TAIWAN
Contents A Letter to Church and Parachurch Ministry Leaders 1 Are We Connecting with the Next Generation? 2 What We Learned 3 Connection Points 4 5 6 7 Parachurch Organizations 8 How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 9 Programs and Activities 10 Evangelism 11 Discipleship 12 Scripture Engagement 14 Youth Leadership 16 Holistic Ministry 18 Ministries that Click-to-Connect 20 Value, Access and Use of Technology 20 Connecting the Dots, Illuminating the Needs 24 Gospel Reach 25 Appendix 27 About, Acknowledgments and Contact 30
A Letter to Church and Parachurch Ministry Leaders 1 Since it was founded in 1987, OneHope has been focused on changing the eternal lives of children and youth around the world through Scripture. As an outcome-based ministry, we start by identifying a desired result, then build a program to achieve it. Research has proven to be key to our efforts, as we consider the heartfelt needs of children and youth around the world. This research initiative gathers data about how churches and Christian organizations in more than 40 countries are reaching children and youth with the Gospel message. Our goal is to share actionable insights with the Church and other Christian ministries around the world, equipping them to make an even bigger impact for Christ. This report reveals the state of the ministry to children and youth in Taiwan. Importantly, it sheds light on gaps opportunities to reach even more young people and successes. It provides apple-to-apples comparisons as well as apples-to-oranges contrasts. If you dig in, you ll uncover a wealth of other information for your ministry. Prayerfully, we hope the findings here offer fresh inspiration to you and your team and that they can help you usher in a season of change for the young people in your sphere of influence. We are excited about the doors this can open for your ministry, the Church and for the Gospel! In Jesus, Teresa Ko National Director, Taiwan OneHope
Are We Connecting with the Next Generation? 2 Scripture teaches that the Gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). There are no limits; neither nationality, gender, race, income nor age has any bearing on whether or not someone can be a believer. But are we helping the younger generation truly connect with the Gospel message of grace? How can we know if we are making an impact? What can we do to improve our efforts in reaching our children and youth? To answer these important questions, OneHope launched an investigative effort which explores the work of churches, ministries and parachurch organizations in 40 nations, including Taiwan. The 3.6 million children and youth 1 living in Taiwan represent nearly 16% of the nation s 23 million citizens. About 1.5% of the population lives below the poverty line. With such large numbers of young people, it s easy to see how issues related to income disparity can present hurdles as well as opportunities in ministry. The majority of the residents of this Asian country do not have a connection to... children and youth living in Taiwan represent nearly 16% of the nation s 23 million citizens... Christ 93% are Buddhist or Taoist, and 4.5% are Christian. 2 There is a great need for the salvation that Jesus offers. TAIWAN In Taiwan, OneHope surveyed 380 churches and parachurch organizations, documenting how they interact with the next generation. The findings reveal important outreach gaps, ministry opportunities and evangelistic trends. All provide insights that support Taiwan s ministries as they seek ways to better share the Gospel message with the next generation. 1 The World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html, May 15, 2015. 2 The World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html, May 15, 2015.
What We Learned Are We Connecting with the Next Generation 3 We know that Jesus loves and values children. This wasn t the norm for most adults living in ancient times. So when Jesus held up a child s faith as an example to be followed, His words shocked His audience. That a revered teacher would stoop to embrace and acknowledge a child was inconceivable! If we are to follow His example, churches must seek to draw the younger generation into God s Kingdom and train them as disciples. This survey solicited feedback from many ministry teams who shared their experiences and observations about reaching Taiwan s next generations. In this report, children are categorized as ages 5 to 11 and youth are categorized as ages 12 to 19. Ultimately, we wanted to know how effectively the Church was spreading the Gospel among these age groups in Taiwan. To measure this Gospel Reach, we looked at interactions where churches presented the Gospel directly to children and youth. Key Findings On average, the Taiwanese churches in this survey are each reaching 178 children and youth per year with the Gospel. Among the ministry programs explored, churches in Taiwan place the strongest emphasis on Discipleship, followed by Scripture Engagement and Youth Leadership. Half of the surveyed churches have no pastor dedicated to ministering to the children or youth of their church. Other than the traditional Sunday school or children s church, the most prevalent ministry activities used to reach the next generation in Taiwan were church camps or retreats and large evangelistic events. Over half of the surveyed churches reported an increase in the number of children and youth with whom they interacted from the previous year.
