scholarly journals Getting young adults back to church: A marketing approach

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C. Van der Merwe ◽  
Anské F. Grobler ◽  
Arien Strasheim ◽  
Lizré Orton
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Church Attendance ◽  
Services Marketing ◽  
Personal Relationships ◽  
Church Membership ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Church Service ◽  
The Church ◽  
Marketing Approach

Worldwide, church membership is decreasing. A decline in the number of young adults that attend church services is also evident. The purpose of the research was to determine whether the application of a well-established body of knowledge of marketing theories and principles could be used by churches to encourage young adults to return to the church. The application of services marketing to the church as a non-profit organisation is discussed by focussing on non-physical and physical atmospheric cues in the church’s servicescape that could enhance church attendance. A quantitative approach was used by testing the opinions of 200 church service attendees of different denominations. The findings indicated that certain elements in the servicescape of a church may be useful in attracting young adults. It was found that music is a strong determinant of whether young adults attend church services, followed by layout and design of the church and then by the signs and symbols used in the church. Females reported significantly higher levels of positive perceptions concerning the layout and design. Although the research showed that some marketing elements, such as a positive servicescape, could improve church attendance, other personal elements such as forming personal relationships with fellow Christians and God need to be further explored.

Faith in networks: Religious education of Dutch young adults in a 'post-ecclesial era'

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-66
Author(s):  
Ton Zondervan
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Church Membership ◽  
Religious Institutions ◽  
Religious Learning ◽  
Miroslav Volf ◽  
Modern Context ◽  
Practical Theological ◽  
The Church

In the Netherlands church membership amongst young adults is declining drastically, but interest in religion remains. It takes on other forms, which are found mostly outside the traditional religious institutions. This has important implications for religious education and, concomitantly, for the church as a place of religious learning. In this article I focus on the issue of the localization of religious education, in a society that is transforming into a network-society. My social-theoretical analysis also implies ecclesiological and practical theological issues. Starting from Schillebeeckx' notion of 'negative ecclesiology' I discuss the issue of the need for new ecclesiological metaphors for places of religious learning in a post-modern context, responding to Pete Ward and Miroslav volf. I will also argue that a shift from an ecclesiological to a hermeneutical perspective is needed to be able to reflect adequately on the lived religion of most of contemporary young adults.

Encouraging an Organic Ecclesiology for Adolescents: Deconstructing the Church from Institution to Instituted

2016 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-48
Author(s):  
Harmen van Wijnen ◽  
Rein Brouwer ◽  
Marcel Barnard
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Church Attendance ◽  
Church Membership ◽  
Protestant Church ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

The relationship between adolescents and the church is troubled. Recent quantitative research in the Netherlands has shown that church membership and church attendance of adolescents are at an all-time low. This article tells the story behind the numbers, based on the results of qualitative research among adolescents in five small groups affiliated in some way with the Protestant Church in the Netherlands. Based on their perspectives, it can be concluded that the relationship between adolescents and the church is indeed problematic, mainly because of the institutional and organisational characteristics of the church. This article suggests that a new, organic approach, beyond the traditional institutional and organisational perspectives, is needed for the Protestant Church and its associated youth organisations.

Church and Society in Aberdeen and Glasgow, c. 1800–c. 2000

2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 707-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETER HILLIS
Keyword(s):  
Church Attendance ◽  
Church Membership ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Suburban Areas ◽  
The Social ◽  
Church And Society ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Church

This article discusses the relationship between Church and society in Aberdeen and Glasgow, c. 1800–c. 2000, with specific reference to levels of church attendance and membership, alongside the social and gender composition of church membership. Despite contrasts in economic development, both cities experienced a sharp decline in levels of church attendance. However, this decline was partly offset by an expanding membership in suburban areas such as Bearsden and Cults. The article confirms previous analyses of religion and social class, but further reinforces more recent research which highlights the important role of women in the Church.

Recounting the Empowerment of Women in Rural Areas of KwaZulu-Natal from Information and Knowledge in the Fourth Industrial Revolution Era

Libri ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenrose Jiyane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
The Body ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Fourth Industrial Revolution ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Critical Resource

Abstract The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) marks the new, advanced era of development in humankind, and globally countries are in the process of ensuring their citizenry’s readiness. In South Africa, various governmental departments, organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and non-profit organisations (NPOs) are making efforts, through their plans, talks and actions, to attain this status for all her people, particularly women in rural areas. However, the development of women in the rural areas for empowerment remains a concern in developing countries. Consequently, there is a dire need to ensure the developmental status for women in rural areas in the advent of the 4IR, and this paper seeks to demonstrate that information and knowledge may be instrumental in empowering women in rural areas to strive in the 4IR. Accordingly, information and knowledge are a critical resource contributing to the empowerment of women in rural areas for their development. An exploratory question is raised to determine whether South Africa is ready for Fourth Industrial Revolution. The outcome of this paper will contribute to the body of knowledge advocating the importance of information and knowledge in the empowerment of women in rural areas. Significantly, it will generate insights for policymakers on the important role of information and knowledge for women’s development.

