Christianity in Picton

7/27/2019 Christianity in Picton

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THL 510 Issues in Ministry Project

Christianity and the Picton community:An exploration of

societal attitudes to Christianity and the Church

Rev Alan Wood

CSU Student No 11302380

Word Count: xxxx

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Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Where are we now? Status quo, current trends

Whats happening elsewhere? The literature

Methodology and Rationale, How can we study societal attitudes?

The study (process)

Outcomes

Analysis and Conclusions

Appendices

Bibliography

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Introduction

For many years there has been an apparent decline in attendance at weekly Church

services. This is a trend that is most evident in Western cultures across Europe,

USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Certainly, the church in the West is in

serious trouble and likely to run itself into the ground in the next generation if it

doesnt do something radical (Riddell, Pierson & Kirkpatrick 2000, p. 132).

Many studies have been conducted to discover the reasons for the decline and

over the past three decades many Church leaders have attempted to reverse the

decline through church growth and evangelism strategies.

Most of these strategies have been church-based and church-focussed, assuming

that all that needs to be done is to somehow make church more appealing and

people will be attracted to it. The underlying premise of even rally style

evangelism which calls for an individualistic profession of faith, is that converts

will automatically align themselves with a church or denomination.

Growing secularism and dissatisfaction with traditional church structures appear

to be amongst the major causes of decline in church attendance. As society has

changed from conservative and traditional values and morals, so the Church is

seen to be more and more irrelevant by successive generations. Even though there

is now a growing desire to reconnect with spiritual things, it is unlikely that this

spirituality is sought in the traditional church.

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This study aims to ascertain the trends in church attendance locally and in other

Western societies and discover what relationship exists between Christian belief

and how that is expressed in church attendance. As there have been many studies

done particularly over the past three decades, there is a large amount of

information available documenting the decline.

To compare this information with local trends a survey was conducted in the town

of Picton, N.S.W., Australia. The question behind this survey simply put is the

same question that has been asked by Church leaders across the world, Why

dont people come to Church? In assessing the answers given in the survey it is

hoped that some insight might be gained to better understand those who do not

attend Church and what might be done to connect with them. However, an open

mind is needed because the assumption that people will come to us no longer

holds and Church leaders are faced with the reality that we need a go to them

attitude. Unapologetically, as a study motivated by evangelical Christian beliefs,

it is anticipated that any points of connection discerned will be used to present the

message of the Gospel of Christ in the most culturally appropriate way.

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Where are we now?

In 1987 St. Marks Anglican Church had an average weekly attendance of

approximately 150 adults1. By 2001, with a population of approximately 40002,

the percentage attending St. Marks had declined to 1.0% (40 adults). In the

community the percentage of people claiming affiliation with the Anglican

Church was 33.4%, down from 34.2% in the 1996 Census3. That means

potentially 1336 adults and their families felt at least some nominal identification

with the Anglican Church.

To better understand the local situation I have surveyed some of the literature that

has been written over the past thirty five years or so, which tries to identify,

explain, and analyse the trend of declining church attendance and membership in

UK, USA and Australia. I have tried to discover if there are symptoms and

principles that are commonly found and then through my research project I will

discern if they are reflected in our own community.

Looking from the Inside Whats wrong with the Church?

Many researchers and authors have approached the evident and historical problem

of declining attendance and membership in the Western Church (Kitchens 2003,

pp. 3, 4). This has been mostly from the Churchs point of view. They generally

ask questions that can be reduced to, How can we get people to come to church?

1 From St Marks Church Service Register, 1984-2004

2 ABS Census 2001 figures supplied by Wollondilly Shire Councils Community DevelopmentDepartment3 ABS Census 1996 figures supplied by Wollondilly Shire Council

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Or What must we do to reach unbelievers? What they really ask is, What must

we do to avoid the inevitable demise of the Church? However too late it may be,

finally the Church is seeing things as they really are: the Church and the Christian

faith seem to be dying in the West (Cowdell 2004, p. 40).

There is here the assumption (probably accurate, and hopefully to be tested

through my research) that there is something wrong with the Church that may

have contributed to the decline in church membership. Apparently, no matter how

much the Church tries to reverse it, there is an apparent downturn in attendance

and membership.

There was also the assumption historically that people in the community should

be attracted to the church in some way, as they were in the past (Frost & Hirsch

2003, p. 19f). As the village church was the centre of the communitys spiritual

and social life for centuries, not much had to be done to get members of the

community into the church each Sunday. Now the centre has shifted leaving the

church marginalised and struggling to stay viable. Leaders of the Church send up

the collective plaintive cry, despite ten to twenty years of formal studywhy has

so little progress been made? (Klaas 1996, p. 15).

