul throughout the eighteen years of the event. David expressed that speakers are chosen carefully, specifically saying that no speaker had been invited unless someone from the organising committee has heard them speak previously. A Challenge to Serve The final area of focus on vision is the challenge to serve. David explained that this is an important aspect of Autumn Soul when encountering God in such a way. As the young people do so through the worship and teaching the challenge is to take that back to “your local church, to your everyday life” (David Rock 21/2/14). Throughout the weekend the aim is to encourage young people to serve. Some of the ways in which young people are given the opportunity to serve which David shared were things such as mission trips organised by IMYC, through partner organisations such as Tear Fund and Scripture Union and through their local church when given the opportunity.

One point that stood out for me in this part of the interview was that Autumn Soul as an event is giving young people an opportunity to serve as part of the event. The phrase used by both David and Lisa that stood out was an “event run by young people for young people”. David further backed this up saying that he was the oldest on the organising committee with many of those involved in their twenties, he also highlighted that responses during this year’s event were led by a nineteen year old. While challenging young people to serve the event itself is providing an opportunity; not just leaving an empty challenge without giving the young people the opportunity to experience service. One of the most obvious examples of the opportunity to serve is through the Autumn Soul Band. As David and Lisa both explained the Autumn Soul Band is made up of young people and young adults who have attended the event in the past giving a space and opportunity for young people to develop and grow in gifts and abilities that they already have. This process has been so successful that the band is on “its 5th or 6th incarnation since it began” (David Rock, 21/2/14). This initiative has been very successful, seen in the most recent auditions for the band in which all who auditioned where “brilliant” (David Rock, 21/2/14) and because of this there is now what David termed as a “pool of young people” who can be called upon to help lead worship at Autumn Soul or during the year at other events. This is directly applicable to Wards nurture stage I highlighted within my review of literature, “The aim of nurture is to see a group of young people start to explore the Christian faith themselves” (1999 p.71). This is what Autumn Soul is providing through the opportunity to serve. Further Themes and Discussion Outside of the vision and purpose that is presented for Autumn Soul several other areas of interest were highlighted during the course of the interviews. One such area is that of success and feedback. For those who organise Autumn Soul, success is not based on growth in numbers or based on how many young people became Christians, rather success for those who plan and facilitate the event is based upon whether young people and those who attended experienced God. In my opinion this is hard to measure but is a valid indicator of success in a discipleship minded event. While no measuring indicators for success were given feedback and its forms were explained.

Feedback mainly takes place through questionnaires completed by youth workers or leaders who bring groups to the event. While leaders fill in the feedback forms they are also encouraged to seek the opinions of their young people. Another form of feedback that Autumn Soul has started to use is social media such as Facebook and Twitter. On social media young people are encouraged to like the IMYC page on Facebook or follow the IMYC profile on Twitter doing this allows staff to share online feedback tools such as questionnaires in an environment in which young people spend time. At the most recent Autumn Soul, which I was able to attend, social media was once again harnessed to enable young people to share feedback in the form of photos showing a view of all aspects of the event. During the interviews both participants were asked about the possible benefits given by Autumn Soul for young people and local church. This area of study allowed for a greater focus on the question of whether Autumn Soul helps or hinders local church youth ministry. This line of questioning provided the opportunity to weigh benefits and impacts on the local churches from which the young people come from through the perspective of those who organise the event. Two of the benefits mentioned that I feel have an impact or a relevance to the question are the connections made with young people throughout the island of Ireland and the safe space created during the event for the young people who attend. When looking at the benefit of the range of connections made by the young people through the event a community can be seen to be forming. This aspect of the event is important to the wider church because young people can see that they are not alone in attending church or having a Christian belief. The benefit in this is the young people are becoming encouraged by the numbers of other Christians their age whilst also seeing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;bigger pictureâ&#x20AC;? (David Rock, 21/4/14) of the Methodist church in Ireland. Surely this encouragement of faith and larger understanding of the church can only benefit local church youth ministry. The second benefit is the idea of creating a safe space in which young people feel free to express themselves. While termed as a benefit it is the opportunities and experiences that are possible in this safe space of Autumn Soul that has the biggest impact on young people. As mentioned previously Autumn Soul provides opportunities to serve and