The City, the Countryside and the Social Gospel in Late Victorian Nonconformity

1979 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 415-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. W. Bebbington
Keyword(s):  
Church Attendance ◽  
Church Of England ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Working Classes ◽  
The People ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
The Social ◽  
The City ◽  
The Church

The late nineteenth-century city posed problems for English nonconformists. The country was rapidly being urbanised. By 1881 over one third of the people lived in cities with a population of more than one hundred thousand. The most urbanised areas gave rise to the greatest worry of all the churches: large numbers there were failing to attend services. The religious census of 1851 had already shown that the largest towns were the places where there were the fewest worshippers, although nonconformists gained some crumbs of comfort from the knowledge that nonconformist attendances were greater than those of the church of England. Unofficial surveys in the 1880S revealed no improvement. Instead, although few were immediately conscious of it, in that decade the membership of all the main evangelical nonconformist denominations began to fall relative to population. And it was always the same social group that was most conspicuously unreached: the lower working classes, the bottom of the social pyramid. In poor neighbourhoods church attendance was lowest. In Bethnal Green at the turn of the twentieth century, for instance, only 6.8% of the adult population attended chapel, and only 13.3% went to any place of worship. Consequently nonconformists, like Anglicans, were troubled by the weakness of their appeal.

The Impact of Service Innovation on Tourist Satisfaction: Evidence from the Malaysian Tourism Industry

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-106
Author(s):  
Boon Liat Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Product Innovation ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Services Marketing ◽  
Process Innovation ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Organisational Innovation ◽  
Marketing Innovation ◽  
Tourist Satisfaction ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The Impact

Objective - This study proposed a model to test the impacts of the four dimensions of service innovation (i.e., process innovation, organisational innovation, marketing innovation and product innovation) on tourist satisfaction in the Malaysian tourism. Methodology/Technique - Measurement items for the dimensions of service innovation were developed through focus group interviews. A convenience sampling approach was adopted with the distribution of 400 questionnaires among local and foreign tourists. Statistical tolls in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) were adopted to analyse the reliability of items and the hypothesised relationships in the proposed research model. Findings - The findings reveal that the respective dimensions of service innovation are significantly related to tourist satisfaction. These findings contribute to the services marketing body of knowledge by providing insight on the impact of service innovation on tourist satisfaction. Novelty - Limited studies have been done to examine the impact of service innovation dimensions on tourist satisfaction.The findings of this study contribute to the services marketing body of knowledge by providing insight on the impact of service innovation on tourist satisfaction. At the same time to address the practical implications by recommending relevant and effective service innovation strategies for the tourism industry in Malaysia. This knowledge is useful for benchmarking better service innovation practices among the industry practitioners. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Service Innovation; Process Innovation; Organisational Innovation; Marketing Innovation; Product Innovation; Tourist Satisfaction

Tracing the Theological Development of the South African Baptismal Rites: The Journey to An Anglican Prayer Book 1989 and Beyond

2017 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-64
Author(s):  
Andrew-John Bethke
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Church Membership ◽  
The South ◽  
Valuable Source ◽  
Prayer Book ◽  
Church Unity ◽  
Common Prayer ◽  
The Church

This essay analyzes the theological changes which are reflected in successive revisions of Southern Africa's Anglican liturgy from 1900 to 1989. The following liturgies are examined: A Book of Common Prayer—South Africa (1954); Proposals for the Revision of the Rites of Baptism and Confirmation (1967); the Church Unity Commission's ecumenical liturgies in the 1970s; Birth and Growth in Christ (1984); and An Anglican Prayer Book 1989. The article also includes valuable source material which influenced the revised liturgies, including two official reports on the theology of baptism and confirmation. The author finds that theological uncertainty surrounding the underpinning of current rites brings into question whether full church membership is actually granted during baptism.

scholarly journals Differences between young and old users when interacting with a humanoid robot: a qualitative usability study

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronit Feingold-Polak ◽  
Avital Elishay ◽  
Yonat Shahar ◽  
Maayan Stein ◽  
Yael Edan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Humanoid Robot ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Humanoid Robots ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Touch Interaction ◽  
The Difference

Abstract With the aging of the population worldwide, humanoid robots are being used with an older population, e.g., stroke patients and people with dementia. There is a growing body of knowledge on how people interact with robots, but limited information on the difference between young and old adults in their preferences when interacting with humanoid robots and what factors influence these preferences.We developed a gamified robotic platform of a cognitive-motor task.We conducted two experiments with the following aims: to test how age, location of touch interaction (touching the robot’s tablet or hand), and embodied presence of a humanoid robot affect the motivation of different age-group users to continue performing a cognitive-motor task. A total of 60 participants (30 old adults and 30 young adults) took part in two experiments with the humanoid Pepper robot (Softbank robotics). Both old and young adults reported they enjoyed the interaction with the robot as they found it engaging and fun, and preferred the embodied robot over the non-embodied computer screen. This study highlights that in order for the experience of the user to be positive a personalization of the interaction according to the age, the needs of the user, the characteristics, and the pace of the task is needed.

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