But as long ago as the 1960s there was growing dissatisfaction with the

institution of the Church, and some attempts to address this is evidenced by such

works as that of John J. Vincent (1976) who researched the Alternative Church 4.

He writes of underground and neighbourhood churches (1976, p. 9) and a

number of church experiments such as the Renewal movement and House

churches as reactions to the failing mainstream churches by disaffected

4 Vincents usage of Alternative Church connotes separate gatherings outside the mainstreamchurch, while Roberts (1999) usage of Alternative Worship describes the new liturgies that havebeen used experimentally in the Church of England

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Christians. By the late 1970s Vincent reports that many of these experiments

have met their demise and what remains is a kind of fellowship in sufferings

(1976, p. 11) amongst the denominations. Vincents observation was that the

groups outside the mainstream church that survived should be called para church

or alternative church (1976, p. 13) as they exist alongside the institutional

churches. They may even affirm and support the institutional churches (Vincent

1976, p. 107).

Looking from the Outside Whats changed in society?

There has been some research about societal changes and attitudes towards the

church and John J. Kitchens (2003, p. 5) looked at this initially from the

sociological and psychological viewpoint. He suggests that there are three clues

to the feeling of discomfort among church leaders as they watch their

congregations decline. These phenomena are described by the adjectives

Postmodern, Post-Christian and Postdenominational.

Certainly this is the obverse of a two-sided coin that has on one side the changing

society in which the Church tries to minister; and the apparent decreasing ability

of the Church to be relevant and appropriate on the other. Kitchens take on these

phenomena is not necessarily negative, but rather the failing of the church to

either address or capitalise on them. While society has changed much the Church

has generally failed to keep up with the changes. We have allowed our culture

and the Church to drift apart, without our noticing (Public Affairs Council 2005,

pp. 13, 90).

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Churched Society - Christendom

Traditionally there has been what Klaas (1996, p. 2) described as the change

from a churched to an unchurched society. This is a very helpful view of the

community, not to departmentalise and alienate, but to understand the essential

differences between those with some experience of church and those who have

absolutely none. While it is a chronological construct, conceptually I believe both

sub-cultures now exist side by side in our community.

Essentially thirty or more years ago in Western nations most people in the

community attended church regularly and would have identified themselves with

a particular denomination. The first situation I would depict (Diagram 1) as a

Community (a circle) with the Church (cross) at its heart:

Diagram 1: Churched Society5

The Church in this paradigm represents all the congregations of Christian

denominations. Klaas (1996, p. 2ff) calls this Churched Society. Frost and

Hirsch (2003, p. 8) refer to it as Christendom (and would add another Post-

word to describe our present state, Postchristendom). Gibbs and Coffey (2001,

5Diagrams 1, 2, & 3 source: Developed from a concept discussed at College Residential, February

2005

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p. 9), in describing the many transitions that have taken place in the West suggest

society was permeated by culture Christianity. The Church was the traditional

centre of most things that happened in the spiritual and social life of the

community. Most members of the community had at least a rudimentary

knowledge of Christian basics and Christmas and Easter were still religious

festivals (Kitchens 2003, p. 59). This has been the traditional norm for centuries

and is typified by firstly, the village, and then the urban churches of rural UK and

USA, and, by inheritance, Australia and NZ as well. Typically faith and

spirituality were equated to attendance and the assumption was that a person

believed in God because they attended divine service. Not participating in a

congregation was a sign of not having faith (Klaas 1996, p. 4).

An assumption of the past was that the Churches were the repository of moral

value, chief agents of social cohesion, the focus of nurture and compassion

(Cowdell 2004, p. 41). In his Christendom Paradigm Mead (1991, p. 20f)

describes the kind of community that has at its centre a cultural religion that is

adhered to by most members of the community.

Many leaders, both lay and clergy, of denominational churches still see

themselves like this today. They have speculated why members of the community

are increasingly staying away from church, assuming that their church is still the

centre of the community and there is something wrong with those that dont

attend. They have the attitude that people will be drawn to the church by its

attraction (Frost & Hirsch 2003, p. 18). Sadly, the fable ofRip Van Winkle who

apparently slept for twenty years could illustrate how change has gradually come

about, but many are oblivious to it or are in denial. The reality is there can be no

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denying now that things arent like they used to be (Klaas 1996, p. 1; Larson &

Osborne 1970, p. 104; Kitchens 2003, p. 27ff).

