Exploration and Meaning: Considering Faith Formation in Children Aged Six to Eleven

Andrew Neill

Braemor Series: Number 16 

Exploration and Meaning: Considering Faith Formation in Children Aged Six to Eleven

Increasing age profiles of Church of Ireland parishes are pointing to a trend whereby children and young people are disassociating themselves from Christian faith and worship. Research shows this process of disassociation begins around the age of six.

This study contends that a significant factor in this trend stems from how the Church engages in the process of faith formation with children from this early age. Critical examination of established faith formation models show that Christian educators are largely working from an outdated assumption about the capabilities of young children, particularly regarding their capacity to process and utilise imagery and metaphor in their daily lives.

By examining experiential educational practices as a new approach to engage with faith formation – particularly focusing on biblical engagement and sacramental expressions within the Irish Anglican tradition – it is argued that more opportunities for children to connect the world of Christian faith to their lived experience can be created.

This research tests the hypothesis to discover if, rather than forming faith through a dogmatic, information–transfer approach, the creation of environments that are sensory, exploratory and engaging offers children more fulfilling opportunities to create meaning in their faith formation processes. It concludes by considering what can be done to creating exploratory and engaging environments in our churches, Sunday schools and other areas of Christian education.

• Publisher

  Paceprint Trading Ltd.

• Year

  2025

• Pages

  82

• ISBN

  978-1-904884-97-2