Social Marketing as a Means of Promoting Youth Ministry

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of communication strategies aimed at youth in three main line churches (PCEA St Andrews, All Saints Cathedral and St James BuruBuru). This study viewed church youth work as a persuasion, and employed the 4Ps of marketing and other social marketing constructs to analyse the. appropriateness of those persuasive strategies. Participants in this study comprised 175 respondents from St James Buruburu, 91 from PCEA St Andrews, and 82 from All Saints Cathedral churches. Ten respondents did not indicate the churches they were affiliated with. Interviews were arranged with the youth pastors in the three churches. Data was collected using a questionnaire and i -depth interview guide coupled with participant observation. Data from the self-administered questionnaire was coded and keyed in to the computer and later analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Audio taped data from interviews and participant observation notes were transcribed, edited and coded according to various themes. The findings of the study indicated that place, promotion and partnership influence the level of satisfaction of youth in the church while product and promotion influence the level of the involvement in the church ministry programmed. Place was found to be a significant contributor towards youth overall satisfaction of their churches. Other factors that also contribute to the successful youth ministries include strong background laid in Sunday school, ability to set up successful teens' ministries, consistent participation in church activities, strength of leadership, recognition of youth ministry as important, welcomed at home and opportunities for youth to participate in creating their own programme.