Unchurched Society Post Christendom

However, at the turn of the 21 st Century the apparent trend has changed ever so

gradually, but so drastically that now the opposite of Christendom is found

most people in society do not attend church at all. This despite the large

proportion of the population who call themselves Christian (approximately 78%

in Picton, 68% in Sydney6). Even those that do attend church services regularly

feel only minimal denominational affiliation. Scott Cowdell describes it:

Despite changes in liturgical resources, and in many places the

gender of ministers; despite slickly packaged resources for

educating, transforming and managing the parish; and despite the

efforts of outstandingly gifted theologians to connect faith with

modernity and post-modernity nevertheless the traditional

Churches are emptying, their congregations are greying, the eyes of

their fewer and fewer young people are glazing over, and turning

elsewhere (Cowdell 2004, p.40)

This second scenario which is most typical of Western post-modern societies

Klaas labels Unchurched Society. Slowly society has arrived here through

many transitions (Klaas 1996, p. 2ff). Many members of the community have

been enticed away from the Church by various diversions including work, family

and social life. Some have been driven away by strife and squabbling. Even

token church attendance at Christmas and Easter is rare and these seasons are now

merely holidays and no longer holy days. Now most members of the

6 ABS Census 2001 figures supplied by Wollondilly Shire Council

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community have had no Christian formation and are totally oblivious to the

Biblical narratives (Kitchens 2003, p. 59f). These members of the community

would regard the Church as completely irrelevant, as well as outside of and

excluded from what would be called mainstream society. The assumption about

spirituality is that faith can and does exist even without attendance at divine

service(Klaas 1996, p. 4). There is a search for spirituality but it is generally not

through conventional religion (Tomlinson 1995, pp. 757 & 78). This scenario

could be illustrated:

Diagram 2: Unchurched Society

In this case the Church is apart from the rest of society and generally regarded by

members of the community as irrelevant, old-fashioned and out-moded. The

community is predominantly unchurched.

Unchurched people do not feel compelled to experience the worship

life of a congregation when that experience does not communicate

meaningfully with them. They do not feel compelled to participate

in congregations simply out of a sense of responsibility. (Klaas

1996, p. 51)

7 Quoting from Bishop Graham Crays unpublished paperFrom Here to Where The Culture ofthe Ninetiesp.5

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Klaas (1996, p. 50f) identifies four types of unchurched people. The first are

those for whom church has in the past been a bad experience (p.52). Through

hurt, abuse, hypocrisy or squabbles they have been caused to actually leave and

would likely never return. This group could even be hostile towards the church

and attempts to reach them frustratingly unsuccessful.

The second group are those who have drifted away. They have either lost focus,

been distracted by other pursuits, or discouraged by the indifference of the

congregational leaders and members (Klaas 1996, p. 54). Eventually these people

became unchurched by habit. The third group are similar through habit, but these

are typically Christians who have moved house and because of the pressures of

setting up in a new location have failed to reconnect with a local congregation

(Klaas 1996, p. 53). Something as mundane as landscaping the new suburban

castle has taken precedence over attending church. They have just gotten out of

the habit of going to church.

Possibly the largest and growing group (Klaas 1996, p. 55) is the fourth, which

consists of mainly Generation Xers and those that follow. Mostly they had no

experience of church due to their parents increasing disaffection. I would label

this group as profoundly unchurched. They are indifferent towards the church

largely due to their inability to form an opinion through lack of exposure to the

church. This group would form the most fertile of soils in which to plant seeds of

the gospel, but it must be a good experience for them as these are the members

of the Now Generation and Me Generation. Members of this generation have

adopted the if it feels good, do it attitude of their parents, rejecting most of the

rest of their values.

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Another view of Churched vs. Unchurched society is represented by the report

of the Church of Englands Public Affairs Council (Public Affairs Council 2005,

p. 36f). It cites the work of Richter and Francis in Gone but not Forgotten where

English society is identified with five categories. These are: Regular attenders

(~10%) who attend church 5-8 times in a two month period; Fringe attenders

(~10%) who attend church 1-3 times in two months; Open de-churched (20%)

who have left the church and may be open to return; Closed de-churched (20%)

have attended church but through some hurt or conflict would never return; and

Non-churched (40%) who have never been to church except for the occasional

wedding or funeral. I will attempt to compare these categories in my research of

Picton.

The Solution a network of congregations?

The solution to declining church attendance, according to Klaas, is not as apparent

as the problem as we now perceive it.