Connection Points 4 The country of Taiwan is divided by water, languages and ethnicities. Churches and ministries have the opportunity to bring unity by providing a safe place for children and youth to be part of a loving Christian community. In addition, by sharing the Prince of Peace with these young people, ministries can overcome ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural differences in ways that transcend the limits of this world. In Taiwan, 360 of the country s 5,849 Protestant, Anglican and independent churches participated in our survey. This sample included a variety of denominations, congregation sizes, and urban and rural locations. For the purposes of reference and categorization, each responding church was grouped by attendance as Small (1-49 people regularly attending), Medium (50-120 attending) or Large (121+ attending). These labels reflect attendance only and do not indicate any judgment of value between or among churches of varying size. In addition to churches, we surveyed and analyzed data from 20 parachurch organizations. Surveyed Churches County/City Sample % Changhua County 3.1% Chiayi City 1.7% Hsinchu County 2.5% Hualien County 4.7% Kaohsiung City 15.8% New Taipei City 12.2% Pingtung County 1.7% Taichung City 11.9% Tainan City 8.9% Taipei City 25.8% Taitung County 3.6% Taoyuan City 6.4% Yilan County 1.7% Attendance: 1 49 Surveys: 111 Attendance: 50 120 Surveys: 135 Attendance: 121+ Surveys: 114 Parachurch Organizations Attendance: n/a Surveys: 20 0.9% Youth Pastor 4.5% Children s Pastor Staff 16.4% Children s & Youth Pastor 78.2% None of the Above 2.2% Youth Pastor 3.7% Children s Pastor Staff 28.1% Children s & Youth Pastor 65.9% None of the Above 11.4% Youth Pastor 4.4% Children s Pastor Staff 46.5% Children s & Youth Pastor 37.7% None of the Above Staff n/a 29.1% Rural 23.1% Rural Location 70.9% Urban Location 76.9% Urban 12.6% Rural Location 87.4% 5.3% Urban Rural 94.7% Urban Location
: 1-49 people regularly attending Connection Points 5 Almost a third of the surveyed churches reported attendance of less than 50 people. Most of these Small churches were established in urban areas. Just under a third were set in rural locations. Over three-fourths had no leader dedicated to ministering to children or youth. The surveyed Small churches engaged in the evaluated ministry activities at lower rates than larger churches. Most (85%) offered Sunday school or children s church, making it the most common activity among them. Almost threequarters offered large evangelistic events. The next three most common activities were church camps/retreats (68%), personal mentoring (62%) Small Church Programs Holistic Ministry 1.1 Evangelism 3.3 Discipleship 5.9 Youth Leadership Scripture Engagement 3.9 4.9 and Scripture/literature distribution (61%). Small churches in Taiwan focused primarily on Discipleship, followed by Scripture Engagement. Ministry Growth: The children s ministries of the surveyed Small churches experienced strong growth, as half interacted with more children than they had the previous year. A third of them reported their growth to be more than 10%. Still, almost 10% of these churches witnessed a decrease in their ministries to children and youth. Reach: Small churches in our study reached an average of 52 children and youth with the Gospel in the past year. Growth Trends in Children s and Youth Ministries 35.1% 29.7% 41.4% 48.6% Children Youth 14.4% 12.6% 2.7% 3.6% 6.3% 5.4% Increased by more than 10% Increased by 10% or less Stayed about the same Decreased by 10% or less Decreased by more than 10%
: 50-120 people regularly attending Connection Points 6 More than one-third of the surveyed churches reported attendance of 50 to 120 people. Most of these Medium churches were located in urban centers. A quarter of them served rural areas. Two-thirds had no leader dedicated to ministering to children or youth. Most of the surveyed Medium churches (99%) offered Sunday school or children s church. Over 80% offered church camps/retreats and large evangelistic events. Three-quarters or more of the Medium churches engaged in personal mentoring and Scripture/literature distribution. Like Small churches, the Medium churches in Taiwan focused primarily on Discipleship, followed by Scripture Engagement. Medium Church Programs Holistic Ministry 1.3 Evangelism 3.9 Discipleship 7.5 Youth Leadership Scripture Engagement 5.5 6.1 Ministry Growth: In their children s ministries, Medium churches experienced less growth than Small churches, although youth ministry growth was similar. However, more than 10% of the surveyed Medium churches reported a decline in the number of children and youth with whom they interacted over the previous year. Reach: Medium churches in our study reached an average of 137 children and youth with the Gospel in the past year. Growth Trends in Children s and Youth Ministries 27.4% 28.9% 39.3% 43.7% Children Youth 20.0% 16.3% 10.4% 6.7% 3.0% 4.4% Increased by more than 10% Increased by 10% or less Stayed about the same Decreased by 10% or less Decreased by more than 10%
