Religiously active youth have higher levels of self-esteem than their counterparts who are not religious, according to a study presented at the American Psychological Association annual convention August 24.

“Religious involvement appears to have the largest impact on how early adolescents evaluate themselves,” researchers said. The study demonstrated that religious youth are more confident in their abilities, while adolescents not involved in religious activities are prone to feel like they “don’t have much to be proud of.”

“This affirms that church changes lives,” says Baraka Muganda, youth director for the Seventh-day Adventist world church. “We build good citizens by providing skills they can apply in their own lives.”

The study, conducted by the University of Michigan Survey Research Center, examined the self-esteem of 1,261 eighth graders. Researches found that close family relationships reinforced religious involvement.

Virginia Smith, director of children’s ministries for the Adventist Church, believes these latest findings line up with previous research emphasizing the importance of strong adult-child relationships.

“It’s important for Adventist adults to realize the huge benefits their friendly influence can have on the young people in their church,” says Smith. Church can provide a safe, nurturing environment for children, she says. “When kids are in church, they’re in a place where they can’t fail.”