This study is motivated out of a concern for the declining church attendance of young adults. The goal of this study is the identification of the needs of young adults in relation to the church service and the measurement of the success of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (A.F.M. hereafter) in meeting these needs. The reseach is done through an exploratory-descriptive literature study and an empirical study within certain A.F.M. congregations. In the literature study the developmental tasks, context and needs of young adults are identified and these needs are explained within the framework of several need-models from psychology and other sciences. The context of young adults is explained by the generation gaps as described by Codrington (1999). The identified needs of Carroll (1991), a sense of meaning, belonging and empowerment, forms the focus of this study. In the literature study the church service, within the context of the A.F.M. Church is explored, as well as how the liturgical elements are able to meet the needs of Carroll. The needs of young adults in relation to the church service and how the A.F.M. Church succeeds in meeting these needs, are explored through the use of self-administered questionnaires. The most important finding of the empirical study, is that young adults do agree with the needs identified by Carroll. A surprising result in contradiction with the literature, is that young adults do have a strong sense of social responsibility and want to be empowered to make a difference in the world. The four participating A.F.M. congregations, Goodwood, Strandfontein, Doxa Deo Langeberg and the Paarl Protea Worship Centre, were positively evaluated by respondents in terms of meeting the needs of Carroll. There was however, a significant statistical difference between the respondents’ evaluation of Carroll’s needs and the success of the participating churches’ success in meeting these needs. The study is concluded with recommendations for the planning of church services within the context of the A.F.M. as well as follow-up studies. The conclusion of this study is that the true character of the church service must be reflected in the planning of the liturgical elements. Enough freedom for the functioning of the Holy Spirit must also be created in such a way that the needs of young adults can be met. The planning of the church service must be focussed on the worshipping of God, the preaching of the gospel in such a way that people can find new meaning in their lives, the facilitating of a meeting between congregation and God, the creating of a loving community and the empowerment of people to make a difference in the world. In this way, the commands of God and the needs of young adults are kept in balance. / Prof. W.J. Hatting

Why do Christian college students participate, or not, in local churches while they attend Christian colleges? This study was designed to investigate and help answer this question through an analysis of selected factors that influence evangelical college students' intensity of involvement in local churches during their college years. Because most Christian liberal arts colleges and evangelical Christian churches share the common mission of assisting in students' spiritual development, this study was designed to help these institutions in understanding the declining participation of students in local churches, according to most current research. Since one might assume that more students who attend evangelical Christian colleges would participate in local churches, the current research focused on full-time undergraduate students attending Christian College Consortium-member schools. Several independent variables were selected and analyzed to determine if they made a significant impact upon the student's intensity of involvement. Data was gathered electronically using the Local Church Involvement Survey (LCIS), an on-line instrument created by the researcher for this study. Besides standard demographic variables, other independent variables studied included: student friendships, student relationships with ministry leaders, student leadership in church and college ministries, student opportunity for intergenerational involvement, student opportunities for ministry in church and college settings, and student perceptions of church and college commitment to students' spiritual development. Data from 1025 surveys revealed a participation rate much higher than national averages, according to precedent literature. Nearly all of the independent variables and demographic variables studied made a statistically significant impact upon students' intensity of involvement in local churches, the exceptions being gender, classification in school, college opportunities for ministry, and housing situation. The strongest positive correlations existed between intensity of involvement and opportunity for student leadership, the student's perception that the local church genuinely cares for their spiritual growth, and the church's offering of significant ministry opportunities. The standard deviation between the LCIS scores was large and the mean and median scores were somewhat modest. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes abstract and vita. "October 15, 2000." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-148).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-159).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, 2007. / Abstract. Includes annotated bibliographical references (leaves 205-211).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-161).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-161).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2006. / Includes abstract and vita. "November 2006" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-143).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes abstract and vita. "October 15, 2000." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-148).

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-159).