The picture of what has happened is both clear and cloudy. We can

clearly see that demographic, psychological, sociological, and other

factors have dramatically affected denominations. But what

churches can do about these issues is cloudy. (Klaas 1996, p. 15)

The solution could be viewed also from both the internal and external

perspectives. Internally, the Church could revive and renew itself in such a way

that members of contemporary society would be attracted to worship services and

want to become members of the church (Roberts 1999, p. 5ff). Alternative

Worship was the attempt by the Church of England to experiment with liturgical

forms that would reflect the changes in culture. It was designed to reverse the

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decline in the Churchs ability to attract young adults and hold on to those who

grew up through its youth work (Roberts 1999, p. 3). It involved more than the

use of contemporary music, drama and discussion in the framework of existing

liturgy and was a creative event arising from a community of Christians

(Roberts 1999, p. 14, italics mine). This still presumes that attraction of the

unchurched can work.

Incredibly, 35 years ago Bruce Larson and Ralph Osborne (Larson & Osborne

1970) had some very clear insights about the church of the future. Their analysis

though was that renewal is not what is needed. Instead the Church should be

looking for Gods new thing of Isaiah 43:19.

[The Church] must find its own authentic form, life-style, and

purpose, whether in a small group meeting in a home, a remote rural

church, a beleaguered inner-city congregation, or a great cathedral

parish. Wherever there are a few individuals willing and ready to be

Christs people in their own situation and place, there the emerging

church is coming into its own. Do you not perceive it? (Larson &

Osborne 1970, p. 11).

Returning to the fundamentals they suggest the gathering of Gods people

(Church) experiences and senses the presence of God and everybody participates

in some way (p. 54). Of course this was always how Church was meant to be

since the disciples gathered around Jesus and later the Holy Spirit was given to the

Church at Pentecost (Acts 2). The early church was indeed characterised by lay

management, identifying and exercising spiritual gifts, and meeting regularly in

small groups (Larson & Osborne 1970, p. 56ff).

The questions I would ask are, Is this too much to expect of the postmodern

church? Isnt this pie in the sky? Certainly many of these characteristics have

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been occasionally evident in the growing churches of the past 35 years and even

Larson and Osborne cite a few examples before that. The challenge then is, can

the postmodern church return to the principles and practices of the first century?

Can the church now break free from being bound to its buildings (Larson &

Osborne 1970, p. 82)?

The early church was essentially and precisely ekklesia, the gathering of (Gods)

people (Public Affairs Council 2005, p. 33). In the gospels it was a hillside or the

shore of Galilee or later, a hall in Ephesus or the catacombs of Rome. There was

no theology of architecture (Larson & Osborne 1970, p. 83). The context of

worship was not a buildingbut a community. The building was inconsequential,

the community was essential (p. 84).

Larson and Osborne (1970, pp. 84, 85) also target the use of language and music

in worship services. In both cases the church has been counter-cultural and not at

all like the early church. The first church used the language of the day, koine

Greek. Jesus himself used the vernacular, Aramaic, instead of the academic

Hebrew to communicate to the common people. While some revision has been

done in Australia since the 1970s with most liturgical style churches producing

modern prayer books, this process must continue as the language is always

changing.

In the times of Charles and John Wesley there was great opposition to Charles

hymns simply because they were new (Larson & Osborne 1970, p. 85)! Much

has changed with church music since the 1970s firstly with Scripture in Song

choruses and then the legacy of new hymns/choruses from the charismatic

movement. However, there is still a quality about church music today that seems

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to categorise it in a genre all of its own. It is not contemporary in the same way as

Wesley was able to achieve.

One exception in Australia may be Hillsong Church which has led the way in a

new generation of upbeat contemporary hymns. Sadly though, what may have

been gained in contemporaneity may have been lost with the insipid egocentric

theology of some of the songs. Many other churches, particularly pentecostal,

charismatic and other praise-worship style churches in the evangelical

denominations (Redman 2002, p. 22ff) have also made some good attempts at

contemporary songs.

Traditionally the Church has seen itself as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic

(Public Affairs Council 2005, pp. 96-98) and affirms this in its creeds. However,

Snyder and Runyon (2002, pp. 22, 23) suggest that these are the marks of an

organised institution. When the church is a dynamic movement it tends to be

Diverse and varied, Charismatic, Local and Contextual, and Prophetic. This

suggests an organism rather than an organisation.

Externally, the Church needs to respond to the changes in our culture (Public

Affairs Council 2005, p. 1) and set up fresh expressions of church (pp. 43-82),

subversively outside the church but inside the community itself. This is the

incarnational principle which the Church of England sees as its particular

mandate in the parish church, but admits its failure (Public Affairs Council 2005,

p. xi). These networks should be seen as a supplementary strategy that enhances

the essential thrust of the parish principle (Breaking New Ground, Church House

Publishing, 1994, cited in Public Affairs Council 2005, p. xi).

