South Pacific Island Nations Valuegenesis Study 1 Core Report: A Study of Faith Development and Values Formation in Seventh-Day Adventist Adolescents and Youth Aged 12-18 Years

Abstract

The Seventh-day Adventist Church cares deeply about its young people and for this reason it invests heavily in schools, youth ministry programs and supplies support for the families these young people come from. The schools established by the church are widely known through-out the South Pacific Island Nations. Many leaders throughout these island nations were educated in the SDA school system. This investment is rewarded by the Christian commitment and involvement of its youth in the mission of the church and by the impact its graduates have on the societies where they reside. When the home, church and school work together growth is seen in the lives of young people as they adopt the beliefs and values of the church. Despite the best efforts of all those involved in the lives of the young people sadly there are still some who do not accept the Christian faith or adopt the value system of their parents or the church.There are strong social and cultural pressures that give an alternative view of the world that is often seen as attractive. The first Valuegenesis study conducted in the South Pacific Division in 1992 arose from a desire to understand more clearly the relationship between Adventist homes, churches and schools and the young people whose needs they serve. The South Pacific Island Nations Valuegenesis project was initiated by the South Pacific administration in 2011 to assess the current context, and contribute to the evaluation of past programs while informing strategic planning and new goal setting. This study was directed by the management committee listed earlier and led by Dr. Barry Gane a member of the Valuegenesis I committee and researcher of the first study.