experience God in ways that young people may not have experienced before. The safe space allows this to continue and young people to develop and grow whether this is spiritually or personally. In my opinion young people who have a deeper relationship and wider understanding of God can only impact local church youth ministry positively. Impact on Local Church Youth Ministry Following questions about the benefits David and Lisa were then asked about what impact they felt Autumn Soul has on local church. Some positive aspects that were raised were, the idea of young people being enthused, being given a fresh passion and energy and encouraged to serve their local church. Autumn Soul is also seen as a place to gain some new ideas and approaches for leaders and young people to take back to their context. While this is the hope this may not actually be transferred into the local church when young people return. While Autumn Soul should have a great impact upon the work of youth ministry in the local church, it is the church itself that may not allow for this to take place. David expressed this thought saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There can be significant benefits for churches but only if churches are open enough to allow for those benefits to be seenâ&#x20AC;? he then went further and expressed that he was totally convinced that not all of the local churches are open to allowing benefits to be seen. He also raised that this lack of openness can lead to frustration on the part of young people due to having the experience and the gifts to serve but lack the opportunity to participate in local church. David also shared a story of a minister asking him if the Youth and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department could make Soul Mates (8-13 age bracket version of Autumn Soul) and Autumn Soul not as good. David shared his response of countering the comment explaining that its not about the event being good but rather how the young people are engaged and encouraged in new ways of encountering God. IMYC try to encourage the use of Autumn Soul by local church and clergy, once again David explained the conscious decision to invite Methodist ministerial students to Autumn Soul to serve through the prayer team. The aim of this is to show these future local church ministerial leaders the benefit of Autumn Soul to the young people who may be in their context. The hope of doing this is to encourage these students who will lead churches to avail of the event and its benefits to local church and youth ministry.

While those who organise have an insight into benefits that they feel the event possess, those who bring young people to Autumn Soul may have greater insight into effects on local church and its youth ministry.

Research Conducted with Youth Workers and Leaders Following interviews with those who organise the event it was felt that the next logical step was to interview those who as part of their job or as part of their service to a local church bring young people to Autumn Soul. Interviews conducted with workers followed as closely as possible the same areas of questioning as organisers. The decision to do this was to enable the answers to be comparable across the three forms of research. Once again the interviews centered around the benefits seen by youth workers who take groups to the event and around the impact that such an event has on their youth ministry in the local church. Four youth leaders or workers were interviewed. Interviewees firstly were asked why they take groups the answers given were similar. Four main reasons were highlighted. Firstly, Autumn Soul acts as a marker for the year providing a vocal point, the organisers had also raised this idea showing the importance of rhythm and markers in a youth ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; year. Workers also stated that they brought their young people because they thought the event was really well run and feedback given was taken on board. Workers also view it as beneficial to their young people. Either due to the opportunity to make connections as the organisers had mentioned or the ability to spent a reasonable length of time with their groups; spending time building and developing relationships. From my own experience as a youth worker the opportunity for young people to spend time away from their local church is also beneficial. The final reason was simply that young people want to attend Autumn Soul and workers bring a group because of this each year. With an understanding of why the workers themselves bring young people there was a focus on the benefits and negative of such effect on young people.

Benefits and Negatives Expressed by Workers While some benefits were expressed as a reason for bringing young people to Autumn Soul when asked specifically about benefits the workers answers who were again similar. Other than connecting with other young people their own age something that David highlighted, workers stated that Autumn Soul allowed young people to experience God in new ways, because of how the event caters for a variety of young people. Each worker also mentioned the importance of speakers, seminars and fun aspects of the weekend. Outside of building relationships with other church groups and experiencing God in new ways one worker shared that Autumn Soul provides things young people may not receive in their local churches. When asked about negatives all workers talked about what they termed as massive spiritual highs to spiritual lows. Autumn Soul focuses on enabling young people to encounter and connect with God, one worker shared that this is not always beneficial, as some young people may not feel they connect and because of this they have false guilt in their Christian walk. Those who were interviewed explained how young people then compare Autumn Soul and local church something that may not be totally helpful to youth ministry or local church, one worker continued - sharing that Autumn Soul can give young people a false model of church. The comparing of church to Autumn Soul is the area in which local church youth ministry is impacted on most. Prior to research I had similar experiences in taking young people to events from which they returned measuring church against the event. The four workers whom I interviewed said that this was the biggest issue that they themselves faced. One worker talked about young peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; false expectation of what church should be, while an other talked about the struggle and the feeling of trying to entertain and provide something to the same standard of Autumn Soul and the feeling of failure when this is not achieved. Another worker talked about how young people can â&#x20AC;&#x153;live for the next eventâ&#x20AC;? and don't look at church as valuable this was backed up by one worker talking of the experience of young people without wisdom returning and wanting to completely change their local church to look like Autumn Soul. These negatives can hinder a local church ministry if not handled in the right manner.