: 121+ people regularly attending Connection Points 7 The last third of the surveyed churches reported attendance of greater than 120 people. The vast majority of these Large churches were located in urban settings. Just over 10% were in rural locales. Large churches were more likely to have a pastor for their young people as just over a third revealed they had no leader for ministering to children or youth. Large Church Programs Holistic Ministry 1.7 Evangelism 4.6 Discipleship 7.9 Scripture Engagement The Large churches were involved in the evaluated ministry activities at rates greater than the smaller churches. All of the Large churches offered Sunday school or children s church. Youth Leadership More than 90% were engaged in church camps/ 7.0 6.6 retreats and large evangelistic events. The next three most common activities were personal mentoring (89%), Scripture/literature distribution (85%) and leadership training/development (84%). Large churches shared the same Discipleship priority as smaller churches; however, Youth Leadership superceded Scripture Engagement as the second ranked activity category. Of the 114 Large churches in the Taiwan survey, 20 could be categorized as megachurches with regular attendance of 500 or greater. Ministry Growth: Large churches experienced the greatest growth rates of all church sizes. Almost twothirds of these churches reported growth in their children s and youth ministry in the previous year. A third noted significant growth. Reach: Large churches in our study reached an average of 355 children and youth with the Gospel in the past year. Growth Trends in Children s and Youth Ministries 36.0% 32.5% 26.3% 32.5% 33.3% 28.9% Children Youth 4.4% 5.3% 0.0% 0.9% Increased by more than 10% Increased by 10% or less Stayed about the same Decreased by 10% or less Decreased by more than 10%
Parachurch Organizations Connection Points 8 The 20 parachurch organizations in the survey were located in eight counties/cities. All but one was headquartered in an urban center. Of these organizations, two conducted most of their work in urban locales, one operated in rural villages, 16 ministered in both environments equally, and the last one did not specify. Parachurch organizations engaged in a variety of ministry activities. The two most common were leadership training/development and large evangelistic events. A number of these organizations offered activities that churches were less likely to offer, like ministry to imprisoned Surveyed Parachurch Organizations County/City Sample % Changhua County 5.0% Hsinchu City 5.0% Hualien County 5.0% Miaoli County 5.0% New Taipei City 15.0% Taichung City 15.0% Tainan City 20.0% Taipei City 30.0% Parachurch Evangelism Organization 2.2 Programs Holistic Ministry 1.7 Discipleship 3.6 Youth Leadership Scripture Engagement 3.8 3.4 youth, caring for orphans or at-risk youth, and job or life skills training. When considering their most important type of ministry program, eight parachurch organizations reported it to be Benevolence. Seven said Discipleship, and five claimed Evangelism as their most important. The surveyed parachurch organizations shared additional information about how they operate. Of the 20 organizations, five worked directly with children and youth. Five offered resources and support to other ministries. The other 10 engaged in both direct ministry and support services. These ministries were focused on Youth Leadership, Discipleship and Scripture Engagement activities fairly equally. Ministry Growth: While not nationally representative, analysis of the parachurch organizations growth still provides some insight. In particular, the growth of ministry to children and youth was similar. Yet, the ministry to children experienced more decline than youth ministry over the previous year. Growth Trends in Children s and Youth Ministries 47.4% 36.8% Children Youth 26.3% 26.3% 21.1% 21.1% 15.8% 0.0% 0.0% 5.3% Increased by more than 10% Increased by 10% or less Stayed about the same Decreased by 10% or less Decreased by more than 10%
How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 9 Around the world, healthy ministries pursue the hearts of the younger generation through a variety of fun, creative programs and services. Beyond growing the Kingdom, the goal is to proclaim Christ, raise disciples and mentor future leaders. To explore how ministries in Taiwan are accomplishing this goal, our survey captured data on 31 different activities. The findings were aggregated to analyze five main types of ministry programs: Evangelism, Discipleship, Scripture Engagement, Youth Leadership and Holistic Ministry. Scores were calculated on a 10-point scale based on the frequency reported for specific ministry activities. These scores do not reflect the strength or success of the surveyed programs, just the churches commitment to them. A score of 10 represents the highest frequency. In Taiwan: The frequency of ministry activities generally increased with church size. Discipleship activities were the most common types of ministry among churches, followed by Scripture Engagement and Youth Leadership. Ministry Programs by Organization Type Small Church Programs Holistic Ministry 1.1 Evangelism 3.3 Medium Discipleship 5.9 Youth Leadership Scripture Engagement 3.9 4.9 Church Programs Holistic Ministry 1.3 Evangelism 3.9 Discipleship 7.5 Youth Leadership Scripture Engagement 5.5 6.1 Large Church Programs Holistic Ministry 1.7 Evangelism 4.6 Discipleship 7.9 Parachurch Organization Programs Holistic Ministry 1.7 Youth Leadership 7.0 Scripture Engagement 6.6 Evangelism 2.2 Discipleship 3.6 Youth Leadership 3.8 Scripture Engagement 3.4
