Is there a place for young children in the modern-day UK church? Investigating approaches to faith nurture in the early years

Journal article

Holmes, Sarah E., Olorenshaw, Emma and Casson, Ann 2024. Is there a place for young children in the modern-day UK church? Investigating approaches to faith nurture in the early years. British Journal of Religious Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2024.2373756
AuthorsHolmes, Sarah E., Olorenshaw, Emma and Casson, Ann
Abstract

This phenomenological study examines lived experiences and perceptions of Christian parents of young children to investigate their approaches to faith activity and nurture and the extent to which this includes authenticity of welcome for young children in the modern-day church. Online survey data was analysed thematically through the lens of established theories regarding the nature of faith in the early years. Findings revealed that families with young children do wish to engage with their local church and wider Christian community, but often find existing approaches unsupportive and unhelpful. Significant adjustments are therefore required to church-led ethos and approaches to faith nurture to better serve the needs of young children. Recommendations are made for more flexibility and inclusivity within the church environment, enhanced partnership with parents, and greater church focus on co-constructing faith nurturing pathways within the home and church context to align more with relationships within the child’s microsystem.

KeywordsYoung child; Faith nurture; Spiritual wellbeing; Church
Year2024
JournalBritish Journal of Religious Education
PublisherTaylor & Francis
ISSN0141-6200
1740-7931
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/01416200.2024.2373756
Official URLhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01416200.2024.2373756
Publication dates
Online07 Jul 2024
Publication process dates
Deposited17 Jul 2024
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Permalink -

https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/986q6/is-there-a-place-for-young-children-in-the-modern-day-uk-church-investigating-approaches-to-faith-nurture-in-the-early-years