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Missional churches have come to mean those congregations who have an

ecclesiology that is no longer church-focussed but mission-focussed. Not in

the traditional sense of the meaning of sending to foreign missions, but now the

church sees itself as being sent to the community around it (Guder 1998, p. 11).

While outward-looking these churches must be incarnational (Frost & Hirsch

2003, p. 35f; Public Affairs Council 2005, p. 81; Snyder & Runyon 2002, pp.

49ff; Gibbs & Coffey 2001, pp. 55, 56). As God in Christ came to us in human

form, so the missional church needs to be in the community in the same way. Not

compromising the call to repentance and personal accountability for sin, but being

as Christ to the unchurched of the community (Public Affairs Council 2005, p.

14).

Others have described the emerging church in different ways. The emerging

church (Kitchens 2003, p. 36ff) is already happening and Kitchens suggests that

we need the discernment to see whats happening on the edge of our peripheral

vision. Vincent (1976, p. 13ff) describes the para church in similar terms as the

Public Affairs Councils report above. They exist and minister alongside of, but

in a complimentary relationship to the mainstream denominational churches. The

House church movement (Vincent 1976, p. 77ff) has been growing stronger over

the past two decades and hopefully will eventually see itself in that same

relationship of complimentarity. There is no place for an either/or attitude

between the established church and the emerging networks, whatever form they

take. As the parochial church still has a vital role (Public Affairs Council 2005, p.

xi) the attitude must be and/also.

Many fresh expressions of church have emerged, some very innovative like

Holy Joes, the pub church (Tomlinson 1995, p. 12). Tomlinson admits that his

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venture was not meant to replace the mainstream (evangelical) church, but was

intended to cater to the many disaffected Christians who had strayed away from

the churches. They were much more at home in a pub atmosphere with its relaxed

ambience, and proclaiming the Gospel, worship and fellowship were not

compromised.

I would depict this in Diagram 3 below. Note the crosses are inside the circle,

representing the position of the denominational church (big cross) and networks

of incarnational groups (the small crosses - fresh expressions of church, the

emerging church, the alternative church etc.) planted in the community. They also

exist alongside of each other (para church).

Diagram 3: Fresh Expressions of Church

C. Peter Wagner (1998, cited in Gibbs & Coffey 2001, pp. 76, 77) refers to these

networks as the new apostolic networks. They are not necessarily post-

denominational as some of these emerging groups are found within the

denominations. Whatever theology is implied by the term apostolic, and some

may have difficulty with this term, Wagner suggests a change from traditional

bureaucratic authority to a more personal style. There have been some abuses of

this style of leadership and in its best form, found in the New Testament, cannot

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be replicated today. However, an apostolic style of leadership of networks seems

to be very possible (Gibbs & Coffey 2001, p. 79). This appears to differ from the

apostolic nature of the episcopacy as the networks can consist of congregations

across the denominations. The core meaning of apostolic describes the people

of God who have been called by and sent by Him to take His mission to the

world (Hunter 1996, p. 28).

The shape of the church of the future is not yet clear. Mead suggests we are at the

cusp of the emerging church and have returned to one of the features of the

Apostolic Age. We now assume that the front door of the church is a door into

mission territory (1991, p. 25). One thing is clear, and this hasnt changed

since the early church, the desperate need of every member of the Picton

community for salvation through Christ, yet most are oblivious to this need. What

then are they aware of? Can we, the Church, meet them where they are at and

lead them to the point of accepting their need of salvation and that this salvation

includes repentance and accepting forgiveness through Christ and then some form

of participation in Gods worshipping community? Its not going to happen

through our sitting in our pews and waiting for people to Come and join us

(even if we dont sing that song any more).

The church is called to be the apostle to the world, bearing a

distinctively Christian culture and worldview into an alien

landscape. And the church is to cultivate communities of the Holy

Spirit8 whose members bear the particular marks of a Christian

vocabulary, Christian values, and commitment to the reign of God.

Each of these aspects of the churchs missional vocation presumes

an unmistakable difference between the church in North America

[and Australia] and its surrounding culture. (Kitchens 2003, p. 75)

8 cf. Guder 1998, pp. 142ff

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Methodology

In order to ascertain community attitudes it was decided to formulate a survey that

could be presented to individuals for their feedback (See Appendices 1 and 2).

The method used was a questionnaire that was mailed to each household in the

Picton village and three outlying areas that are also considered to be part of the

town.

The rationale for using this kind of survey was its potential to maintain the

anonymity of respondents while enabling a degree of candour not necessarily

found in personal interviews or focus groups. It also ensured a larger sample of

responses, though it could be said the level of response may be biased towards

people who were sympathetic9.

