A longing for community : A study about the entrance process into the Pentecostal Church

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to depict the entrance process into the Pentecostal church and compare it with three different models of the entrance process into religious organizations too se if there are any similarities. The purpose is also to see if there are any similarities between the informants in their entrance process, and which strengths and weaknesses the three models have, when utilized on the entrance process into the Pentecostal church. The results indicates that there are some similarities between the informant´s entrance process into the Pentecostal church, such as the contact the informants have with the Pentecostal church during their entrance process and the context the informant´s was situated in. There are also some similarities before joining, such as the engagement in religion and the longing after a community. The similarities with the three models indicate that they show most similarities with the model that John R. Rambo has created over the entrance process. The strength and weaknesses of the three models are varying, with all three models showing some strenghts and weaknesses. Some steps in the models could also be considered neutral, when compared to the entrance process into the Pentecostal church. One factor that contributes to the weaknesses of the models is the empiric material that the models are based on.