{"id":26028,"date":"2025-10-11T17:42:49","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T17:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=26028"},"modified":"2025-10-11T17:42:49","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T17:42:49","slug":"survey-results-from-shine-curriculum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2025\/survey-results-from-shine-curriculum\/","title":{"rendered":"Surveys reveal parents\u2019 hopes for children\u2019s faith"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A release from the Shine curriculum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parents want their children to have a vibrant and living faith, one that is carried into the world with tangible effects on daily actions, according to surveys carried out by publishers Brethren Press and MennoMedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shine: Living in God\u2019s Light<\/strong>, a collaborative faith formation project of Brethren Press and MennoMedia, conducted two surveys as part of Shine Everywhere, an initiative funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The surveys, sent to congregations and families that use Shine\u2019s resources, gathered information on congregational and family demographics, family aspirations and desires, and concerns surrounding the faith development of children and youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Surveys were sent to congregations in Shine\u2019s publishing partner denominations\u2014the Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Church USA, and Mennonite Church Canada\u2014as well as Shine customers from other denominations. Shine received 264 responses from congregations and 254 from families, with an additional 62 responses to more in-depth \u201cFamilies Growing Faith\u201d mini surveys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The surveys were conducted by the Grandview Group, which provided an in-depth analysis of the results. Grandview reports that these families \u201cplace a high-priority on regular church attendance and are looking for ways to increase faith-related engagement with their children outside of church.\u201d Nearly 85 percent of parents reported being \u201cvery confident\u201d or \u201cconfident\u201d in providing faith-forming experiences to their children at home. To help them do that, parents want faith formation resources that are easily accessible and simple to use while representing diverse cultures and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Primary concerns from congregations included a decline in engagement among youth and children, struggling to maintain enough volunteers for programming, and inconsistent attendance that makes planning difficult. More than 40 percent of churches report that their attendance has declined over the last 5 years, with most having an average worship attendance of 100 or fewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For families, one challenge identified was a struggle with conflicting priorities, such as travel and other family commitments. Additionally, parents said they often feel overwhelmed by the pressure of nurturing faith development at home, despite recognizing its importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the highest priorities in fostering a strong church community for both congregational leaders and families is a deep sense of belonging. There is a drive to promote intergenerational relationships through worship practices, extend a sense of community beyond Sunday morning worship, and provide an environment in which children find mentors and friends who share similar faith values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through its Shine Everywhere initiative, Shine is creating resources in response to these challenges and desires. A cohort of 18 congregations has been established for 2025-2026, with churches receiving at-home faith formation resources to distribute to families. In turn, these leaders, parents, and caregivers provide feedback and ideas for the next round of resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results of the two surveys can be accessed at https:\/\/shineeverywhere.com\/join\/surveys<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shine is indebted to Lilly Endowment and its Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative for the funds to conduct these research surveys. Learning to know the congregations and families Shine serves is vital to its ministry of creating thoughtful and joy-filled faith formation resources for churches and families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lilly Endowment launched the Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative in 2022 because of its interest in supporting efforts to help individuals and families from diverse Christian communities draw more fully on the wisdom of Christian practices to live out their faith fully and well, passing on a vibrant faith to a new generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Lilly Endowment Inc.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders\u2019 wishes, the endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion, and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A principal aim of the endowment\u2019s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The endowment also seeks to improve public understanding of diverse religious traditions by supporting fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#MissionAndMinistryBoard #StrategicPlan #RacialJustice #LoveOurNeighbors #Discipleship #NewTestamentGiving<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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