Each household received two copies of the questionnaire and if extra copies were

required households were encouraged to either photocopy or telephone the

principle researcher and ask for more10. The total number of questionnaires

delivered was approximately 2700 and 180 (6.9%) were returned over a period of

six weeks. As respondents were required to be at least 18 years of age, this

represents % of the population of that age in Picton.

Of all the questionnaires delivered only one envelope was returned Return to

Sender unopened, and while respondents were given the option of using a Reply

Paid envelope, five respondents paid for the return postage. One respondent also

wrote a separate one-page letter seeking further dialogue.

Concurrent with the mail survey, statistics were gathered from churches from the

area covering Camden to Bargo, and Wilton to The Oaks, about 40 kilometres

north to south and 30 kilometres east to west, with Picton roughly in the centre.

Each church was asked to provide statistics of adult church attendance by

postcode so it was possible to ascertain the number of people from Picton who

9 The number of hostile responses was significant and belies that possibility10 During the period of the survey there were no photocopies received nor requests for extra copies

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attend churches both in Picton and elsewhere. This would also help to validate

the response in the mail survey about church attendance.

As questionnaires were received by return mail details of responses were entered

in a database and those respondents who provided their names and addresses were

provided with summary details of the survey. Some who raised questions that

anticipated a reply from the Principle Researcher were also answered.

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The Survey

The first two questions were about age and gender. The largest group of

respondents were between the ages of 30 and 44 years (numbering 64 respondents

or 35.6%) followed by the group aged between 45 and 59 years (54 respondents,

30%). This compares with the total population of Wollondilly Shire of xxx% and

xxx% respectively. 5 respondents did not answer one or both of these questions.

Age groups by gender

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

18-29 30-44 45-59 60+

Age in years

No.ofrespond

ents

Male

Female

Total

Table 1: Comparison of age and gender of respondents

AGE Number Percentage

18-29 22 12.2

30-44 64 35.6

45-59 54 30.0

60+ 39 21.7

Not stated 1 0.5

Total 180 100%

Table 2: Question 1 What is your age in years?

GENDER Number Percentage

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Male 69 38.4

Female 107 59.4

Not stated 4 2.2

Total 180 100%

Table 3: Question 2 Are you Male or Female?

The third question asked the marital status of each recipient. The largest group

(115 respondents, 63.9%) indicated they were married. The next largest group

consisting of 10.6% were Divorced/Separated.

MARITAL STATUS Number Percentage

Single/never married 16 8.9

Married 115 63.9

De facto relationship 16 8.9

Divorced/Separated 19 10.6

Widowed 14 7.7

Not stated 0 0

Total 180 100%

Table 4: Question 3 What is your present marital status?

The fourth question attempted to discern the level of spirituality of each

respondent. The largest number of responses was Christian (101 respondents,

56.1%) followed by Spiritually aware (58 and 32.2% resp.). When compared to

the next two questions about church attendance and how respondents expressed

their faith, a further attempt was made to discern how Christian respondents

were. This assumes that those who responded that they were Spiritually aware

or Christian and followed this with such expressions of faith as Attend a

Christian church, Personal prayer, Reading the Bible as well as frequent

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church attendance between 1 and 8 times in the past two months would be

considered to be genuinely Christian.

SPIRITUALITY Number Percentage

Spiritually aware 58 32.2

Religious 6 3.3

Christian 101 56.1

Not interested 15 8.3

Total 180 100%

Table 5: Question 4 Would you consider yourself to be a person who is:

spiritually aware, religious, a Christian or not interested in spiritual things?

EXPRESSION OF FAITH Number Percentage

Reading the Bible 46 14.6

Reading devotional books 36 11.4

Attending a Christian Church 71 22.5

Personal prayer 108 34.1

Other and/or extra comments 37 11.7

Not stated 18 5.7

Total (multiple responses possible) 316 100

Table 6: Question 5 How would you express your faith? (Tick all that apply)

Although a high percentage of respondents (88.3%) said they were either

Spiritually aware or Christian only a small percentage of respondents

expressed their spirituality by church attendance (22.5%) or personal prayer

(34.1%). A further 14.6% read the Bible as an expression of their faith. The

number of respondents who said they engaged in personal prayer was quite high

(108 or 34.1%) but not surprising when so many claim to be Christian.

However, the number who attend church as well, and only occasionally (less

than once in 2 months), is only 24 respondents. The actual number of respondents

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who met all the criteria above (Christian +frequent church attendance + personal

prayer) was 9 or 0.5% of all respondents. This confirms that church attendance is

not generally seen by respondents to be an expression of spirituality. Many of the

anecdotal comments were quite negative about the institution of the church.

