by Rev John Mann

This article is based on part of a thesis that John Mann wrote in 2005. One part of that thesis examined the National Church Life Survey data for the Uniting Church attenders compared with the attenders of other denominations for both older and younger people. The section of the thesis included here was based on focus groups.

My research was aimed at understanding in the light of the contemporary spiritual exploration, how a person's sense of spiritual 'belonging' informs their motivation for giving. This was examined in both financial terms and in the giving of time and talents to both the church and the wider community. Based on the fact that there are significant differences in the forms of faith of people under 50 years of age and over 50 years of age, this research looked for differences in their understanding of 'belonging' and in their motivations for giving time and effort.

My hypothesis was that compared with older Uniting Church attenders, those under 50 would be less committed to give to church organisations. It was anticipated that they would have a stronger desire to see the end benefits of their giving and their giving would be more related to causes or personal needs than to organisations.

The Church's Mission

Focus groups explored 'belonging' through discussion of how people first made connections with congregations. Reasons for the under 50s changing congregations were often based around switching denomination and, in some cases, re-entering the UCA after considerable absence since their teen years. In several instances, this was linked to child-rearing activity and the attraction of church-based children's programs, but also to personal faith searches and the opportunity to theologically reflect on life experiences. The focus groups revealed that younger adults were not seeking all the answers, but wanted the opportunity to engage and find validation for life's struggles. They wanted to find support and nurture but also be able to disagree with theological interpretation as befitted their own experiences. As one younger person put it, "they want to be talked with, not talked at" in worship and sermon dialogue. They wanted a spiritual journeying that was renewing but 'still mysterious' as one younger man in an inner suburban congregation described it.

The younger groups confirmed that they felt they were in the busiest time of their life. They needed familiarity with the church, but hoped the connection would not be too demanding. They expressed feelings of 'wanting to put something back into the community' but were fearful of 'over-commitment'.

The under 50s understanding of the mission of the Church was diverse, but came out strongly in terms of supporting the congregation to help individuals deal with the challenges of life. In the younger focus groups, they stated many times and in many ways, that the church needs to connect well with the local community and to reach out especially to young families and youth, building community in the local context. The Church needs to be non-judgemental, accountable and transparent, they said, while dealing with diverse spiritual needs in a pluralistic society. The groups felt that the church needed to be teaching faith and helping others to grow. There were also some references to social justice.

The focus groups of those over 50 years of age indicated that they had maintained their denominational allegiance, even if they had changed congregations. Outer suburban focus group members sought out local UCA churches, while one man said the presence of a local UCA Church actually influenced his decision to purchase a house in this new suburb. Inner suburban members changed church more commonly because their former (UCA) congregations had closed. Older focus groups stated in many ways that they wanted a welcoming fellowship where they were invited to form friendships. They preferred congregations where there was a diversity of age groups. Part of feeling accepted was being given some formal tasks in the life of the church that were not too demanding. Older people were concerned that congregations were not faction or tension ridden.

For over 50s, the mission of the church was about getting people personally involved in and growing the church community, supporting local church agencies and local community groups. Many older people told stories of the social importance that the church had held for them in their younger years. Their hope was that the church might be able to offer similar social support for young people today.

Generally the older groups expressed more strongly their concerns for the work of the wider church: about work overseas, social justice issues and issues in the wider church. They were most concerned that the church must look after local mission first, to ensure the survival of the congregation and the maintenance of paid ministry. They also had concerns about church buildings. Other issues mentioned were that the church needed to be building community, exercising hospitality, expanding ministry to the elderly, improving church buildings and facilities and doing more to build youth numbers through encouraging young people to come to faith and to participate in the life of the church.

The Giving of Money

Talking about money was not easy for the focus groups, young or old. Concerns raised by the under 50s were good money management, little waste and being generous where generosity was needed. Their generosity depended on the confidence that their money would be used wisely. This, in turn, was related to the levels of transparency. The over 50s emphasized trust in those given the job of financial administration. They would like more maintenance and building improvements. They felt good about spending money on traditional ministry such as stipends, but felt that the wider church was lost in a bureaucratic wilderness.

The under 50s were interested in stories about where the money went. Several times I heard a similar question: "did it make a difference to someone's life or church?" This interest was balanced against "is the congregation meeting its budget?" and the needs of the local church community. In their thinking, the local context came first, then the world.

Giving Time

The balance between financial giving and the giving of time to the church and community for the under 50s was dominated by life stage issues. They saw themselves as time poor and busier than ever. Their concern was to give a balance to both without over-committing. Time was more important than money, but there were some feelings of guilt in not giving enough time to either church or community.

What they were receiving back was important too. "You want to give back to organisations that have helped you", several said. One volunteers where one's life stage is at, for example, in organisations where your children are participating, it was suggested. Others spoke of participating in local projects where one has the confidence that one has relevant personal skills to offer.

They felt the retired had more time to offer although the under 50s were unsure whether there was an age factor in volunteering. Some focus group members felt that volunteers should work with people of a similar age group. Others said that similar personality types were better suited. Generally they felt that the young today had less time to give than their parents had at the same age.

For the over 50s there were different life stage issues: physical ageing and older person's responsibilities such as the extended care of grandchildren bringing physical restrictions to volunteering. But they tried to balance both church and community concerns. While aware of the importance of local community and social issues, they felt they should be contributing in a spiritual direction. Similarly they believed that time was more important than money. Many participants in one group thought volunteering in older age gave new opportunities to draw on past life experiences and skills and the chance to learn new skills. They commonly stated that it was important for church people to be involved in community groups and that those involved received personal benefits.

Geographic location was an important issue in their volunteering. They wanted to live near the activities. They also believed age was a factor in volunteering and felt that young people did not volunteer as much. They appreciated that young parents were busy with work and family and that they had financial concerns. It was commented in one older focus group that the young give money, but find it hard to give time.

Belonging

The under 50s described their sense of belonging to their church as feeling accepted or connected. Others acknowledged that their involvement was transitory. Few felt 'life committed'. This contrasted with the over 50s who most commonly regard themselves as being loyal or committed. Very few older participants regarded themselves as transitory.

Apart from the lifestyle time, work, and family issues, under 50s found it difficult to get more involved in the life of their congregations because of insufficient challenges, faith growth issues, commitment 'phobia' and lack of family support. For many over 50s, there was competition of time from community groups, the ageing factors and feelings of burn-out. Many felt that they had done their time and were wanting others to take over. There were also issues of lack of partner support and of wanting to limit themselves to short term projects to fit in with a growing range of recreational activities and travel now common for older people.

Conclusions

My hypothesis that there were measurable differences in motivation in a church context for belonging and giving between the age groups defined as over and under 50 years of age was unmistakably affirmed by the study. The focus groups confirmed that the under 50s were less committed to give and had a stronger desire to see the end benefits of their giving. The giving of those under 50 was more frequently related to causes or personal needs than to organisations compared with the patterns of older people. People over 50 were more interested in contributing to the organisation.

These findings have important implications for ways that both congregations and denominations encourage younger and older people to contribute to the mission of the Church.

John Mann
Acting Director,
Commission for Mission,
Uniting Church
Synod of Victoria and Tasmania