Programs and Activities How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 10 A workman with only a hammer would have a hard time completing a job that called for a saw. Likewise, capturing the attention of a young child is very different from capturing the attention of an older teen. That is why ministries seek to make the Gospel accessible to all audiences by providing age-appropriate programs that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and relationship-focused. In Taiwan, churches pursue young people at different ages and stages in a variety of ways. Among the surveyed churches, the most common programs used to target young people were Sunday school/children s church, church camps/retreats and large evangelistic events. Sunday School/Children's Church 91.8% Church Camps or Retreats 82.9% Large Evangelistic/Outreach Events 81.3% Personal Mentoring 76.1% Scripture/Literature Distribution Evangelism 72.4% Music or Drama Ministry 67.9% Leadership Training/Development 64.7% Bible Clubs or Bible Studies 63.2% Person-to-Person Evangelism 57.4% Outreach Programs in Schools 51.8% Sports Ministry 44.7% Other Educational Programs 39.5% Mental Health, Addiction or Trauma Recovery 37.4% Media or Technology Ministry 36.6% Health or Medical 29.7% Orphan or At-Risk Children and Youth Care 28.4% Food or Water Programs 21.8% Life Skills or Job Skills Training 19.5% Literacy Programs 12.6% Ministry to Youth in Jail or Prison 10.3% Microfinance 8.9%
Evangelism How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 11 Jesus gave His followers only a few commands to follow; one of those is the Great Commission. Going and proclaiming the saving name of Jesus to the younger generation, in particular, is vital if the Church is to remain healthy and spread its message. To evaluate Evangelism efforts aimed at the children and youth in Taiwan, we evaluated four specific ministry activities. Scores were assigned based on the frequency of each of the following activities:* Person-to-person evangelism Scripture/literature distribution for evangelization Large evangelistic/outreach events Teaching children and youth to share their faith with non-believers Evangelism Activities Person-to- Person 2.5 Person-to- Person 2.1 Children Youth Scripture Distribution Large Events Teaching to Share Faith Person-to- Person Scripture Distribution Large Events 2.8 2.5 3.0 2.9 2.5 4.9 Children Youth Scripture Distribution Large Events Teaching to Share Faith Person-to- Person Scripture Distribution Large Events 3.0 3.2 3.0 3.3 3.4 6.3 Teaching to Share Faith 5.3 Teaching to Share Faith 6.8 Parachurch Organizations Person-to- Person 2.9 Person-to- Person 1.0 Children Youth Scripture Distribution Large Events Teaching to Share Faith Person-to- Person Scripture Distribution Large Events 3.7 3.9 4.2 4.2 4.1 6.8 Children Youth Scripture Distribution Large Events Teaching to Share Faith Person-to- Person Scripture Distribution Large Events 1.1 1.4 2.1 2.6 2.5 3.1 Teaching to Share Faith 7.3 Teaching to Share Faith 3.8 *Within the Evangelism category, person-to-person evangelism, scripture/literature distribution and large evangelistic/outreach events received the highest scores when they occurred weekly. Ministries that categorized the frequency of teaching children/youth to share their faith with non-believers as very often received the highest score for that Evangelism activity. All scores are delivered in a 10-point scale. Observations: Teaching children and youth to share their faith with others was a high priority to churches in Taiwan. These efforts were directed at Youth more often than children. Generally, Evangelism efforts increased as church size increases.
Discipleship How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 12 Kids learn by example, whether it s how to walk, how to talk or how to live as a believer in Christ. That s the wisdom and beauty of Discipleship that Jesus modeled: sharing life and coming alongside new believers to help them grow in their faith. To measure the scope of the Discipleship efforts in Taiwan, churches and parachurch organizations were asked how often they engaged in the following activities:* Sunday school Bible clubs or Bible studies Teaching children and youth to make life decisions based on God s Scriptural guidance Teaching children and youth to develop a habit of prayer Teaching parents to rear their children and youth according to Biblical principles Discipleship Activities Sunday School 7.5 Sunday School 9.3 Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies 2.4 Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies 3.7 Children Youth Life Decisions Habit of Prayer Biblical Child-Rearing Sunday School Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Life Decisions 4.3 6.9 6.5 5.6 6.0 6.9 Children Youth Life Decisions Habit of Prayer Biblical Child-Rearing Sunday School Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Life Decisions 5.7 8.6 8.1 7.6 8.4 8.5 Habit of Prayer 6.7 Habit of Prayer 8.1 Biblical Child-Rearing 5.7 Biblical Child-Rearing 7.3 Parachurch Organizations Sunday School 9.8 Sunday School 2.3 Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies 4.6 Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies 1.3 Children Youth Life Decisions Habit of Prayer Biblical Child-Rearing Sunday School Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Life Decisions 6.5 7.0 8.7 8.5 8.7 9.5 Children Youth Life Decisions Habit of Prayer Biblical Child-Rearing Sunday School Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Life Decisions 1.9 2.4 3.4 4.9 4.5 5.6 Habit of Prayer 8.7 Habit of Prayer 4.9 Biblical Child-Rearing 6.8 Biblical Child-Rearing 4.9 *Within the Discipleship category, Sunday school and Bible clubs received the highest scores when they occurred weekly. Ministries that categorized the frequency of the activities as very often received the highest score for that Discipleship activity. All scores are delivered in a 10-point scale.
