Spiritual flourishing in the words of the child: Final report for young people: A Faith in the Nexus study 2023

Since the pandemic, there has been widespread increased concern about children's spiritual well-being.
[The pandemic] is a once in a generation opportunity to transform the wider education system around the child so that wellbeing is truly at the heart of the learning environment in schools. (Barnardo’s, 2020)

[A] challenge faced by the child Jesus set in our midst is one of health and safety and especially mental, emotional, and spiritual health...COVID has revealed a tidal wave of mental health pressures on the young which has been building for decades. (Bishop Steven, Oxford Diocese)

We know from previous NICER research , conducted before the pandemic that there is a need to pay attention to and nurture the spirituality of children for them to flourish. We also know that many adults have limited awareness of the importance of this nurture and do not fully appreciate what children need to flourish spiritually. Research has shown that Faith communities have the potential to be a vital source of a sense of belonging and support for the spiritual nurture of children and adults. We identified a need to research children's understanding of what contributes to their spiritual well-being within the church school community context.