Church attendance: its influences on the churchgoing teenagers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the UK

This study examines the influence of church attendance on Pentecostal teenagers, particularly teenagers from the black-established Pentecostal Churches in the UK. It differs from previous research by focusing on church attendance rather than on religion and spirituality. This research was conducted among 27 teenagers, aged between 13 and 15 years old, who regularly attend the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), one of the Pentecostal denominations within the Black Majority Churches in Britain. The research was carried out as a qualitative study. The primary method of enquiry was face-to-face interviews. The data gathered were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach and thematic data analysis. The study argues that many Pentecostal teenagers in the UK, especially those who attend Black Majority Pentecostal Churches like the participants in this study, are not just actively engaged in religion and spirituality through the attendance of church services, as postulated by many academics from social sciences and religious studies backgrounds. Rather, church attendance has influenced the lives of youngsters in many positive ways. Critical analysis of the influence of church attendance among the interview participants falls into these themes: moral and social behaviours, personal and spiritual growth, and networking and corporate participation. In addition to presenting the empirical findings, this article compares such findings with the previous studies on the subject matter.