Further Discussion and Relative Points While some negatives were expressed and discussed during the interviews, workers made it clear that the benefits outweigh the negatives. One worker stated that while he had expressed negative aspects they may have been more “worries about big corporate worship weekend events and when managed it the benefits that you see more than the negatives” following this the worker did feel that Autumn Soul are good at managing the negatives such as high emotions and that this has improved in this over the last few years. One theme that was mentioned earlier as a benefit was the idea of Autumn Soul as a marker in the year. It was one worker’s comments on the matter that highlighted this idea. The worker presented the opinion that such a rhythm was biblical. The example he gave was that of the festivals presented in the Bible, “you have the model of lots of people coming together to worship God at various time during the year and then going back to their normal day to day lives”. He continued talking about how this is a rhythm, a way of life that we have been given and it is positive to have several of these gatherings throughout the year. While he was talking primarily about youth events he also shared that he thought it was important to have similar things for an adult context. The idea of events throughout the year is not new. It can be seen in the festivals described in the Bible such as Pentecost (Act 2:1-4, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8), Passover (Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12) and Tabernacles (John7:2,37). Festivals and special gatherings can also be seen in the modern Christian Church Calendar in which we have, Christmas, Lent and Easter all times in which people gather together to worship on specific dates for a specific reason. This theme of time spent together was also seen in the literature I reviewed with Ward expressing the importance of time spent together saying, “when we share experiences we develop intimacy” (1997 p.53). Autumn Soul is often a time when this is seen to be true for workers and young people alike. To conclude the interview with each worker they were asked the research title: does Autumns Soul help or hinder local church youth ministry, each of them concluded that it helped if used appropriately. Specifically one worker termed Autumn Soul as a “tool” to be use as part of ministry.

Research Conducted with Young People Through Focus Groups Research conducted with young people took the form of four focus groups with youth groups in the greater Belfast area. Three of the groups were Methodist while one was from the Church of Ireland. Along side different denominational ties the churches from which the groups came were situated in areas of different social-economic areas. The purpose of this was to try and gain an insight into the view of Autumn Soul from a large variety of young people from different backgrounds and areas of Belfast. Each focus group followed the same list of questions to ensure there was a consistent process for each group. As in the interviews with workers and organisers the questions followed similar themes of questioning to enable a constant through each different demographic of participants. The questions for focus groups can be grouped into three different areas, benefits, difference between church and Autumn Soul and impact on faith. It is these groupings from which the research gathered through the focus groups will be focused upon. Benefits Focus groups were asked a range of questions within these young people who were participating in the research were asked what benefits they felt they gained from attending the event. With the four different groups the answers covered a wide range of thoughts and perceived benefits. Within this section those answers, which appeared across all four groups will be analysed. Benefits mentioned by young people who attend Autumn Soul included: time spent with God, gaining new ideas or resources for local church, new friends, learning through speaker and the presence of no distractions. While all of these were mentioned the two benefits seen across all the focus groups were prayer ministry provided and the sense of belonging to a bigger community. Prayer ministry was also mentioned in answers to other questions asked during the research but all the groups felt that it was a benefit they gained from the event or rather they gained benefits from receiving prayer ministry during the worship times. As a youth worker myself this is encouraging to see that young people see benefits in prayer and asking others to pray for them. As mentioned in the research with the organisers

one aim of Autumn Soul is to provide a space to encounter God this shows that this is felt and experienced by the young people through this aspect of the event. One young person expressed the feeling of Autumn Soul as a “safe space” and that is why he felt prayer ministry benefited him. This recognition of a “safe space” fulfills the aims of organisers previously mentioned. A sense of belonging to a bigger community was given as a benefit by all of the groups. This benefit was articulated in a few different ways from being able to interact with other groups to meeting new people and even was articulated by hearing and discussing other people’s views and sharing personal faith stories with each other. One young person commented that “it allows you to interact with other people who are Christians and you are able to talk about stories with them and share your stories of being a Christian”. This was once again encouraging but in this instance because of the desire of those who organise Autumn Soul to create an understanding of the bigger community of the Methodist Church of which the young people are a part of. While understanding they are part of a larger community the young people, making connections with other Christians and groups, is also encouraging. This theme was continued through other answers in which the young people talked about going to other local churches’ youth services and building on those relationships outside of the context of Autumn Soul. Church and Autumn Soul Within the area of questioning around church and Autumn Soul, the aim was to make young people think about differences and impacts from their experience of the two. The young people were asked directly about what aspects of worship appear in church that are not in Autumn Soul and vise versa. Some of the focus groups found these questions harder to answer. This may have been due to them being younger or not having previously thought about what aspects of Christian worship or community appear in either. One group out of the four were quite forward with their answers and presented a deeper thought process than some of the other groups. When reflecting on this, I feel that this was due to them being an older group compared to the others who had possibly thought about these aspects more than those who might have only attended Autumn Soul once or twice previously.

