Why Was ALOVE Created?
Research shows that the UK Church has seen rapid decline in the number of young people and young adults attending and engaging with faith. For example, the English Church Attendance Survey (and earlier English Church censuses) show that for youth under the age of 15, attendance was at 1,400,000 in 1979 compared to 720,000 by 1998. Within this climate, The Salvation Army, despite numerous hot spots of excellence in Youth Ministry, has also seen progressive decline in the number of young people engaged with the movement. The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory Y.P. Register demonstrates a drop from approximately 120,000 in 1950 to under 20,000 in the year 2000. This general picture of decline provides a wake-up call to the UK Church. The statistics demonstrate that, overall, we are failing to meet the needs of young people and young adults in 21st century society. ALOVE is The Salvation Army’s response to this situation. It’s not about bumping up the numbers; it’s about expressing th
