Roots and Shoots Signs of hope for the UK church

WHERE ARE WE NOW? “Crisis: what crisis? Jim Callaghan, PM

WHERE ARE WE NOW? Church Attendance 2010 Church Attendees: 8% Regular Fringe Attendees 12% Dechurched40% Unchurched40%

WHERE ARE WE NOW? Church Membership UK Church members 12.3% (7.8 million) 2010 UK Church members 11.2% (5.5 million) 2015 UK Church members 10.3% (4.8 million)

WHERE ARE WE NOW? Church Membership Church of England down 11% Roman Catholic down 12% (N.I. 38%) Methodist down 20% Church of Scotland down 18% Welsh Independents down 20% Evangelical down 8%

WHERE ARE WE NOW? Church Location Rural Decline Urban Exodus

WHERE ARE WE NOW? Church Demographics Children and youth leaving in droves Absence of Young Adults (Gen Y 18-34’s) Ageing congregations More women than men Absence of the “poor”

Shoots of Hope Signs of life in the UK church

Shoots of Hope Signs of life in the UK church

Shoots of Hope Church Attendance/Membership Slowing decline Midweek Growth London Christmas8 in 10 in church Cathedral More church members than football club members

Shoots of Hope Church Plants/New forms of church 2700 new churches in last 5 years Growth of New forms of Church Growth of black Churches (RCOG) Methodist/Baptist Planting 1500 missionaries sent to UK

Shoots of Hope Youth Work Youth workers employed Youth attend church Youth connect with church Youth engage with church Youth participate in church Youth outreach

Shoots of Hope Volunteerism and Community Engagement Churchgoers overall contribute 23.2 million hours voluntary service each month in their local communities 72 million volunteer hours per year by churches 25% of all Christians are engaed in voluntary community service outside their church. If the volunteers were paid the minimum wage and rent charged at average prices then the financial contribution alone would be equivalent to 1 billion pounds per year

Shoots of Hope Education and schools Teaching in class Weekly act of worship Many Church schools Link with schools Christian schools welcome and popular Countless points of contact: Events, Assemblies, services, Christian teachers, chaplains etc

Shoots of Hope Christian courses/national initiatives Course Journey Evangelism Courses Success of Alpha and others Back to church Sunday Many more

Shoots of Hope Spirituality Interest BIG QUESTIONS OF LIFE WHOISJESUSWHOISJESUS Most declare themselves Christians WE PRAY we believe The Bible

Shoots There are many shoots of life in the UK church, which are breaking through the hard and hostile terrain of an ever- increasing post modern, post-Christian and secular environment. We would be foolish to ignore the challenges and setbacks, but equally foolish to think everything is lost, everything is bad and everything is hopeless. There are signs of hope in the desert place.

Shoots “The British church is NOT on its “deathbed” but it is changing and traditional practices are changing too. Its future health may well depend to some extent on flexibility and adaptability while never abandoning the patterns of Scripture and never minimizing the work of the Holy Spirit.“ (Church Statistics: Peter Brierley, May 2011)

ROOTS Are there roots to the shoots?

ROOTS Stirring up of God

ROOTS Holy Discontent with the status quo (in church and in society)

ROOTS Intercessory Prayer

ROOTS Visionary Leadership

ROOTS Rediscovery of the priority of Mission

ROOTS Releasing of Creativity

ROOTS Room for Diversity

ROOTS New forms and ways of being church

ROOTS Growth often takes place on the margins and not at the centre

ROOTS Longing for community (belonging) and engagement (participation)

ROOTS Quest for the experience and the supernatural (mystical)

ROOTS A deep concern for leaving and missing generations

ROOTS Rediscovery of lay ministry

ROOTS Refocus on whole life discipleship

Isaiah 35 v 1-2 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendour of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendour of our God.