Waste of Space or Room for Place?

Abstract

This article explores how young people today engage with physical space and how it can best be utilized within ministry to youth. Sociological research has suggested a movement away from thought on physical space and its impact on creating a place for young people to be rooted in community. Through visual research conducted on a current youth ministry, it was discovered that physical spaces directly impact youth and their ability to belong to a faith-based community. It was also discovered that of the two youth ministries analyzed in this study – one in the US and one in the UK – there was the practice of attempting to create a third place for youth to congregate. From the visual research conclusions, this article argues for the importance of creating a place for youth and how this can be achieved in multi-functional spaces, specifically through the utilization of music.