When groups were talking about what is present in church but not at Autumn Soul each group focused on the sense of family not being present and the older and younger generations not being present at Autumn Soul. While this is an obvious observation, in my opinion it shows that family being present is important to the young people who were part of the focus group. The observation about older and younger generations also shows me that they value the connection and joining of all three age groups. As previously mentioned prior to the theme of family and all generations together, the young people also identified a sense of belonging to a larger community. Both these themes are tied to the biblical view of the church as a body, specifically Christ’s body expressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians (12:12-31). This can further be seen in Acts (2:4247) where Luke sets out a picture of the early church and how they worshipped, shared fellowship together and encountered God in new ways. Compared to the positive sense in which the group talked about family and other generations not being present in Autumn Soul the young people’s answers about what was at the event but not in church came across with negativity. This was due to what seemed to be a belief that the aspects that they mentioned should be included with church. This is similar to the observation of a worker previously mentioned of how young people returned wanting to change church. This is similar to what Ward described in my literature review, “Young people create their own cultures and subcultures by the choices they make when they go shopping. They are creative consumers: they make their choices consumer items in a symbolic way” (1993 p.41). My thought is that young people want the same culture that is present in Autumn Soul to be present within their local church context. When reflecting on what aspects of Autumn Soul are not present within their local churches all of the answers were centered on the worship sessions and aspects of worship that the young people wanted to be seen in their local churches. Aspects of worship mentioned were the worship band, sense of freedom in worship, other young people, space for reflection and once again prayer ministry. What struck me when reading this list is that all of these aspects of worship are attainable in a local church context, except the Autumn Soul Band. However, one worker did comment that some members of the worship band attend the church in which he works but young people do

not respond in the same way as at Autumn Soul when they lead worship. These issues I feel are not Autumn Souls problem rather they are more for the local church to discuss and explore with their young people. Impact on Faith When discussing the impact of Autumn Soul on their faith all but one group overwhelmingly said that the event had had a major influence on their faith journey and spiritual development. Within this area of discussion some young people shared that Autumn Soul has been one of the places in which they thought about Jesus and Christianity. One young person also shared that Autumn Soul was the place that he became a Christian. Other young people spoke of significant moments of encounter with God during worship or in conversation with others Aside from encountering God and expressions of faith other young people described how each year they find a fresh challenge and always take away something from the weekend. Reflecting on these answers this impact could be explained by the quality of the event which the young people attend or in the fact that they are in an environment were hundreds of young people are together seeking God and are more open to His voice or encounters. Whatever may explain the reasons for such an effect and impact on young people this spiritual development and growth in young people can only impact on local youth ministry in a positive way. Conclusions When answering the question â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Does Autumn Soul help or hinder the youth ministry in local churches?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; from reflecting upon the research and my findings I feel the research points to Autumn Soul being a help to local church youth ministry. However Autumn Soul helps only if churches use the event itself properly and if there is follow up work completed with the young people who have attended. With this outcome to the research I feel that there are two areas that need to be addressed, these are training for ministers and church leaders and further resources for after the event.

