Youthful Church: A Study of British Christian Youth Events and Community Culture

Abstract

Within contemporary culture, events dominate our leisure activities, and churches are not exempt from this trend. In the context of a study of church youth events, this research focuses on the wellbeing aspects of three growing churches and their youth events activities. In exploring the conceptualization of the eventization of faith, the research considers aspects of youth development, including wellbeing, from a Christian perspective. The aim of the paper is to identify and consider the influences of wellbeing in the purposes, content and outcomes of such faith events and their contribution to wellbeing in these temporary youthful church communities. It examines the concept of wellbeing through the cultural medium of events, focusing on case studies of the youth events of three independent, non-denominational, evangelical churches in the United Kingdom.