Adolescent spirituality : age of conversion and spiritual development in selected Christian universities in Kenya and its implications for youth ministry

Abstract

This study was a replication of Lamport's study. Its purpose was to find out similarities or differences to Lamport's study to justify more confidence in the validity of research findings and determine the degree to which findings apply to other populations when different subjects at a different time and in a different setting are used. The Master of Arts students at Daystar University responded to the questionnaire related to the age of conversion, and the undergraduate students at Africa Nazarene University responded to the questionnaire related to the spiritual development facet. Based on the research questions, this study dealt with the age of conversion, the extent to which males and females differ in age of conversion, the most common contributing factors in becoming a Christian, the major influencing factors for spiritual growth in adolescents, the extent to which adolescents differ in spiritual growth when raised in homes where Christian influence is strong, medium, little, or non-existent. Findings of this study showed that adolescence is the prime age of conversion and that males become Christians earlier than females. However, there was no significant difference for males and females in factors influencing spiritual growth. Home, parents, school, the reading of the Bible and other Christian materials, music and Bible studies were found to be the most influencing factors for conversion and spiritual development.