Assessing the Impact of a Paid Children, Youth, or Family Worker on Anglican Congregations in England

Abstract

Drawing on the survey conducted by Christian Research and commissioned by the Youthscape Centre for Research and One Hope, this study examined the impact of a paid children, youth, or family worker on the weekly attendance of 5- to 18-year-old children within 786 Church of England churches with adult attendance ranging from 20 to 250 people. Nearly one-third of these churches had a paid children, youth, or family worker (N = 259). The data demonstrated that on average the presence of a paid children, youth, or family worker added seven young people between the ages of 5 and 18 years to the total weekly Sunday attendance, after controlling for the weekly adult attendance figures.

Keywords:

• children’s workers
• church attendance
• Church of England
• family workers
• youth workers

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leslie J. Francis

Revd Canon Professor Leslie J. Francis, DD (Oxford), ScD (Cambridge) is Professor of Religions and Education within the Centre for Education Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry, England. He publishes in the fields of empirical theology, practical theology, biblical hermeneutics, and religious education.

David Howell

Revd David Howell, MA (Oxford) is a freelance consultant in higher education, further education and Christian youth work. He works with churches and Christian agencies across the UK to network youth work and youth ministry practitioners, advisors and leaders and to represent the sector generally.

Phoebe Hill

Phoebe Hill is a PhD student at King’s College London. Her interdisciplinary research combines systematic theology with ethnographic fieldwork in youth settings to construct theologies of Christian youth work. She is also a volunteer youth worker.

Ursula McKenna

Dr Ursula McKenna, EdD (Warwick) is a Research Fellow within the Centre for Education Studies at the University of Warwick, Coventry, England. Her research interest is education and the social significance of religion, including studies on young people’s values, and human rights.