Since the 1990s, Korean churches have faced a serious challenge in the transmission of faith due to the decline in youth participation and disengagement from worship. The COVID-19 pandemic has further intensified this trend, and the rapid decrease in ...
Since the 1990s, Korean churches have faced a serious challenge in the transmission of faith due to the decline in youth participation and disengagement from worship. The COVID-19 pandemic has further intensified this trend, and the rapid decrease in children and youth, along with the expansion of digital environments, has significantly weakened the next generation’s participation in worship and spiritual formation. In this reality of emptying worship spaces, the church stands again at the urgent task of raising a “generation of faith.”
This study aims to explore the direction of church music education that enables children and youth to encounter God personally, to grow in a faithful Christian life, and to build their faith within the church community. Although church music is an important educational resource that contributes to the next generation’s spiritual growth and community formation, scholarly research on this area remains limited. Therefore, this study examines the essence and spiritual functions of church music and investigates its influence on children and youth in their faith formation and communal education. The research focuses on Generation Alpha and Generation Z, who make up today’s children and adolescents, because understanding their generational characteristics and cultural sensibilities is the starting point of education.
Chapter II analyzes the characteristics of Generation Alpha and Generation Z and the sociocultural changes surrounding them, and examines the educational direction required in this context. The necessity and effectiveness of arts education are reviewed, along with the development of music education in Korea and current orientations in contemporary music education. Chapter III explores the purpose and significance of Christian education and analyzes its differences from general education. It also investigates the role of church education according to developmental stages of children and youth, along with specific educational content and examples of worship education designed for adolescents. Chapter IV examines the biblical foundation and educational value of church music, as well as the historical development of church music education in Western churches and Korean churches from theological and pedagogical perspectives. The study analyzes elements shaped by Western influence and those with unique Korean identity. It also reviews the historical transition from hymns to anthems and contemporary CCM, highlighting the spiritual significance of CCM in today’s worship culture for children and youth. Furthermore, practical examples of church music education in Korean churches and mission organizations were examined, and educational directions for Generation Alpha and Generation Z were drawn in the areas of spiritual growth, community building, faith transmission, and the mission of evangelism. Based on these directions, a sample “church music education program” for adolescents was proposed, incorporating proclamation-centered worship music, integration of traditional hymns and contemporary CCM, and media education that reflects their cultural environment.
The purpose of this study lies in restoring and transmitting faith to Generation Alpha and Generation Z, while the goal of church music education is aligned with the directions presented above. The proposed program serves as a practical approach to implementing these goals in educational settings. This study suggests that church music education applies the principles of music education to fulfill its Christian educational role within the realms of culture and the arts.