How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 13 Observations: Churches in Taiwan conducted Discipleship-related activities with greater frequency than all other ministry activities. Sunday school programs were offered to children more often than youth, and Bible clubs/bible studies were offered to youth more often than children. The other evaluated Discipleship activities occurred at similar rates for children and youth.
Scripture Engagement How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 14 Meaningful relationships don t just happen. It takes time and effort to get to know someone and it s no different in a believer s relationship with God. Every believer needs time in the Word, hearing God s thoughts and learning from them, trying to understand His righteousness and truth. Many of Taiwan s ministries are working to help their children and youth embrace God s Word. In evaluating Scripture Engagement in Taiwan, organizations responded to questions about activities that encourage a deeper understanding of Scripture and establish a day-to-day dependence on God s Word. The frequency of these four ministry activities were considered:* Scripture/literature distribution for evangelism Bible clubs or Bible studies Encouraging children and youth to personally engage with Scripture Teaching children and youth to make life decisions based on God s Scriptural guidance Scripture Engagement Activities Scripture Distribution 2.8 Scripture Distribution 3.0 Children Youth Children Youth Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Encouraging Engagement Teaching Life Decisions Scripture Distribution Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Encouraging Engagement Teaching Life Decisions Scripture Distribution Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Encouraging Engagement Teaching Life Decisions Scripture Distribution Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Encouraging Engagement 2.4 2.9 4.3 3.7 4.6 4.2 6.4 6.9 6.7 6.9 6.5 8.1 8.7 8.3 Children Youth Children Youth Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Encouraging Engagement Teaching Life Decisions Scripture Distribution Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Encouraging Engagement Teaching Life Decisions Parachurch Organizations Scripture Distribution Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Encouraging Engagement Teaching Life Decisions Scripture Distribution Bible Clubs/ Bible Studies Encouraging Engagement 1.1 1.3 1.9 2.1 3.3 3.8 5.7 4.6 4.9 5.6 8.0 8.6 8.1 8.5 Teaching Life Decisions 8.7 Teaching Life Decisions 5.6 *Within the Scripture Engagement category, Scripture/literature distribution and Bible clubs received the highest scores when they occurred weekly. Ministries that categorized the frequency of encouraging and teaching children/youth to engage with Scripture as very often received the highest score for that Scripture Engagement activity. All scores are delivered in a 10-point scale.
How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 15 Observations: Teaching children and youth to engage with and seek guidance from Scripture was a high priority for churches in Taiwan. Scripture Engagement activities increased as church size increased.
How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 16 Youth Leadership The future of the Church in Taiwan rests with the younger generation of leaders. How we lead young people to a deeper walk with Christ and guide them into Christian leadership is important to advance the faith and change the nation. To evaluate efforts to grow future leaders in Taiwan, organizations were asked how often they invest in training up the youth (ages 12 to 19) within their sphere of influence. Five specific ministry activities were assessed:* Leadership training and development for youth Teaching youth to disciple others Teaching youth to serve in the local church body Providing opportunities for youth to take leadership roles The numbers of youth serving in leadership roles (churches only) Youth Leadership Activities Leadership Training 2.7 Leadership Training 3.9 Teaching to Disciple Others 2.7 Teaching to Disciple Others 3.6 Teaching to Serve the Church 6.2 Teaching to Serve the Church 7.7 Opportunities for Leadership Roles 4.3 Opportunities for Leadership Roles 5.9 Youth with Leadership Roles 3.7 Youth with Leadership Roles 6.2 Leadership Training 5.4 Parachurch Organizations Leadership Training 4.3 Teaching to Disciple Others 5.1 Teaching to Disciple Others 3.1 Teaching to Serve the Church 8.7 Teaching to Serve the Church 3.9 Opportunities for Leadership Roles 7.3 Opportunities for Leadership Roles 4.0 Youth with Leadership Roles 8.4 *Within the Youth Leadership category, leadership training and development received the highest scores when it occurred at least weekly. Ministries that categorized the frequency of teaching youth to disciple and serve as very often received the highest score for those activities. For youth in leadership roles, churches were awarded the highest score when they very often provided opportunities for youth to serve in leadership and when at least 11% of their youth were serving in leadership roles. All scores are delivered in a 10-point scale.