1 1

1,2 1

1,2,3 0

1,2,3,4 25

1,2,4 3

1,3 1

1,3,4 11

1,4 4

2 2

2,3 0

2,3,4 1

2,4 4

3 12

3,4 21

4 39

Question 6: In the past, how often would you have attended a Christian Church?

5 8 times in the past two months, 1 4 times, only occasionally for a wedding or

funeral, not since some years ago, or, never.

CHURCH ATTENDANCE Number Percentage UK 2005

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p.11

5-8 times in the past 2 mths 41 23.2 10

1-4 times in the past 2 mths 32 18.1 10

Occasionally, Weddings, funerals 72 40.7 40

Not since some years ago 19 10.7 20

Never 3 1.7 20

Not stated 10 5.6

Total 177 100%

2 stated every day, 1 used to be regular

Question 7: If you attended church 1 8 times in the past 2 months (a. and b.

above), what single thing about church do you consider important/helpful?

Question 8: The postcode of the town where you mostly attend church?

POSTCODE OF CHURCH Number Percentage

2560 6 3.3

2565 1 0.6

2567 2 1.1

2569 2 1.1

2570 16 8.9

2571 42 23.3*

2573 17 9.4

Other 11 6.1

Not stated 83 46.1

Total 180 100%

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Question 9: If you attended church less frequently in the past 2 months (c., d. and

e. above), what issues prevented you from attending more regularly?

Question 10: What kinds of activities/programmes do you believe the church

should offer, given your specific family circumstances/needs? (Tick all that apply)

DESIRED ACTIVITIES/PROGRAMMES Number Percentage

Help with parenting skills 70 8.7

Marriage support 82 10.1

Childrens activities 94 11.6

Talks on current issues 84 10.4

My voice to be heard 30 3.7

Approachable leadership 86 10.6

Opportunity to be involved 66 8.2

Meals 32 4.0

Teaching about the Bible 84 10.4

Baptism & Holy Communion 86 10.6

Absence of traditional church structures/rituals 32 4.0

Other 42 5.2

Not stated 20 2.5

Total (multiple responses possible) 808 100%

Question 11: Do you think the Church should have a valid place in thecommunity to help shape spiritual and moral values?

CHURCH IN COMMUNITY Number Percentage

Yes 166 92.2

No 6 3.3

Not stated 8 4.5

Total 180 100%

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Question 12: Are there any social or community NEEDS that you think the

Church could address?

At the end of the Questionnaire, respondents were given the opportunity to give

their personal details so that they could be given a summary of the results. 44

(24.4%) gave their details. Of this group 11 (6.1% of all respondents, 25% of

those volunteering their details) wrote extra comments on the back page of the

questionnaire. One respondent from this group also wrote a full-page personal

letter apart from the questionnaire response. From the remainder that maintainedtheir anonymity, 16 (8.9% of all respondents, 11.8% of this group) wrote extra

comments. One respondent did not give personal details in the questionnaire but

chose to pay the return postage and showed a return address on the back of the

envelope. This person has been a member of St Marks Picton for over 60 years.

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Bibliography

1. Board of Mission, Church of England 1994,Breaking New Ground: church planting

in the Church of England, Church House Publishing

2. Cowdell, S 2004, Gods Next Big Thing, John Garrat Publishing, Mulgrave.

3. Frost, M & Hirsch, A 2003, The Shaping of Things to Come, Hendrickson Publishers,

Peabody.

4. Gibbs, E & Coffey, I 2001, Church Next: Quantum Changes in Christian Ministry,

IVP, Leicester.

5. Guder, DL ed., 1998,Missional Church, Eerdmans Grand Rapids.

6. Hunter, GG 1996, Church for the Unchurched, Abingdon, Nashville

7. Kaldor, P 1987, Who Goes Where? Who Doesnt Care? Lancer Books, Homebush

West.

8. Kitchens, J 2003, The Postmodern Parish, Alban Institute.

9. Klaas, AC 1996, In Search of the Unchurched: Why People Dont Join Your

Congregation, Once and Future Church Series, Alban Institute.

10. Larson, B & Osborne, R 1970, The Emerging Church, Word Books, Waco.

11. Mead, L 1991, The Once and Future Church, Alban Institute

12. Redman, R 2002, The Great Worship Awakening, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

13. Roberts, P 1999, Alternative Worship in the Church of England, Grove Worship

Series No. 155, Grove Books, Cambridge UK.

14. Riddell, M, Pierson, M & Kirkpatrick, C 2000, The Prodigal Project, SPCK, London

15. Snyder, HA & Runyon, DV 2002, Decoding the Church: Mapping the DNA of

Christs Body, Baker Books, Grand Rapids.

