Youth ministry as an agency of youth development for the vulnerable youth of the Cape Flats

Abstract

Religiosity has a profound role and influence on youth development within a community. Religiosity promotes risk reduction and positive moral characteristics and thus remains an avenue of opportunity for transformation in considering the lived experiences of vulnerable young people living on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape, South Africa. The Cape Flats is an area that is overwhelmed with unemployment, poverty, gang violence, chemical substance abuse and a general societal abandonment of young people. It is out of dire hopelessness that a meaningful relationship with God can be experienced by youth. The Cape Flats is, therefore, a fertile space for an intervention of religiosity. This article will research how the agency of youth ministry as a positive youth development can assist in youth development within a community in tension like that of the Cape Flats. While youth development is a broad category for consideration and research, this article will primarily focus on identity formation of young people, in particular, the vulnerable youth living on the Cape Flats.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The agency of youth ministry, in an evangelical epistemology, should seek to address the influencers on adolescent identity formation, as one’s identity has a direct bearing on faith formation. The potential outcome of the article would allow the youth ministry to take serious the impact of the lived realities of youth and adjust their programmatic designs and outcomes, in relation to youth faith formation.

The prevalence of religiosity and association between religiosity and alcohol use, other drug use, and risky sexual behaviours among grade 8-10 learners in Western Cape, South Africa

“…As a starting point, one could borrow a leaf from a faith-based intervention in the USA that encouraged a discussion of health topics among youths during or after the religious services for the AOD use and risky sexual behaviours. Furthermore we could use findings of establishment youth ministry on the influence of youth development in Western Cape, South Africa [22, 60]. Another potential avenue is to include religiosity in AOD use and risky sexual behaviour reduction interventions by promoting higher religiosity among those religious adolescents with low religiosity who are already using AODs.…”

“…One of the potentially important modifiers of risky behaviours is religiosity, which continues to be highly prevalent in South Africa despite rapid social change [22]. Religiosity played an important role in the lives of South Africans during the Apartheid period where churches and other places of worship provided people with an opportunity and place for both worship and for meeting to address the political challenges of the era [23].…”

Religion Associated with Strong Positive Youth Development In North Carolina County

“…By including the study of Cho and others (2017), it would indicate that the current researcher would evaluate both positive and/or negative perspectives, clearing away the bias of the person. In the continuation of the cultural and social lenses, "Youth Ministry as an Agency of Youth Development for the Vulnerable Youth of the Cape Flats" study by Garth Aziz (2017) based in Cape Flats, South Africa, performed a correlational study to enhance and support their own research, leading them to starting a youth ministry in Cape Flats whereby it became an agency of positive youth development in South Africa. Aziz's (2017) study concluded that a youth ministry in a community would decrease tensions between youths and construct an effective and meaningful relationship, contributing to their positive youth development.…”

Skollies in My Skool - Menings Wat Saak Maak/Skollies in My School – Opinions That Matte

“…'n Kommerwekkende bevinding is dat jeugwerkloosheid jong mense se breër maatskaplike verwantskappe verminder, maar hulle kontak met vriende versterk (Zeng, 2012). Probleme van werkloosheid gee dus aanleiding daartoe dat jong mense kwesbaar is vir die betrokkenheid by skoolbendes, aangesien bendes finansiȅle sekuriteit verskaf (Aziz, 2017). Verskeie studies toon dat onveilige areas en geweld gekoppel is aan onderontwikkeling (World Bank, 2011).…”

“…Kaapstad was 11de op die wêreldlys van die gevaarlikste stede (Stats SA, 2018). Studies het bewys dat armoede, werkloosheid, verstedeliking, en 'n verswakte finansiële omgewing, bydra tot die toename van geweld (Ansell, Hajdu, Van Blerk & Robson, 2019;Aziz, 2017;Breen et al, 2019;Howell, 2019;Collier, Elliott, Hegre, Hoeffler, Reynal-Querol, & Sambanis, 2003).…”