Christian youth work: teaching faith, filling churches or response to social need?

This essay explores the purposes of Christian youth work. It responds to Collins-Mayo et al.’s contention that youth work is an ineffective medium for faith transmission and building faith communities and to their affirmation of the church’s role in this. The analysis is based on research with young people aged between early teens and early 20s, who are engaging with Christian activities in Birmingham. The discussion highlights young people’s experiences of rejection by their churches, demonstrating that community membership is not always on offer. A model is presented that illustrates how youth work can be, but is not exclusively, a connecting influence between young people and church.