When talking with and interviewing those who took part in the research the outcome of talking about Autumn Soul and its impact on young people shows that it had many benefits for the young people who attend. Many young people look forward to going and encounter God in new ways. What is evident is the disconnection that is present between the event and the local church. Autumn Soul is to be used as a tool to help the local church in the ministry that it provides whether that is through providing ideas to use or to give a fresh enthusiasm and passion to young people returning to their home churches. My belief is that the problem comes when returning to the local church context. Not all leaders or ministers understand the impact such events can have on the spiritual development of a young person and because of this are unsure how to work with them when they return. My recommendation would be to provide further training to those who lead the local church in how Autumn Soul fits into the work of the Irish Methodist Youth and Children’s Department but also the work and the impact it can have on the local church if it is used and even collaborated with when working with young people. Alongside training I also believe that resources for after the event would be beneficial to young people and youth workers alike. The resources may have themes that are looked at during the event that can be followed up and developed in the following weeks or may help in daily devotions. This would ensure that young people would have some support or mechanism in which they can process the things they have learnt and experience after the event however limited. Central to the problem in local church of young people connecting to local church is the idea of a relevant church to which young people can connect. When looking at literature I previously mentioned Drane’s thoughts on young people’s connection with the church, “Growing numbers of young people found little that spoke to them, and either left the church or never connected with it in the first place” (2008, p.3). From my research it is evident that young people connect with Autumn Soul, which shares the same gospel message as the church they often struggle to connect with. I have come to the share the opinion that Ward presents, “that a relevant gospel also requires a relevant church” (2002, p.13). This is a challenge to the church as a whole to look and explore their relevance in today society not just to young people but also to all generations.

Chapter 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Conclusion

When looking at the question of ‘Does Autumn Soul help or hinder the youth ministry in local churches?’ several themes can be seen in the research findings. The consensus of those who attend, organise or bring youth people is that Autumn Soul helps local church youth ministry. This can be seen in the range of benefits on offer and by the opportunities given to the young people who attend. Autumn Soul has become a marker in the year for many youth groups including some that took part in this study. The event has a major impact upon the faith development and understanding of encountering God for many of the young people who attend. This can then shape and develop their understanding of how local church should be. This can sometimes be a hindrance to the work carried out at a local level. There are other factors that can also cause the event to become a hindrance to the work done in a local setting. These can be a lack of understanding of its impact, a disconnection between some young peoples’ understanding of how to encounter God and a local church’s understanding and approach to encountering God. There are some areas which the research has shown which could be worked on and developed further, these include: 

Developing understanding of the event and how it fits into a youth ministry program alongside the other Irish Methodist Youth and Childrens’ Department events.



Develop ministers and leaders of the local churches knowledge of the event and it benefits for local church.



Developing opportunities for follow up through a possible resource, which can be taken away after the event that young people and youth groups can use.

One thing of interest I noticed when I conducted the research was the passion and enthusiasm with which each young person talked with about Autumn Soul and their experiences at the event. Each group had stories of spiritual growth as well as stories of fun and times of community as a group. This was echoed by the workers who expressed its importance in their youth ministry calendar for group dynamics and the importance it has had on their own personal and spiritual growth while leading the young people in their care.

The importance of such events is evident from the experiences shared with me during the research. When the young people and leaders were asked if they attend or take their young people to other events every group listed several other events similar to Autumn Soul whether national events such as Summer Madness or local youth services held by young people in their home churches. This attendance of a range of events highlights the importance of monitoring and evaluating the events, which our young people attend. This indicates that these events are now a central part of youth ministry within in the Northern Ireland context. These findings will impact my own work and how I will design and implement my future youth ministry structure. With a greater understanding of the event and its purposes I will now be able to work on different aspects of those things that can cause hindrance to the positive impact that Autumn Soul can have on a young person. Some of the work will focus around providing opportunities in which the young people within my care can serve their local church. Other areas of possible work will be with the wider congregation and leadership of the local church in training and developing their understanding of such events and how relationships after the event can have a major effect on its lasting impact. I will also seek to develop a follow up strategy in which young people will be allowed space to process their experiences at such events and material that will support them in the weeks following. Future Research and Implications It is important to take into account that the research for this study was carried out on an event run for a national audience. Therefore, the research conducted and the findings are only fully relevant to churches within the greater Belfast area. If I were to carry out similar research or develop this study further it would be important to widen the field of research. One possible method of doing this is focusing on the Dublin area to generate a picture of views and opinions in the Republic of Ireland rather than just Northern Ireland. Other possible developments could include creating other methods of research that may allow for a greater intake of information from across the island of Ireland such as a questionnaire or focus groups in areas of a greater church population. The amount of people who participated would also have to increase drastically to give a wider view

of Autumn Soulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impact on youth ministry in different contexts across the island of Ireland. While the graphical reach of the study could be widened those who participate as part of the research could also be developed. Other demographics of those who could take part in the research could be parents or guardians of young people who attend. This may provide greater insight into the impact of such event on young people once they return home. Alongside parents and guardians, local church leaders such as ministers could be included in the research participants this inclusion could provide a greater insight into the impact of young people returning from events on the local church while also providing their views and opinions on such events and their impacts on the wider church. I also see benefit in research that could be conducted on the four main churches youth provision and comparing their effectiveness and approaches to youth events. This would be a major undertaking but could show on a Northern Ireland level or an all Ireland level the impact that local youth ministry and events has on the greater church the four main denominations and the Christian church across Ireland.

