| abstract |
This study examines the theological and pastoral challenges of young adult ministry in the context of the MZ generation in contemporary Korean society. Often described as hyper-rational, hyper-individualistic, and hyper-autonomous, this generation is not interpreted as resistant to faith but as responding adaptively to social instability. This dissertation reinterprets these characteristics as new conditions for faith formation rather than obstacles.
The research analyzes structural changes in Korean society and the limitations of existing young adult ministry approaches. It engages Leonard Sweet's EPIC theory, which emphasizes experiential, participatory, image-driven, and connected expressions of faith in the postmodern church. EPIC challenges faith models centered on explanation and transmission, highlighting instead embodied and lived belief.
The core of this study is a case analysis of Hanavision Church and its Test of Faith (ToF) discipleship process. The findings demonstrate that faith among young adults is formed primarily through lived encounters with God within personal struggles rather than through program participation alone. These experiences expand into participation, shared narratives, and communal connection.
Based on this analysis, the study proposes an "Experience-centered EPIC Pyramid Model," positioning experience as the starting point of faith formation, supported by participation, narrative, and connection. This model reframes young adult ministry not as a strategy tailored to generational preferences but as a theological structure enabling faith to grow in lived reality.
In conclusion, the crisis of young adult ministry cannot be resolved through new programs alone but requires renewed commitment to faith formation. The experience- centered EPIC model offers a meaningful theological and pastoral direction for both young adult ministry and the future church.
|
