Friday, May 27, 2011
landslide victory for fresh expressions in Australian churches
Recent results indicate a stunning mandate for change in the Australian church climate.
Some 66% of church attenders agreed that the traditional established models of church life must change to better connect with the wider Australian community (only 11% disagree).
For an even larger majority, this was personal. 82% claimed that they would support the development of new initiatives in ministry and mission in their church (3% disagreed).
This is a stunning mandate for change. It should encourage every church minister, and every church leader, to consider how they provide responsive leadership, seeing to establish a fresh expression or new initiative in their church in the next years.
Update: Some interesting pushback over at Hamo’s blog.
(Data from the Innovation data from the 2006 National Church Life Survey.)
There is almost one statistic that is both omitted and implied in the survey: How do church attenders view church and church models? Especially in the light of wanting new initiatives. While one can ask the question of non-church people viewing the church as irrelevant, what of those already there?
Just a thought expressed.
Comment by Ryan — May 30, 2011 @ 11:23 am