Half of all Church of England parishes are engaged in or are planning to engage in a fresh expression of church. This encouraging news was reported by parishes completing their annual parochial returns early in 2006. A fresh expression of church was here defined as a new and/ or different way of being church in and for our changing culture. It was not to be taken simply as an additional activity or stepping stone to Sunday services but as something that genuinely can be (or become) church for those taking part. The results give a good indication of the positive awareness of and engagement with fresh expressions of church across the country. Approaching 9 in 10 (87%) of parishes completed this particular survey question.
In a quarter of dioceses more than half of parishes are involved in fresh expressions of church
4 in 10 (39%) parishes and churches indicated that since 2000 they had begun a fresh expression of church involving a new and regular activity. A third (33%) support activities that involve people who do not currently attend church or who do so only occasionally. In eleven dioceses, mostly urban but across the north and south of the country, a half or more of parishes have begun a fresh expression of church. These dioceses are Birmingham, Blackburn, Bristol, Canterbury, Chichester, Guildford, Lichfield, Manchester, Rochester, St Albans and Winchester.
More and more churches are catching the vision of new forms of church in their neighbourhood. Among parishes that were not actively supporting a fresh expression of church in 2005/6 , 2 in 10 (19%) were involved in plans for the future. That is a further 1 in 8 (12%) of parishes overall making over half (51%) that are supporting or are planning in the next two years to
support a fresh expression of church. Overall 30% of parishes are planning to begin a fresh expression of church in the next two years. Most churches currently engaged in a fresh expression of church are also feeling sufficiently encouraged to continue the good work for the parochial returns reveal that among those who have already been involved in a fresh expression of church, a half (48%) are planning a further initiative.
Parishes in 2006 involved with fresh expressions of church since 2000
Most of these fresh expressions of church involve adults; 9 in 10 (89%), in fact, involve adults over 25 years of age. A large number, over 2 in 3 (69%) involve children under 16 years of age while 1 in 3 (33%) involve young people aged between 16 and 25 years.
Among parishes involved in fresh expressions:
Similar numbers of people are involved in each of the three age groups indicated above. Parishes reported that on average 29 adults, 26 young people and 25 children are involved in each of these (age) categories of fresh expressions of church. In all 32% of parishes reported adults involved in fresh expressions of church, 12% reported young people and 25% reported children.
In total 216,100 adults, children and young people were reported by parishes as being involved in fresh expressions of church, on average 50 for each participating parish. Usually these involved adults and either young people or children (with children present twice as often as young people). Although these figures may involve an element of duplication by parishes involved together in a fresh expression of church, there are similar numbers of adults involved as children and young people. Perhaps some of the adults are supervising the younger generation but this still leaves a significant number of fresh expressions catering specifically for adults.
Churches of different ‘sizes’
Smaller parishes are less likely to be involved in fresh expressions of church. Whether church size is judged by the parochial electoral roll or the average weekly attendance at worship by adults, children and young people the pattern emerging is the same.
Parishes with fresh expressions of church
Even among parishes planning a fresh expression in the next two years, the same pattern emerges. It is only when parishes who are making initial plans to be involved in a fresh expression of church for the first time are considered that the pattern alters. Among parishes that have not been involved in fresh expressions of church but are making first plans, there is very little variation in numbers in different ‘sized’ parishes. Smaller churches are beginning to become more involved in fresh expressions of church.
Parishes planning fresh expressions in the next two years
Fresh expressions of church must be accessible to smaller parishes as well as larger ones. This is particularly important because the Church of England has a large number of small parishes and churches. 1 in 3 parishes have an average weekly attendance at worship by adults, children and young people of under 30 while approaching a quarter have an electoral roll of this size. The charts following illustrate these features of church life.
Parishes of different sizes – average all age weekly attendance
Parishes of different sizes – electoral roll
Fresh expressions of church operate alongside and within traditional parishes. Research is ongoing to assess the potential impact of these two complimentary approaches to parish based misson. In the 2004 report Mission Shaped Church, research by Richter and Francis was utilised to estimate 40% of the population to be “unchurched” in that they had never attended church or Sunday School six times a year or more often
Mission Shaped Church Report, 2004
40% were found to be “dechurched” in that although they had attended church or Sunday School six times a year or more often, they no longer did so. Of these half said they were open to attending church in the future and half were not. Subsequently, further work by Richter and Frances across a broader spectrum (Greater London, Exeter and York) revealed fewer people to be “churched” and a larger proportion of the population to be “dechurched”.
Richter & Francis, 1996/7 (unpublished)
In 2005, the Archbishops’ Council commissioned Opinion Research Business to investigate this further using a national survey. The results confirmed other national surveys in revealing that 2 in 10 adults in Britain considered that they attended religious services at least once a month. 5 in 10 used to attend church or Sunday School at least six times a year but no longer did so and 3 in 10 had never attended with such frequency. These are classified respectively as the “dechurched” and “unchurched”.
Experience of churchgoing, GB (ORB 2005)
When asked if they were open to returning to regular church attendance, by far the majority of people classified as “dechurched” responded positively. 3 in 10 could be termed “open dechurched” and 2 in 10 “closed dechurched”. In order to examine this further, the survey asked how likely people were to attend church in the next two years. 1 in 8 (12%) of adults in Great Britain are open to attending church and consider that possibility likely in the next two years.
Attitude towards churchgoing, GB (ORB 2005)
Across the whole population the survey found 1 in 3 open to attending church but unlikely to do so in the next two years and 1 in 3 closed to attending church. A more detailed national survey by Tearfund was developed over 2005 and 2006. This survey across the United Kingdom examined churchgoing patterns closer but it investigated openness to churchgoing solely in terms of likelihood of attending church at some point in the future. If the majority of annual churchgoers can be considered to be open to attending more frequently and account is taken of the separation of adherents to other faiths, a similar result emerges to that estimated by ORB. We can estimate 1 in 8 (12%/ 11%) to be “dechurched” but likely to attend in the future.
Churchgoing, UK, Tearfund/RSGB 2006 (2005)
Perceptions and experience of churchgoing in Britain today are complex and changing. Many are open to attending church but do not consider it likely. Bringing the results of research conducted in this area together generates a confirming picture.
In England today:
2 in 10 consider themselves regular attenders at religious services
5 in 10 used to attend regularly but no longer do so (and this proportion is increasing)
3 in 10 are open to returning to regular churchgoing but only 1 in 10 consider this likely
3 in 10 have little or no experience of churchgoing (and this proportion is increasing)
Experience of churchgoing, England
Sources: BSA 2004, European Social Survey 2002, GbnF 1996/7,
Tearfund 2005/6, ORB
2005, Populas 2006
The research by Tearfund (2005/6) revealed one further salutary note regarding openness to churchgoing. When survey respondents were asked if they were likely to attend church in the future, the possibilities became more remote as the frequency of churchgoing lessened. 29% of people classified as partially dechurched (they attend church less than every month but used to go more often) and 14% of those classified as totally dechurched (they never attend church but they used to go) were likely to return to church while only 4% of the unchurched (attending less than once a year) considered churchgoing a possibility. Factors most likely to increase their likelihood of attending church were personal invitations, family members and difficult circumstances.
Likelihood of church attendance, Tearfund/RSGB 2005
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Partially dechurched |
Totally dechurched |
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Unchurched |
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References:
Research & Statistics, Archbishops’ Council February 2007
