Integration of Self-Interest and Life Goals in the Spiritual Development of Christian Youth in Muara Teweh

Abstract

This Community Service Program aims to integrate self-interest and life-purpose awareness into the spiritual formation of Christian adolescents in Muara Teweh. The program was motivated by adolescents' need to understand their potential and connect it with a meaningful direction in life, while spiritual formation in the partner setting still tended to focus on ritual activities and one-way delivery of material. The approach used was Participatory Action Research (PAR), involving participants in needs identification, interest assessment, workshops, group discussions, life-purpose formulation, and reflection. A total of 51 participants were involved, consisting of 25 students from SMUN 4 Muara Teweh, 17 young people from GBI Sawit, and 9 adolescents from GKE Imanuel. The Rothwell Miller Interest Blank (RMIB) assessment showed the highest interest tendencies in Social Service (24.8%), Musical (20.9%), and Aesthetic (17.0%). The feedback and reflection process helps participants recognize their interests and potential and connect them with Christian faith values. Most participants developed a draft life-purpose plan. The program also produced the basis for a data-informed formation model linking assessment, faith reflection, discussion, and mentoring. The findings indicate that integrating psychological and spiritual dimensions can make adolescent formation more holistic, participatory, and contextual. However, long-term changes cannot yet be concluded because a six-month evaluation is still planned.