Download files

Publisher's version
Is there a place for young children in the modern-day UK church Investigating approaches to faith nurture in the early years.pdf
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 23
    total views
  • 11
    total downloads
  • 6
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Nexus researching church toddler groups
Casson, A., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M., Watts, T., Clemmey, K., Kemp, N. and Bowie, B. 2024. Nexus researching church toddler groups. Canterbury National Institute for Christian Education Research (NICER).
Pupil-centred spiritual leadership: an empirical study of thirteen church primary school headteachers in England
Eisl, Ursula, Woolley, M., Hulbert, Sabina, Casson, Ann and Bowie, Robert A. 2023. Pupil-centred spiritual leadership: an empirical study of thirteen church primary school headteachers in England. International Studies in Catholic Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2023.2171622
Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: Final report for young people: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023
Pittaway, A., Casson, A., Watts, T. and Bowie, R. A. 2023. Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: Final report for young people: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023
Casson, A., Pittaway, A., Watts, T. and Bowie, R. A. 2023. Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
Prioritising a sense of belonging within the rural nexus: An empirical study of five rural church primary schools
Casson, A., Woolley, M., Hulbert, S. and Bowie, R. A. 2023. Prioritising a sense of belonging within the rural nexus: An empirical study of five rural church primary schools. Rural Theology. https://doi.org/10.1080/14704994.2023.2249659
Rethinking the place of the family in the post-Covid church in the UK: an exploration of families’ engagement with church during and after Covid
Casson, A., Holmes, Sarah, Logan, Shelley and Powney, Richard 2023. Rethinking the place of the family in the post-Covid church in the UK: an exploration of families’ engagement with church during and after Covid. Practical Theology. 16 (5), pp. 642-654. https://doi.org/10.1080/1756073x.2023.2221587
Lights for the path by John Sullivan, Dublin, Veritas Publications, 2022, 256 pp., €24.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1800970267
Casson, A. 2023. Lights for the path by John Sullivan, Dublin, Veritas Publications, 2022, 256 pp., €24.99 (paperback), ISBN 978-1800970267. International Studies in Catholic Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2023.2190666
Paying attention to the spiritual flourishing of young children in church toddler groups: a scoping study evaluating the feasibility of a research study in this context
Casson, A., Woolley, M., Pittaway, Ann, Watts, Tansy, Kemp, Nicola, Bowie, B., Clemmey, Katie and Aantjes, R. 2023. Paying attention to the spiritual flourishing of young children in church toddler groups: a scoping study evaluating the feasibility of a research study in this context. Religions. 14 (2), p. 236. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14020236
Known by name: A chaplain's role
Casson, A., Pittaway, A. and Bowie, B. 2022. Known by name: A chaplain's role. Canterbury, UK Canterbury Christ Church University.
Nexus Teachers' Action Pack
Casson, A., Bowie, B., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A. and Woolley, M. 2022. Nexus Teachers' Action Pack.
Faith in the nexus
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2022. Faith in the nexus. National Institute for Christian Education Research (NICER).
Exploring faith in the nexus
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Exploring faith in the nexus .
Faith-talk and reflection spaces: an empirical study of Catholic primary school pupil accounts of the exploration of faith at home
Casson, A. 2021. Faith-talk and reflection spaces: an empirical study of Catholic primary school pupil accounts of the exploration of faith at home. in: Catholic Education: a lifelong journey Veritas.
Researching spiritual capital in Catholic education: on the need for theoretical frameworks and more empirical work
Casson, A. 2021. Researching spiritual capital in Catholic education: on the need for theoretical frameworks and more empirical work. in: New thinking, new scholarship and new research in Catholic education: responses to the work of Professor Gerald Grace London Routledge.
Faith in the Nexus: pupil spiritual leadership In school
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: pupil spiritual leadership In school.
Faith in the Nexus and the domestic Church
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus and the domestic Church.
Faith in the Nexus: Let’s talk about death (School and Church)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: Let’s talk about death (School and Church).
Let’s talk about death (Home)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Let’s talk about death (Home).
Faith in the Nexus and Sacraments (Parish Catechists)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus and Sacraments (Parish Catechists).
Exploring faith in the Nexus: resource to use with the parent's animation
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Exploring faith in the Nexus: resource to use with the parent's animation.
Faith in the Nexus: A sense of belonging
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: A sense of belonging.
Faith in the Nexus: spiritual wellbeing and the implications for spiritual leadership
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: spiritual wellbeing and the implications for spiritual leadership.
Faith in the Nexus: children's conversations about faith and spirituality (school and church)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: children's conversations about faith and spirituality (school and church).
Faith in the Nexus: How are we providing reflection time and space
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: How are we providing reflection time and space.
Faith in the Nexus: children's encounters with the Bible
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Faith in the Nexus: children's encounters with the Bible.
Children’s conversations about faith and spirituality (family)
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Pittaway, A., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2021. Children’s conversations about faith and spirituality (family) .
Life to the full: the changing landscape of contemporary spirituality: implications for Catholic school religious education by Graham Rossiter, Professor of Moral and Religious Education, NSW, Australia, ASMRE 2018, 140pp, (PDF) ISBN 978-0-9808681-5-9. Free download available from https://asmre.org/book.html
Casson, Ann 2021. Life to the full: the changing landscape of contemporary spirituality: implications for Catholic school religious education by Graham Rossiter, Professor of Moral and Religious Education, NSW, Australia, ASMRE 2018, 140pp, (PDF) ISBN 978-0-9808681-5-9. Free download available from https://asmre.org/book.html. International Studies in Catholic Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19422539.2020.1868203
Faith in the nexus: Church schools and children’s exploration of faith in the home: A NICER research study of twenty church primary schools in England
Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Woolley, M. and Bowie, R. A. 2020. Faith in the nexus: Church schools and children’s exploration of faith in the home: A NICER research study of twenty church primary schools in England. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
Retaining young Catholics in the church: assessing the importance of parental example
Francis, L. and Casson, A. 2019. Retaining young Catholics in the church: assessing the importance of parental example. Journal of Religious Education. 67 (1), pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-019-00076-4
Religious education for spiritual bricoleurs? The perceptions of students in ten Christian-ethos secondary schools in England and Wales
Casson, A. and Cooling, T. 2019. Religious education for spiritual bricoleurs? The perceptions of students in ten Christian-ethos secondary schools in England and Wales. Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2019.1632596
Christian ethos secondary schools in England and Wales: a common voice or wide diversity?
Francis, L., McKenna, U. and Casson, A. 2018. Christian ethos secondary schools in England and Wales: a common voice or wide diversity? Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13617672.2018.1491262
What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 2 the case studies
Bowie, R. A., Casson, A., Hulbert, S., Benton, M., Holt, J., James, M., Jarvis, P., McGuire, L., Podesta, E. and Stone, G. 2018. What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 2 the case studies. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 1 final report
Bowie, R. A., Casson, A. and Hulbert, S. 2018. What really matters about teacher education at Cathedrals Group Universities: volume 1 final report. Canterbury Canterbury Christ Church University.
Lessons in spiritual development: learning from leading Christian-ethos secondary schools
Casson, A., Cooling, T. and Francis, L. 2017. Lessons in spiritual development: learning from leading Christian-ethos secondary schools. London Church House Publishing.