Valuegenesis
Encyclopedia
"Valuegenesis" is a research study into the faith and values of young people attending Seventh-day Adventist
high schools in North America
in the three areas of family, school and church. The first survey was conducted in 1990, a second major survey was conducted in 2000, and a third is taking place in 2010. Related studies also termed "Valuegenesis" have been conducted in other countries.
(United States
and Canada
) Office of Education into Adventist education
.
The first study, "Valuegenesis1" (or simply Valuegenesis) began in 1989. In 1990, more than 13,000 students responded to a survey. Following the study, the Project Affirmation Taskforces gave recommendations for change, which they called "Imperatives for Action". It called for youth ministry resource centers to be established. The John H. Hancock Center for Youth Ministry was formed.
In 1993, Steve W. Case criticised the lack of focus on youth of the church, despite the results of the studies.
The children's Sabbath School
curriculum was overhauled, with the lessons Our Little Friend through Insight
completely rewritten in 2000.
Ten years after the first survey, in 2000, the follow-up study "Valuegenesis2" was conducted. More than 18,000 students responded from over 22,000 questionnaires sent out. According to reports by the researchers, students in the second study exhibited a greater faith maturity, yet spent less time reading the Bible.
Further studies are being conducted in Europe and other parts of the world. For instance, a "Valuegenesis" survey was conducted in the South Pacific Division
in 1997. The principal researcher was Barry Gane.
for "advance") was conducted of Latino
Adventists in the North American Division in 1993 and 1994. Edwin Hernández was the principal investigator of this study, which was a follow-up to Valuegenesis.
Steve W. Case edited the book Shall We Dance? Rediscovering Christ-Centered Standards, published in 1996. It is based on the Valuegenesis study, and has had a significant impact on the church. One review was by Richard Duerksen. Samuele Bacchiocchi
's review was critical. See also an article of the same title by Case. Other articles, again of the same title may be related – by Karl Tstalbasidis and Deena Bartel-Wagner.
Case is known for emphasizing the support of youth in the church. He is also more on the progressive (liberal) end of the church culturally, for instance he re-evaluates traditional beliefs about dancing and jewellery for instance.
Project Affirmation:
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
high schools in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in the three areas of family, school and church. The first survey was conducted in 1990, a second major survey was conducted in 2000, and a third is taking place in 2010. Related studies also termed "Valuegenesis" have been conducted in other countries.
History
Valuegenesis began as one component of "Project Affirmation", a research study by the North American DivisionNorth American Division of Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda is officially organized as the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists...
(United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) Office of Education into Adventist education
Seventh-day Adventist education
The Seventh-day Adventist educational system is the second-largest Christian school system in the world, after the Roman Catholic system ....
.
The first study, "Valuegenesis1" (or simply Valuegenesis) began in 1989. In 1990, more than 13,000 students responded to a survey. Following the study, the Project Affirmation Taskforces gave recommendations for change, which they called "Imperatives for Action". It called for youth ministry resource centers to be established. The John H. Hancock Center for Youth Ministry was formed.
In 1993, Steve W. Case criticised the lack of focus on youth of the church, despite the results of the studies.
The children's Sabbath School
Sabbath School
Sabbath School is a function of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Seventh Day Baptist and some other sabbatarian denominations.-Program Context:...
curriculum was overhauled, with the lessons Our Little Friend through Insight
Insight (Adventist magazine)
Insight is a weekly magazine aimed at Seventh-day Adventist young people, published by Review and Herald. It has been described as one of the "most important" Adventist magazines.- History :...
completely rewritten in 2000.
Ten years after the first survey, in 2000, the follow-up study "Valuegenesis2" was conducted. More than 18,000 students responded from over 22,000 questionnaires sent out. According to reports by the researchers, students in the second study exhibited a greater faith maturity, yet spent less time reading the Bible.
Further studies are being conducted in Europe and other parts of the world. For instance, a "Valuegenesis" survey was conducted in the South Pacific Division
South Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific, , is formally organised as the South Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists , also abbreviated as the South Pacific Division or simply "the Division". It is one of 13 world divisions of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in...
in 1997. The principal researcher was Barry Gane.
Spinoffs
Valuegenesis has also inspired other studies. A study known as "AVANCE" (SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "advance") was conducted of Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
Adventists in the North American Division in 1993 and 1994. Edwin Hernández was the principal investigator of this study, which was a follow-up to Valuegenesis.
Steve W. Case edited the book Shall We Dance? Rediscovering Christ-Centered Standards, published in 1996. It is based on the Valuegenesis study, and has had a significant impact on the church. One review was by Richard Duerksen. Samuele Bacchiocchi
Samuele Bacchiocchi
Samuele R. Bacchiocchi was a Seventh-day Adventist author and theologian, best known for his work on the Sabbath in Christianity, particularly in the historical work From Sabbath to Sunday, based on his doctoral thesis from the Pontifical Gregorian University...
's review was critical. See also an article of the same title by Case. Other articles, again of the same title may be related – by Karl Tstalbasidis and Deena Bartel-Wagner.
Case is known for emphasizing the support of youth in the church. He is also more on the progressive (liberal) end of the church culturally, for instance he re-evaluates traditional beliefs about dancing and jewellery for instance.
Publications
- Barry Gane, Youth Ministry and the Transmission of Beliefs and Values, 1997. Valuegenesis Project Report no. 3
Project Affirmation:
- V. Bailey Gillespie, ed. Perspectives on Values, 1993
External links
- ValueGenesis.org
- John Hancock Center for Youth and Family Ministry at La Sierra UniversityLa Sierra UniversityLa Sierra University is a Seventh-day Adventist co-educational university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Adventist Accrediting Association...
- "New Valuegenesis report gives more insight into youth values" in Adventist Review 168. June 27, 1991, p. 6 (not yet online)
- "Have You Hugged Your Kids Today?" by Gail Taylor Rice in SpectrumSpectrum (magazine)Spectrum is the official publication of Adventist Forums, published four times a year. It was established "to encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation in the discussion of contemporary issues from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the...
May 1992 - V. Bailey Gillespie, "Nurturing Our Next Generation", Adventist Review 167 (January 3, 1991), 5–11
- Search for "Valuegenesis" articles cataloged in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)