Examination of Transitional Challenges Experienced from Junior Church to Youth Ministry in the Methodist Church in Kenya

Abstract

There are major challenges facing youth in the contemporary Kenyan society. These challenges have been propagated by urbanization, secularism, mass media, family, parenting issues and peer pressure. In addition, church leadership is providing blockages where some leaders say there is no space for youth program and children are not permitted to run up and down destroying the church properties. The Specific Objectives of the study was to; find out the effects of youth programs from junior church into youth in Methodist church in Kenya, Machungulu circuit, to find out the impact of church leadership in support of transition from junior church into youth in Methodist church in Kenya, Machungulu circuit, to find out the impact of recreational facilities programs from junior church into youth in Methodist church in Kenya, Machungulu circuit and to examine the impact of peer pressure in the transition period of junior church into youth in Methodist church in Kenya, Machungulu circuit. The study adopts a descriptive survey design. The target population for the study consisted church leaders, pastors, head of departments, parents and the youth in MCK Machungulu circuit. A total of 541 respondents were selected to participate in the study. Simple random sampling was used to pick the respondents. The researcher used questionnaires and Interviews schedules as the research instruments. The findings also showed that the majority of the respondents were aged between 31-55 years. Findings also showed that most employees are degree holders with a few being, diploma, post graduate and form four leavers indicating that respondents in churches are informed and can make sound decisions and thus level of education has a direct influence on the transition from junior church into youth. Study findings show that Youth programs greatly impacted on transition, with a mean score of 3.37. Youth programs ensure teaching and counseling are well done hence there is a smooth transition from junior to youth. This was followed by peer pressure with a mean score of 3.16. This was followed by recreation facilities programs with a mean score of 3.04. Lastly was church leadership with a mean score of 3.00. Some of the leadership styles may be not effective to transition. Future research should focus on more than four parameters of transition. Future studies should focus on other transition parameters and their effect on transition. Approval to carry out the study was obtained from Kenya Methodist University Ethics research committee (KeMUERC) and National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI). The data was analyzed according to variables and objectives of the study. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze, present and interpret data. Descriptive analysis was Applied, the frequency distribution tables and cross tabulation which generated values between dependent and independent variables in the study.