Word Count 10,683

Appendix 1

Information sheet for Dissertation Study title and information At this time I am part of a university degree through the Centre for Youth Ministry, accredited by the University of Gloucestershire. The degree requires me to undertake a piece of research into a topic of my choice for the writing of a dissertation. The title I have chosen to research is: "Does Autumn Soul help or hinder the youth ministry in local churches?â&#x20AC;? The two main forms of research I have chosen to use are interviews and focus groups. If you are reading this information sheet you have been asked if you would take part in either of these two methods of research. Below outlines what each requires from you as a participant. Focus group: If participating in a focus group you will be in a group of around 5-6 people. The purpose of the focus group is to have a structured conversation around the subject of the dissertation title. During the session I will act as a facilitator and run the discussion. The session will last for around an hour and all you need to bring is yourself and a completed consent form. The session will be recorded to enable myself to collect your input. Interview: The interview process will be similar to that of a focus group but will be on a one to one basis. Differently to a focus group the hope is to have a more in-depth conversation around the dissertation title. The session will also last for around an hour and all you need to bring is yourself and a completed consent form. The session will be recorded to enable myself to collect your input. Confidentiality If you wish to take part in the study but would like for yourself or your organisation to remain anonymous then please tick the appropriate boxes on the attached consent form. Data Storage All data will be kept securely; when in written form the data will be kept in a locked filling cabinet and when digital will be stored on my personal hard drive to which only I have access. About consent If you are willing to take part in the study, please sign and return the attached consent form. If you are under the age of 18 parental consent must also be given on the attached 41

form. Withdrawal from the study is possible at anytime. Withdrawal If a participant withdraws at any time during the research all data relating to the withdrawn participant will be destroyed and removed from the study. If you wish to withdraw from the study or have any questions please contact me through the below information. Philip Patterson 12 Ardenlee Avenue Belfast Co. Down BT6 0AA Tel: 07742760557

Appendix 2

Consent Form Please tick the statements that are relevant to you. 

☐I confirm that I have been given and have read and understood the information sheet for the above study and have asked any questions that I have had. I have received answers to those questions that I have asked.

☐ I understand that my taking part in this study is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving a reason and without my rights being affected in any way.

☐I understand that the researcher will hold all information and data collected securely and in confidence.

☐I understand that if I am under 18 years of age I must obtain parental/guardians’ consent before taking part in the study. I understand they must sign and declare their relationship to me in the appropriate space below.

☐I wish to take part in the study but want to remain anonymous. ☐I wish to take part in the study but want my organisation to be anonymous. ☐I agree to take part in the above study.

Name of participant

Signature

Date

Name of participant’s parent or Guardian (If applicable)

Signature

Date

Name of researcher

Signature

Date

Appendix 3

Organiser Questions Name of Interviewee:

Date:

1. Could you tell me the history behind Autumn Soul

2. How many young people on average attend each year?

3. What would you say is the purpose of Autumn Soul?

4. What does a successful event look like to you?

5. How do you measure success?

6. How do you gain feedback and from who?

7. What benefits do young people receive from attending Autumn Soul?

8. What benefits do churches receive from Autumn Soul?

9. How in your opinion does Autumn Soul influence the local church?

10. What are the best aspects of Autumn Soul in your opinion ?

11. What are the worst aspects of Autumn Soul?

12. What aspects of Autumn Soul would you like to develop further?

Notes / Any other thoughts

Appendix 4

Questions for Workers Name of Interviewee

Date:

1. Why do you take young people to Autumn soul?

2. What benefits are there for young people?

3. Are there any negative impacts on young people?

4. Does Autumn Soul benefit you as a youth worker?

5. What impact does Autumn Soul have on your youth ministry in __________?

6. Does it raise any issues or problems?

7. Do you take your young people to other events?

8. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique about Autumn Soul compared to these other events?

