The Formation of Young People to Faith in God: An Evaluation of the “Youth on the Threshold” Programme Based on a Survey in the Diocese of Tarnów, Poland

The process of moving away from faith in God has taken place in Europe with varying dynamics in individual countries at least since the end of the Second World War. In Poland, secularisation slowed down significantly during the Communist period; however, it gained momentum after the changes initiated in 1989 and after Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004. The process of departing from faith in God was strongly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this trend was particularly noticeable among young Poles. In the context of cultural change, the formation of young people to faith in God has become a major challenge for Christian churches. The Catholic Church—not only in Poland—is searching for new forms, ways and programmes of religious formation for young people. Fourteen dioceses in Poland are implementing a three-year formation programme titled “Youth on the Threshold” (Polish: “Młodzi na Progu”). It was initiated in the Diocese of Gliwice in 2004, has its own website and is constantly being developed. In 2021, a youth survey was conducted in the Diocese of Tarnów to evaluate this programme. The results of this evaluation, when compared with surveys of religiousness in youth in general, show its positive effects on the continuation of and even the development of faith in God. This article first presents the main assumptions of the “Youth on the Threshold” programme and then the results of its evaluation based on a survey about faith in God conducted among those who completed the programme.