How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 17 Already represented in the scores above, this chart shows the actual rates of youth serving in leadership roles in Taiwan. Youth in Church Leadership Roles None 49.5% None 22.2% 1-10% 26.1% 1-10% 31.9% 11-25% 3.6% 11-25% 16.3% 26-50% 8.1% 26-50% 13.3% Over 50% 12.6% Over 50% 16.3% None 2.6% 1-10% 11-25% 26-50% 27.2% 28.1% 33.3% Over 50% 8.8% Observations: When considering the frequency of Youth Leadership activities, there was a notable difference between the church sizes. As church size increased, these activities increased, sometimes significantly. Training youth to serve the church was a high priority for churches of all sizes. Across church sizes, significant numbers of youth were serving in leadership roles. Over half of all churches reported that greater than 10% of their youth were serving as leaders. As church size increased, the number of youth serving in leadership roles increased.
How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 18 Holistic Ministry Jesus fed people spiritually, but also cared for their physical hungers and needs: He fed the multitude and healed the sick. He taught them truth as He shared His life. In fact, the greatest gift Jesus gave was Himself. As we seek to follow His example, we must see the cumulative needs of those around us: body, mind and spirit. Ministries that reach beyond teaching to serve all areas of life are deemed holistic. To evaluate holistic outreach efforts, Taiwan s churches were asked about the frequency in which they participated in these seven outreach activities:* Literacy programs Care of orphans or at-risk children/youth Food or water programs Life skills or job skills training Health or medical care Microfinance Teaching children and youth to serve in the local community Holistic Ministry Activities Literacy Programs 0.5 Literacy Programs 0.7 Orphan Care 1.1 Orphan Care 1.1 Food & Water Programs 1.0 Food & Water Programs 1.2 Life Skills Training 0.9 Life Skills Training 1.0 $ Health or Medical Microfinance 0.8 0.2 $ Health or Medical Microfinance 0.4 1.2 Teaching to Serve 3.3 Teaching to Serve 4.0 Literacy Programs 0.8 Parachurch Organizations Literacy Programs 0.6 Orphan Care 2.0 Orphan Care 2.3 Food & Water Programs 1.1 Food & Water Programs 1.3 Life Skills Training 1.3 Life Skills Training 2.6 $ Health or Medical Microfinance 0.4 1.6 $ Health or Medical Microfinance 0.4 1.7 Teaching to Serve 4.4 Teaching to Serve 3.3 *Within the Holistic Ministry category, literacy programs, orphan/at-risk care, food/water programs, life/job skills training, health/ medical care and microfinance received the highest scores when these activities occurred weekly. Ministries that categorized the frequency of teaching children/youth to serve in ministry in the local community as very often received the highest score for that Holistic Ministry activity. All scores are delivered in a 10-point scale.
How Ministries Are Connecting with Young Audiences 19 Observations: Of the evaluated Holistic Ministry activities, teaching children and youth to serve in the local community was the most common among churches and parachurch organizations. Holistic Ministry efforts increased as church size increased.
