It’s easy to be despondent at times about the future of the Church in Australia. In many recent conversations, I have heard people make comment along the lines of; ‘maybe God is doing something new’. The National Church Life Survey (NCLS) takes the ‘pulse’ of the Church across many denominations and contexts and provides us with a snapshot of the beliefs, hopes and concerns of Australian Christians. It also seeks to explore the way Australians in general feel about matters of faith. NCLS offer 5 interesting and encouraging clues as to how we might engage our local communities in faith. The link below is to a brief summary (3 min read) of those clues. https://www.ncls.org.au/articles/5-clues-to-connecting-with-australians/
One of the simplest and cost-effective is to simply invite people along to a time of worship. Perhaps surprisingly, many people indicate they would accept that invitation, especially in the context of a trusting relationship. Interestingly, food and music up the success rate! With Easter fast approaching, many of our schools provide an opportunity to invite our community in, to hear the good news of Christ’s love. Consider how this might look in your context.
Pr David Spike