9. Does Autumn Soul help or hinder the youth ministry in your Church?

Any other thoughts/notes

Appendix 5

Questions for Focus Groups Group name and Numbers:

Date:

1. When you hear the word church what do you think?

2. When you hear the words Autumn Soul what do you think?

3. Does Autumn soul benefit you? If so how?

4. Does Autumn soul benefit your church? If so how?

5. What did you like most about Autumn Soul?

6. What did you like least about Autumn Soul?

7. What is present in your church that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t at Autumn Soul?

8. What is present in Autumn Soul that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in your church?

9. Has Autumn soul had an impact on your faith?

10. Do you attend any other events?

11. Does Autumn soul help or hinder your churches youth ministry?

Other Notes

Bibliography

ASTON, M., MOON, P. 2007 Christian Youth Work Milton Keynes: Authentic Media BELL, J. 2010 Doing your Research Project 5th Edition Maidenhead: Open University Press DRANE, J. 2008 After McDonaldization London: Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd FIELDS, D. 2002 Your first Two Years in Youth Ministry Grand Rapids: Zondervan FOLMSBEE, C. 2007 A New Kind of Youth Ministry Grand Rapids: Zondervan FOSTER, R. 1989, Celebration of Discipline Reading: Hodder and Stoughton. FRASER, S. 2004 Doing Research with Children and Young People London: SAGE Publications HICKFORD, A. 2003 Essential Youth London: Spring Harvest Publishing LAWS, S., HARPER, C., MARCUS, R. 2003 Research for Development: A Practical Guide London: SAGE Publications MIDDENDORF, J. 2000 Worship-Centered Youth Ministry Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press NASH, S. 2011 Youth Ministry London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge PUNCH, K. F. 2005 Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches, 2nd Edition. London: SAGE Publications WARD, P. 1993 Worship and Youth Culture Glasgow: Marshall Pickering WARD, P. 1997 Youth work and the Mission of God London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge WARD, P. 1999 God at the Mall London: Hendrickson Publisher Inc. WARD, P. 2002 Liquid Church Carlisle: Paternoster Press WARD, P. 2005 Selling Worship Cambridge: Paternoster Press YACONELLI, M. 2006 Contemplative Youth Ministry London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge

Online Sources SUMMER MADNESS, 2014. Homepage. (Online) Available at: <www.summermadness.co.uk> (Accessed 16th April 2014). CROWN JESUS MINISTRIES, 2014. Hub Homepage. (Online) Available at: <www.1wayyouth.org/hub> (Accessed 16th April 2014) PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND, 2014. Youth and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Homepage. (Online) Available at: <www.pciyac.org/events/mad-weekend> (Accessed 16th April 2014) CHURCH OF IRELAND YOUTH DEPARTMENT, 2013. Anois Homepage. (Online) Available at: <www.anois.me> (Accessed 16th April 2014) SERIOUS4God Ireland, 2014. Elim Youth Departments page. (Facebook) Available at: <www.facebook.com/RelentlessS4G> (Accessed 16th April 2014) BOYS BRIGADE NORTHERN IRELAND. 2014. Turning Point information page. (Online) Available at: <www.belfastbb.org.uk/index.php/eventsmain/turning-point> (Accessed 16th April 2014) SCRIPTURE UNION NORTHERN IRELAND. 2014. Events information page. (online) Available at: <www.suni.co.uk/su-events> (Accessed 16th April 2014) SCRITURE UNION IRELAND. 2014 Camps information page. (Online) Available at: <www.scriptureunion.ie/index.php/camps> (Accessed 16th April 2014) IRISH METHODIST YOUHT AND CHILDRENS DEPARTMENT. 2014. Homepage (Online) Available at: <www.irishmethodist.org/imycd> (Accessed 1st April 2014)

Ethical Clearance Form

Section A Student information

Name: Philip Patterson

Address: 12 Ardenlee Avenue, Belfast, BT6 0AA

Tel. No.: 07742760557

Email: pwj.patterson@virginmedia.com

Regional Centre: CYMI

Title of Dissertation: Does Autumn Soul help or hinder the youth ministry in local churches?

Section B

Initial declaration This investigation will include formal study of children, young people or vulnerable adults / No

Yes

This investigation will include formal study of adults / No

Yes

If you have answered YES to either statements above, then it is presumed that you are completing an Empirical -based Dissertation. You must complete Sections C, D E and F.

You will also MUST include a copy of your Consent Form and Information sheet for human subjects.

