Building Youth Faith in the Digital Era

A Case Study at the Protestant Batak Christian Church Napitupulu

Authors

  • Yosua Xpistos Gultom Sekolah Tinggi Teologi HKBP Pematangsiantar, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1834-2440
  • Jekapri Gultom Sekolah Tinggi Teologi HKBP Pematangsiantar, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64099/50fqx248

Keywords:

Christian character formation, Digital era, HKBP Napitupulu, Youth ministry, Youth spirituality

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how digitalization influences the formation of character and spirituality among adolescents at HKBP Napitupulu Church, and how the youth fellowship responds to these challenges. The research employed a qualitative approach, collecting data through observation, in-depth interviews with youth members and mentors, and document analysis related to youth ministry programs. The findings show that digitalization provides positive opportunities such as access to spiritual resources, enhanced communication, and creative forms of digital ministry. However, the study also identified several challenges, including technological distraction, weakened spiritual focus, unfiltered media consumption, and the potential for negative online behavior. The youth fellowship at HKBP Napitupulu plays a significant role in addressing these issues through regular discipleship programs, Bible study, value-based Christian character formation, and gradual adaptation toward integrating digital platforms in ministry. This study concludes that the church holds a strategic role in shaping Christian character among adolescents through a hybrid model of discipleship that aligns with digital realities. These findings provide practical recommendations for developing youth ministry strategies grounded in Christian spirituality and digital literacy in the contemporary era.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Barrett, L. (1998). Missional church: A vision for the sending of the church in North America. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

Campbell, H. A., & Garner, S. (2016). Networked theology (engaging culture): Negotiating faith in digital culture. Baker Academic.

Campbell, H. A., & Tsuria, R. (2022). Digital Religion: Understanding Religious Practice in Digital Media (2 ed.). Routledge.

Christian, R. (2013). Taking Theology to Youth Ministry. Jurnal Youth Ministry, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.47901/jym.v1i1.80

Creswell, J. W. (2016). Research Design Pendekatan Kualitatif, Kuantitatif, dan Mixed. Pustaka Pelajar.

Foster, R. J. (2018). Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition: The Path to Spiritual Growth Hardcover. HarperOne.

Gea, E., Waruwu, A. T. M., Novalina, M., & Rohy, A. R. W. (2023). Peran Gereja dalam Membentuk Karakter Remaja Kristen di Era Kontemporer. Sabda: Jurnal Teologi Kristen, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.55097/sabda.v4i2.89

Group, B. (2019). The Connected Generation: How Christian Leaders Around the World Can Strengthen Faith & Well-being Among 18-35-year-olds. Barna Group.

Irene, N. (2021). Peran Gereja Sebagai Persekutuan Bagi Kalangan Remaja. OSF Preprints. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/phsj2

Kohlberg, L. (1995). Tahap-tahap Perkembangan Moral. Kanisius.

Lumi, D. R. ., & Ilat, I. P. (2020). Pembentukan Karakter Remaja Kristen Melalui Pembelajaran Daring Pada Mata Pelajaran PAK di SMP Kristen Eben Haezer 2 Manado. Jurnal Didaskalia, 1(2), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.51667/djpk.v1i2.466

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5). https://doi.org/10.1108/10748120110424816

Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. Sage.

Samarenna, D. (2021). Gereja Menyikapi Arus Globalisasi Digital. Jurnal EFATA: Jurnal Teologi dan Pelayanan, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.47543/efata.v8i1.54

Saptarianto, H., Deviani, S., Anah, S. I., & Noviyanti, I. (2024). Menghadapi Tantangan Era Digital, Strategi Integrasi Media Sosial, Literasi Digital dan Inovasi Bisnis. Jurnal Manuhara : Pusat Penelitian Ilmu Manajemen dan Bisnis, 2(3), 128–139. https://doi.org/10.61132/manuhara.v2i3.955

Sari, J. A., & Diana, B. A. (2024). Dampak Transformasi Digitalisasi terhadap Perubahan Perilaku Masyarakat Pedesaan. Jurnal Pemerintahan dan Politik, 9(2), 88–96. https://doi.org/10.36982/jpg.v9i2.3896

Silalahi, Z., & Nainggolan, B. D. (2024). Peran Gereja dalam Pertumbuhan Rohani Remaja Berdasarkan 1 Timotius 4: 12. JIIP-Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Pendidikan, 7(5), 5040–5046. https://doi.org/10.54371/jiip.v7i5.4417

Sirait, C. M., Manullang, A., Situmeang, A. C., Sipayung, A. G., Simanjuntak, Y. M. F., & Malau, O. (2023). Pendidikan Kristen di Gereja Sebagai Sarana dalam Pembentukan Karakter Remaja Terhadap Misi Kristen. Jurnal Pendidikan Sosial dan Humaniora, 2(3), 11324–11334.

Smith, C., & Denton, M. L. (2009). Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. Oxford University Press.

Sriyanto, B., & Sihite, T. S. H. (2020). Peran Gereja dalam Pembinaan Kerohanian Remaja di Gereja Pantekosta di Indonesia Kota Palangka Raya. KHARISMATA: Jurnal Teologi Pantekosta, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.47167/kharis.v2i2.32

Stanley, P. D., & Clinton, J. R. (2024). Connecting: The mentoring relationships you need to succeed in life. NavPress.

Tarigan, D. C., Rajagukguk, D. L. K., Hutasoit, E. R., Lumbanraja, S., & Berasa, T. (2025). Pendidikan Agama Kristen Untuk Dewasa Dalam Era Digital Tantangan Dan Peluang. Jurnal Pendidikan Sosial dan Humaniora, 4(1), 215–219. https://publisherqu.com/index.php/pediaqu/article/view/1577

Turkle, S. (2015). Reclaiming conversation: The power of talk in a digital age. Penguin.

Werntz, M. (2020). Stanley Hauerwas, The Character of Virtue: Letters to a Godson. Review & Expositor, 117(1), 162–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034637319897631h

Downloads

Published

28-11-2025

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Yosua Xpistos Gultom, Jekapri Gultom (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

This journal is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). This means that you are free to:

  1. Share – Copy, distribute, and transmit the material in this journal.
  2. Adapt – Remix, transform, and build upon the material in this journal for any purpose, including commercial purposes.

However, there are a few conditions you must follow:

  • Attribution – You must give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and source, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You must do this in a manner that is reasonable but not in any way that suggests the author(s) endorse you or your use.
  • ShareAlike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license, CC BY-SA 4.0.

This license applies internationally and gives users the right to distribute, modify, and create derivative works from the licensed material, as long as the derivative works are licensed under the same terms and appropriate credit is given to the original authors.

For the full terms and conditions, you can visit this link.

How to Cite

Building Youth Faith in the Digital Era: A Case Study at the Protestant Batak Christian Church Napitupulu. (2025). MARSAHALA: Journal of Religious and Cultural Studies, 1(2), 105-114. https://doi.org/10.64099/50fqx248