Ministries that Click-to-Connect 20 Around the world, access to and use of technology wireless and Internet is changing how we stay in touch. Because of this, reaching young people where they are and in a relevant way means high-tech connections are a mandatory part of any ministry model. In Taiwan, there are about 32.3 million mobile connections and a mobile penetration rate of 138%, meaning that some people use more than one device. Value of Technology To evaluate how churches view technology as a communications tool, OneHope asked each to consider the value of digital technologies for ministry to children and youth in their communities. Digital technologies were specified as texting, email, social media, websites or blogs, etc. The reported value of technology increased with church size and population density. However, youth tended to place a slightly lower value on technology than their respective churches and parachurch organizations. This difference increased as church size and population density decreased. Value of Technology by Organization and by Youth Organization Technology Value 4.7 5.9 Youth Urban 5.8 Technology Urban Value 5.6 Rural 5.5 4.2 Parachurch Organizations 5.7 5.0 6.6 6.6 Rural 4.8 Parachurch Organizations 4.5 0 = low value of technology 10 = high value of technology
Access to Technology Ministries that Click-to-Connect 21 The youth in Taiwan had the greatest access to smartphones, followed very closely by the Internet. While it was ranked last, cell phone access was still significant. Additionally, access to all technologies broadened as population density increased. Youth Access to Technology by Organization and by Population Density Smartphones Urban Cell Phones Urban 79.1% 58.6% Rural Rural 69.6% 73.1% 48.9% 54.5% Parachurch 82.6% Organizations 60.0% 70.0% 81.4% 61.4% Parachurch Organizations 63.8% Internet Access Urban 73.6% 74.3% 61.9% 77.4% Rural 65.4% Parachurch Organizations 73.8%
Use of Technology Ministries that Click-to-Connect 22 Social media, by far, was the digital technology most frequently used by churches and parachurch organizations for communicating with youth. However, the survey revealed that, except for the youth from Small churches, social media was their least favorite means of communicating. The findings were the same across population densities as well. Use of Technology by Organization and by Youth Organization Youth Urban Website Urban Use 5.7 Website Use 4.4 Rural 3.6 4.9 3.5 Parachurch 5.7 Organizations 5.6 6.3 7.0 4.5 Rural 5.0 Parachurch Organizations 2.8 Organization Email Use 3.5 5.2 Youth Urban Urban 4.9 Email Use 4.6 Rural 4.6 3.5 Parachurch Organizations 5.3 4.8 5.8 5.2 Rural 4.8 Parachurch Organizations 3.5 0 = low use of technology 10 = high use of technology
Ministries that Click-to-Connect 23 Use of Technology by Organization and by Youth (continued) Organization Youth Urban Urban Texting Use 5.0 Texting Use 4.4 Rural 3.8 4.8 3.5 Parachurch 5.2 Organizations 5.3 4.0 6.0 4.7 Organization Social Media Use 7.2 8.8 Youth Urban Urban 8.5 Social Media Use 3.6 Rural 8.4 3.9 Parachurch Organizations 4.4 7.0 9.6 2.9 Rural 4.6 Parachurch Organizations 3.5 Rural 3.9 Parachurch Organizations 2.3 0 = low use of technology 10 = high use of technology
Connecting the Dots, Illuminating the Needs 24 To gain deeper insight into the realities of church efforts in Taiwan, we asked them to describe their greatest needs for and the greatest obstacles against ministry to children and youth. Churches indicated training for their workers, materials or curricula in their language, and vision for children s and youth ministry were the three greatest needs. Lack of resources and cultural attitudes toward children and youth were identified as the greatest obstacles. Church Obstacles to Ministry to Children and Youth 33.1% Lack of resources Cultural attitudes toward children and youth 25.0% 1.7% Political or legal obstacles Church Needs for Ministry to Children and Youth 53.3% Training for volunteers and/or staff 41.7% Materials or curricula with better content 40.3% Advocacy and vision for children's and youth ministry 38.3% More volunteers 35.0% Better knowledge of children and youth ministry practices 21.7% Finances 18.9% More materials or curricula in our language
25 Gospel Reach In this nation where the number of Christians is eclipsed by that of Buddhists and Taoists, children and youth must see their sin in order to know their need for Christ s saving power. We share the person of Christ with young people because we know that an understanding of the Gospel is the foundation of true faith and bedrock allowing the Church to thrive here. How effective is the Church in Taiwan at sharing the message of salvation? It s an important question. To measure Gospel Reach, churches were asked about three specific categories of interaction: 1. Engagement - any personal interaction with the organization 2. Reach - any personal interaction where the Gospel was presented 3. New Reach - the church s first interaction with a child or youth where the Gospel was presented Reach of Churches On average, churches in Taiwan are each reaching 179 children and youth per year with the Gospel; 117 of these are first-time interactions between the child or youth and the reporting church. Engagement: Reporting churches interact directly with an average of 224 children and youth annually. Reach: Of these, 179 are directly engaged with the Gospel. New Reach: 117 of these are interacting with the church for the first time. Children Youth
Gospel Reach 26 Reach by Church Size Engagement Reach New Reach 500 500 500 203 400 400 400 163 300 300 300 243 141 200 200 192 200 54 44 100 107 100 93 100 43 28 34 24 16 0 0 0 13 20 46 121 Children Youth
