Youth involvement in the great commission, in promoting a healthy Anglican church in Kilungu sub-county, Makueni county, Kenya

Abstract

The youth are the most energetic group both physically and emotionally. If their energies are tapped, harnessed and well utilized they are a great blessing to church and society. If not, they are the most vulnerable group because their energies can be abused. Youth involvement and participation in all church activities is a powerful tool in the Anglican Church. They are not only numerically stronger than the rest of the groups, they are also physically strong to serve God. The church needs to take urgent and drastic measures to involve youth in the implementation of the Great Commission mandate. The study examined the involvement of youth in the Great Commission in promoting a healthy Anglican church in Kilungu sub-county, Makueni County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to: explore Biblical and the constitutional provision on the involvement of youth in the great commission in promoting a healthy Church in Kilungu Sub-County; assess the participation of youth in the great commission mandate in promoting a healthy Anglican church in Kilungu sub-county; evaluate the constitutional provisions on youth involvement in the great commission mandate in promoting a healthy Anglican church in Kilungu sub-county and enhance strategies of involvement of youths in the great commission in promoting a healthy church. The study employed two theories; the mediation theory and the social learning theory. Primary and secondary sources of data collection were used. The study used simple random sampling and purpose sampling to collect data through questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions respectively. Data was collected from a sample of 399 respondents and 6 Focus Group Discussions. Analysis was done through SPSS and results presented in graphs and tables. The findings indicated that a sizable percentage of youths regularly participated in youth related programs in the church further giving them spiritual nourishment. There was a substantial association between mentoring schemes and young people engaging in church programming. The majority of the young adults as captured in the study do not take part in any kind of mentoring program at their churches. Further, majority of them did not take part in any kind of mentoring program at their churches. About a third (32.9%), however, regularly attend worship services between once and three times a day. The study concluded that certain obstacles prevented young people from joining church programs while youth involvement in church programming within the Anglican Church was significantly correlated with future leadership roles within the church. It is recommended that youth awareness campaigns should be structured in a way that introduces them to the programs and highlights the potential advantages of participating. The clergy should get mentoring programs education. Due to the novelty and complexity of youth ministry, all parish ministers in the Anglican Church should take a refresher course on it on a regular basis as part of the church's ongoing commitment to continuing education.