Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Kenley Hall

Abstract

Problem

Dublin, like most major cities in Western Europe, is a multicultural and multiethnic city. Most members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Dublin are first-generation immigrants who tend to import their native brand of Adventism into Dublin local churches. Moreover, outside the church worship experience, immigrant members are inclined to gravitate toward mono-ethnic and mono-cultural interactions. Their children are the New Irish and are thus better integrated into Irish culture and society. This situation seems to destabilize young people in the church, with many second-generation immigrant Generation Z youth showing disinterest in church life, and some of them leaving the church altogether.

Method

The project comprised three sections: (1) theoretical (literature and theological research), (2) practical (the OUTPOST initiative), and (3) data collection (focus groups and interviews—the intervention). The method used to gather data during the intervention was a qualitative phenomenological study with young people sharing their understanding of the church and faith experience as well as their lived reality. This involved two focus group discussions and 10 one-on-one interviews. Both methods (focus groups and interviews) allowed for in-depth discussions and provided immediate feedback, while also presenting the chance for follow-up questions.

Results

The study revealed that second-generation immigrant youth in Dublin are no different from their counterparts anywhere else in the world regarding their development; in other words, they experience a healthy dose of confusion and figuring out as they navigate the troubled waters of adolescence and young adulthood. Moreover, the disconnect between youth and their parents regarding spiritual expression is rather felt than factual. That is why it is important to include the parents in both dialogue and strategic planning for youth ministry. Also, to many of these young people, being is an action, not a philosophical idea. This means that identity remains a fluid reality where young people, though they see themselves as New Irish, are still largely indebted to their parents’ worldviews regarding church.

Conclusions

Based on the OUTPOST Youth Project practical work and the theoretical, theological, and data-gathering information, it is possible to design an integrated model of ministry to cross-cultural and cross-ethnic second-generation youth in Dublin. The model would need to happen outside an established church, where the leadership is entrusted to the youth and where adequate mentoring is provided regularly. Moreover, it would need to have the backing of church leadership and organizational administration, build intergenerational bridges, and involve the youth’s parents. Finally, a physical space is needed for the project which the youth can make their own and where they can feel safe to express their faith and witness.

Subject Area

Church work with immigrants--Seventh-day Adventists, Seventh-day Adventist youth, Seventh-day Adventists--Ireland--Dublin; Children of immigrants--Ireland;

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