27 Appendix Church and Parachurch Ministry Participation by Gender Data from the surveyed churches and parachurch organizations in Taiwan revealed a trend toward more girls than boys participating in their children s and youth ministry activities. The extent of this gender gap is not clear. Which gender(s) most often participates in your ministry to children and/or youth? Mostly or all boys Mostly or all girls Boys and girls equally (1-49) 27.0% 32.4% 40.5% (50-120) 17.0% 34.1% 48.9% (121+) 10.5% 32.5% 57.0% Parachurch Organizations 5.0% 30.0% 65.0%
Appendix Ministries to Watch Ministries naturally look to other like-minded organizations for best practices. For this reason, we wanted to learn which ministries are seen as the most respected, knowledgeable or influential in Taiwan. Here, churches were asked to name the most effective organizations both national and local that minister to children and youth within their own communities. 28 The surveyed churches identified these 38 organizations. All but two have both a national and a local footprint. Many of the surveyed churches partnered with these organizations to achieve mutual ministry goals. Footprint Organization Name Mentions % Naming Who Partner Both Alpha Children Scripture Reciting Association 3 100.0% Both Asia for Jesus 11 55.0% Both Bread of Life Christian Church 26 50.0% Both Campus Evangelical Fellowship 65 60.0% Both Champions Education Association 130 84.0% Both Child Evangelism Fellowship of Taiwan 47 75.0% Both China Sunday School Association 18 72.0% Both Chinese Campus Crusade for Christ 8 63.0% Both Chinese Christian Relief Association 16 56.0% Both Christian APAC Children & Youth Leadership Education Development Association 4 0.0% Both City Harvest Church 3 67.0% National Dandelion Hope Foundation 3 100.0% Both Eden Social Welfare Foundation 4 50.0% Both Faith Hope Love 5 40.0% Both Fly Young 3 0.0% Both Great Light Presbyterian Church 9 100.0% Both HuaLien Woodpecker Association 3 100.0% Both Institute in Basic Life Principles 7 57.0% National Last Day Organization 3 100.0% Both Loving Family Foundation 4 25.0% Both MEBIG (Make Everybody Believe in God) 30 60.0% Both New Life Church 10 60.0% Both OneHope 37 81.0% Both Orphan Welfare Foundation 3 33.0% Both Presbyterian Church 12 92.0% Both Rainbow Family Life Education Association 133 76.0% Both Ray of Hope 8 100.0% Both SHINE 8 63.0% Both Stream of Praise Music Ministries 3 100.0% Both Taiwan Fund for Children and Family 3 33.0% Both Taiwan Power 4 100.0% Both Taiwan Young Life 3 100.0% Both The Garden of Hope Foundation 3 100.0% Both The Mustard Seed Mission 6 67.0% Both The Prison Fellowship Taiwan 4 100.0% Both World Vision 22 64.0% Both YMCA 6 17.0% Both YWAM 7 71.0%
Appendix Popular Curricula and Publishers To develop an effective resource list, churches were asked to name the best tools or curricula for ministry to children and youth in Taiwan. 29 Many reported general tools such as: after school programs, Bible study, books, camps, career planning, cartoons, caterpillar method, character education, Christmas parties, Christmas performances in schools, Christian assemblies, dance, drama/theater, drums, dynamic activity (unicycle course), emotional management, English classes, evangelistic rallies/tea parties, Facebook/Line, financial management, fitness course, five color pearls method, games, magic, media, music, service learning, small group, sports, storytelling, street dance, Sunday school, talent camp/courses, videos, wordless picture books and YouTube. The surveyed churches also mentioned the following publishers/curricula: Alpha Children Scripture Reciting Association Banciao Church Banner Church Bill Wilson Bread of Life Christian Church Campus Evangelical Fellowship Champions Education Association Child Evangelism Fellowship of Taiwan Child Sunday School Association Chinese Campus Crusade for Christ Chinese Christian Evangelistic Association Dandelion Hope Foundation Duranno Taiwan Focus on the Family Taiwan Glory Foundation Gospel Bridge MEBIG New Life Church OneHope Presbyterian Church Rainbow Family Life Education Association Stream of Praise Music Ministries Taosheng Education
About, Acknowledgments and Contact 30 More than a billion children and youth have received a relevant presentation of God s Word from local churches around the world through OneHope. This year OneHope plans to reach one hundred million more young people with Scripture programs that are age- and culturally- specific based on research it conducts among children and youth, leaders and educators in the countries it works. Since 1987, OneHope has helped kids experience God s Story by collaborating with churches and ministries and working with local governments, schools and non-governmental organizations to bring a life-changing message to children and youth in every country of the world. www.onehope.net WellConnected is a resource for ministry leaders. We share insight, case studies and tools from around the world to help the Church reach the next generation effectively. www.wellconnected.is Acknowledgments This report would not have been possible without the partnership of 360 local churches from 38 denominations and 20 organizations throughout Taiwan. OneHope is grateful for these relationships which set the foundation for this research and is hopeful that this work will bear much fruit. Contact For more information regarding this report, email Grace Lee at onehopegrace@gmail.com.
600 SW 3rd Street Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 1.800.GIV.BIBL (448.2425) www.onehope.net