Keeping The Faith: How Did We Get Here?

In 2011, the Hemorrhaging Faith study broke new ground for Canadian youth and young adult ministry. The study reported that two out of three young adults were leaving the Church as they transitioned out of high school. In response, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) and 5 other partners launched the Renegotiating Faith project to investigate this pressing question: How can we help young adults stay connected to Church and faith?

2016

The Renegotiating Faith group begins gathering data from over 1,500 ministry workers and nearly 2,000 young adults across Canada.

2018

Renegotiating Faith, an in-depth study of young adult transitions from high school to the next stage in life, is published. Although this study reported trends similar to Hemorrhaging Faith, it also noted key experiences that kept young adults connected and faithful..

2019

Competition for Character Education uses this data to zero in on the role of Christian education in young adult spiritual formation. This study alerted us to the power of Christian education not only to help young adults connect with Christian mentorship and community, but ultimately to keep their faith with them and leave emerging adulthood behind.