If you have answered NO to BOTH statements above, then it is presumed that you are completing a Library-based Dissertation. You must go straight to Section E and obtained your tutor's signature only, then complete Section F.

Section C

Please answer the following questions, and give details if answering Yes (or if necessary to explain No):

Does the study involve participants who are particularly vulnerable or unable to give informed consent? This study will include, opinions and statements from young persons under the age of 18, therefore parental/guardian consent will need to be sought.

Yes / No

Will the study require access to groups or individuals because of their membership of a particular group, organisation, place of study or dwelling place? (e.g. particular youth group, school, community group) The study will involve members of Christian youth groups and those from Christian youth organisations. These may include staff from the Methodist Youth and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department or members of St Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth, the placement in which I work.

Yes / No

Will it be necessary for participants to take part in the study without their knowledge/consent at the time? All participants must give consent before they take part in the study.

Yes / No

Will the study involve discussion of sensitive topics not usually addressed in your placement work? . The study will not include topics of a sensitive nature.

Yes / No

Could the study induce psychological stress, anxiety, or cause harm or negative consequences beyond the risks encounter in normal life? Due to the study not containing sensitive topics, psychological stress and anxiety should not be induced

Yes / No

Will financial inducements (other than reasonable expenses) be offered to participants? Financial inducements will not be offered.

Section D The investigation that you are about to begin is potentially harmful to participants. You are being judged on four issues: Is your study valuable enough to ask other people to give up their time? Have you considered that some people might not want to take part in your study, and how they will say no (the issue of informed consent)? How can individuals leave the study if they wish to? How are you going to store and use the information you have gained?

1. What do you hope to achieve through this study? Through this study I hope to look at three specific areas: The effectiveness of large scale youth events, the ability of the local church to provide follow up support to young people after their experiences at such events and the impact that these events have on individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over all Christian journey. 2. How will the study be carried out? (e.g. interviews, questionnaires, observation) To carry out the study I will use three methods. The three methods that I have chosen are: interviews, questionnaires and focus groups. I have chosen these methods for a variety of reasons. I have chosen to try and interview adults who are involved in the implementation of events or who take young people to such events. Interviews will allow for further discussion on questions that would be included within a questionnaire. The holding of focus groups will enable constructive discussion to take place around the subjects in which young people and youth workers can talk about the issues together. Often people do not have the time to meet for interviews or focus groups if this is a problem during the research I will therefore use questionnaires as they are more likely to be filled in and allow me to have a larger range of views than interviews or focus group would allow. 3. How will you collect and store the data (e.g. recording, written notes) When conducting interviews I will use my smartphone to record the interview while also taking notes of points that I think are important. For focus group I will also take notes of themes that are relevant and points that are raised. The notes taken will then be typed. When storing the information voice recordings and notes will be kept on my personal hard drive that I only have access to. Questionnaires that are filled in by hand will be kept in a locked filling cabinet; those questionnaires filled in electronically will also be stored on my personal hard drive. 4. How many participants will be recruited, and by what criteria will they be selected? For Interviews I will aim to recruit around 10 participants. The participants I am aim to select for interview will be youth workers who take young people to events and will also be those who help organise and provide Autumn Soul as a youth event. For Focus groups I aim to have around 30 to 40 participants. The focus group will be recruited from youth groups and organisations that take young people to Autumn soul on a regular basis. 5. Outline your plan for gaining informed consent (a) initial approach Initially I plan to email those who may take part in the study with an information sheet explaining the topic I wish to study and informing them of the process of taking part in the study.

(b) individual consent Along with the cover letter I will also include a consent form, which the participant will sign to commit to and give permission for the information they give to be used within my study. (c) ability to withdraw Within the cover letter and on the bottom of the consent form there will be contact details that will allow the participant to contact myself by a certain date to allow for me to remove the information from my study and that they wish to withdraw. (d) parental consent Within the consent form there will be a section for those who are under 18 to obtain parental consent. 6. Do you foresee any potential adverse effects of the study? I do not foresee any adverse effects of the study.

7. Will confidentiality be maintained and if so how? (a) Confidentiality of the INDIVIDUAL? Within the consent form the participants will be given the option to remain anonymous. If this is the case their personal information will not be published within the study.

(b) Confidentiality of the AGENCY? Similarly to individual consent organisations and placements may also declare that they wish to be anonymous. The procedure will be the same as individual confidentiality; information such as organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name will not be published within the study.