Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 127:505 (Jan 1970)
Article: Profiles of Evangelical Youth
Author: Gene A. Getz

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BSac 127:505 (Jan 70) p. 38

Profiles of Evangelical Youth

Gene A. Getz

Roy B. Zuck

[Gene A. Getz, Associate Professor of Christian Education, Dallas Theological Seminary.]

[Roy B. Zuck, Executive Vice President, Scripture Press Foundation, Wheaton, Illinois.]

[Editor’s note: Permission has been graciously granted by the National Association of Evangelicals to publish this copyrighted article.]

Are professing Christian young people in evangelical churches any different from other teenagers? What are the values, doubts, goals, and morals of high schoolers in our churches? How do Christian teens evaluate themselves, their families, their churches?

Concern for reliable answers to these questions prompted the Research Commission of the National Sunday School Station to sponsor a nationwide survey of Christian youth in evangelical NSSA-related churches. Responses to a carefully devised 26-page questionnaire were received from more than 3,000 young people in 1,917 churches, chosen by random sampling from a representative list of NSSA churches.

Eighty-three Christian educators participated in the project by administering the questionnaires to young people in the assigned churches. Through the study careful attention was given to the best in research procedures and statistical testing in an effort to secure valid, reliable data. Several eminently qualified research consultants gave invaluable assistance in various aspects of the project.

Answers to 336 items on each questionnaire were scored on IBM key-punch cards from which the data were then transferred to computer magnetic tape. The thousands of computer-programmed statistics enabled the authors to study many profiles of evangelical youth. Findings from this study are reported in detail in the book, Christian Youth—an In-Depth Study.

Most of the teens responding to this survey reported that they attend public high schools. More than half were from churches whose Sunday schools have an average

BSac 127:505 (Jan 70) p. 39

attendance between 101 and 500.

Three-fourths of the youths said they had a Christian father and mother and more than half the teens indicated their parents were not college graduates. Two-thirds of the teens’ fathers were either manual workers or businessmen; few were professional workers or farmers.

Christian Teens’ Religious Experiences

It is encouraging that many of the Christian teens surveyed indicated that they are actively involved in religious practices. The majority of the youths reported that they attend Sunday school, Sunday morning and evening church services, and youth-grou...

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