2. The Four Partners of NCLS Research: Uniting Mission and Education Anglicare Sydney Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Australian Catholic University NCLS RESEARCH – built on a history of collaboration

3. Anglican Apostolic Australian Christian Churches Baptist Brethren C3 Church Catholic Churches of Christ Church of the Nazarene Christian Life Churches Christian Missionary Alliance Christian Reformed Churches COC Australia More than 23 denominations and movements participating including: Congregational Church CRC Churches International Four Square Gospel Grace Communion International International Pentecostal Holiness Churches Lutheran Presbyterian Salvation Army Seventh-day Adventist Uniting Church Vineyard Fellowship Independent congregations, House churches and other Christian communities. NCLS RESEARCH – built on a history of collaboration

4. …to the nation about the Australian Church and its people and to individual denominations likewise …to states, regions, and dioceses about their vitality and about the life of their churches …to local churches about their spiritual and pastoral strengths …to local church leaders about their people’s hopes concerns and commitment …to researchers about the very nature of church today Once every five years NCLS Research has gathered the voices of Australian church attenders and so been able to speak with authority… National Church Life Survey 1991 – 1996 – 2001 – 2006 – 2011

5. Nation-wide ecumenical venture The largest nationwide survey after the ABS National Census Twenty years old: first took place in 1991, Happens every five years at the same time as the National Census Over 4500 local churches and around 260,000+ individuals from 23 denominations took part in 2011 Around 10 000 leaders took part In eight languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tongan, Italian, Arabic and Dinka (Sudanese) Fast facts about the 2011 NCLS

6. Benefits for local churches

7. The NCLS Cycle

8. An Overview of NCLS 2012 Jan – March Churches continue to return surveys (and ongoing) NCLS team scan and verify surveys NCLS prepares datasets of results AprilMail-out to all churches: a Newsletter and 2012 National Church Census* form May - JuneNCLS sends out Church Life Packs to churches July – SeptemberRegion/Denominational Profiles prepared Local church newsletter – initial 2011 results Feedback for local leaders 2012/2013NCLS personnel available for presentations to conferences and the like.

9. Aim: To provide an up-to-date snapshot of the presence and activities of as many local churches across the nation as possible. To fill some of the gaps from the 2011 NCLS – e.g. indigenous churches, migrant-ethnic churches and independent churches. Our hope - a positive witness of the contribution that churches make to Australian society. It will take one person around ten minutes to complete a short Church Census form about the church in a location. A benefit for your church is an up to date entry in Church Search online No cost to the church *April 2012 – a brief National Census of Australian churches www.churchsearch.org.au