If you think you already know all about the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR), take another look. The NSYR is an ongoing study currently in the third wave of research. NSYR released a major report on wave two findings, Religion and Spirituality on the Path Through Adolescence , this past January.

NSYR Background

The first wave was a telephone survey conducted in 2002-2003 with adolescents thirteen to seventeen years old. The second wave was conducted in 2005 with a re-survey of the same group, then sixteen to twenty-one years old. Wave three is following them from adolescence into young adulthood.

You may be interested to know there were no ‘dramatic drops in religiosity that some might expect as teens mature’ (RSPTA, 31). It is also encouraging that the adolescents reported their own religiosity stayed the same or increased between waves one and two, with a small portion of the sample reporting a decrease (RSPTA, 31).

With the information from the first wave, we recognized that our youth are inarticulate about their faith, yet they follow the example of their parents in religious practice. Also, youth are positively influenced by participation in religious education and large group events.

Applications for Future Ministry

Looking at the first two waves together shows there is cause for hope! We as youth ministry professionals work to provide fertile ground for our young people to grow in faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. We need to cultivate our resources, parents, mentors, peers, anyone in the parish who can pray for youth, and evaluate and renew our efforts in providing comprehensive youth ministry. If we work to keep our young people feeling welcomed, valued, motivated, and involved, perhaps wave three will show a mature ownership and growth of belief and practice in the faith—mapped out in Renewing the Vision of Youth Ministry as the three goals for ministry with adolescents.