16. Tomlinson, D 1995, The Post Evangelical, Triangle SPCK, London.

17. Vincent, J J 1976,Alternative Church, Christian Journals Limited, Belfast.

18. Wagner, CP ed., 1998, The New Apostolic Churches, Regal, Ventura

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19. Working Group of the Public Affairs Council, Church of England 2005, Mission-

shaped Church, Willow Publishing Brookvale.

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Appendix 1

QuestionnairePlease complete the survey and return to Rev Alan Wood in the Reply Paid envelope

before 14 October 2005

If there is insufficient space for written answers please write on the back page. Tick thebox where required.

1. What is your age in years? 18-29 30-44 45-59 60+2. Are you Male? or Female?3. What is your present marital status? Single/never married

Married De facto relationship Divorced/separated Widowed4. Would you consider yourself to be a person who is: spiritually aware? religious? a Christian? not interested in spiritual things? [please go to question 9]5. How would you express your faith? (Tick all that apply) Reading the Bible Reading devotional literature Attending a Christian church Personal prayer Other (briefly describe)6. In the past, how often would you have attended a Christian Church?

a. 5 8 times in the past two monthsb. 1 4 times in the past two monthsc. Only occasionally for a wedding or funeral [please go to question 9]d. Not since some years ago [please go to question 9]e. Never [please go to question 9]

7. If you attended church 1 8 times in the past 2 months (a. and b. above), what single

thing about church do you consider important/helpful?

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8. The postcode of the town where you mostly attend church? _________

Also continuing from questions number 4 & 6:9. If you attended church less frequently in the past 2 months (c., d. and e. above), what

issues prevented you from attending more regularly?

10. What kinds of activities/programmes do you believe the church should offer, given

your specific family circumstances/needs? (Tick all that apply) help with parenting skills marriage support childrens activities talks on current issues my voice to be heard approachable leadership opportunity to be involved meals teaching about the Bible Baptism & Holy Communion absence of traditional church structures/rituals other11. Do you think the Church should have a valid place in the community to help shape

spiritual and moral values?Yes. Why?

No. Why not?12. Are there any social or community NEEDS that you think the Church could address?

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

OPTIONAL

To be completed only if you require summary information about the results

of the Research Project

Name __________________________________________________________

Signature ________________________________________________________

Postal Address ____________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________ NSW

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Postcode

Appendix 2

Text of Questionnaire Cover Letter (on CSU letterhead as required)

Dear Householder,

My name is Alan Wood and I am the minister at the Picton Anglican Church. I would

like to invite you to participate in some research with me.

Currently I am working on a research project as part of a Masters Degree and I am

interested to hear community opinions regarding spirituality and attitudes towards the

Church. My supervisor for this project is Dr Kevin Hole who can be contacted by mail to

the Reply Paid address on the enclosed envelope.

The title of the project is: Christianity and the Picton community: An exploration ofsocietal attitudes to Christianity and the Church. The aim of the research is to

ascertain some of the social/spiritual/emotional/physical attitudes and concerns amongst

the residents of Picton and how together as a community we can address them.

Enclosed are two copies of a voluntary survey which should only take 10 20 minutes to

complete. Should you need more copies feel free to photocopy or phone me on 4681

9873 and ask for more. If you and other adult members of your household are willing to

be involved then your understanding and consent to the following will be assumed when

you return the completed surveys in the Reply Paid envelope provided. If you are also

interested in the possible results of this research, complete your name and address on the

survey, otherwise please leave that section blank.

Participants must be 18 years of age or older.

Participation is voluntary and all answers to the survey questions should only be

answered according to the participants comfort.

Participants personal details such as name and address are not required unless

participants require summary feedback of the results of the survey

Anonymity and privacy are guaranteed as all surveys will be only be sighted by

the Principal Investigator, Alan Wood, and will be securely locked in storage and

shredded five years after completion of the project (as required by CSU).

Thank you for reading this letter and if you decide not to be involved please take no

offence that this letter has been sent to you.

Yours sincerely

Alan Wood

NOTE: Charles Sturt Universitys Ethics in Human Research Committee has approved this project. If youhave any complaints or reservations about the ethical conduct of this project, you may contact the Committeethrough the Executive Officer:

The Executive OfficerEthics in Human Research Committee

Academic Secretariat

Charles Sturt UniversityPrivate Mail Bag 29Bathurst NSW 2795

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Tel: (02) 6338 4628Fax: (02) 6338 4194

Any issues you raise will be treated in confidence and investigated fully and you will be informed of the outcome

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