Surveys

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Headline findings on Disconnection Survey

Countless Christian parents and church leaders suffer the constant pain of lost contact with their prodigals.  Back in 2007, research from Tear Fund showed 16 million people have stopped attending church – the lost generation. Findings from new research just released by C4L gives in depth insights from people who have reconnected and from church leaders about the causes and possible solutions.

  • 47% of those disconnecting did so aged 40+, whereas only 39% did so in their teens
  • 62% felt they had disconnected from church rather than from God
  • 77% left through an offence given by leadership and 70% through hurts received from church
  • 54% disconnected suddenly (the others disconnecting gradually – does anyone care or notice?)
  • 70% felt that the church did not show understanding to them
  • Over 60% felt that leaders didn’t show understanding and had distanced themselves from them
  • 38% still felt ‘rooted in God’ but 83% said their faith underwent changes, 85% changing their view of church.

Spread the word on the site for others to use in sharing resources to reach disconnected and unconnected friends.

Leaders Survey Results    Reconnecting Survey Results


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JOURNEYS FROM DISCONNECTION
TO RECONNECTION

– a research project from Connect4Life

This is an important study for the wider church which investigates the faith journeys for Christians in the twenty-first century.  A study commissioned by Tear Fund in 2007 found that 16 million people in the UK who once attended church no longer do so.  Leslie J Francis and William K Kay’s research in 1996 found that up to 45% were open to reconnection. An extra 77,000 people attended church on Back to Church Sunday 2011 (over 58,000 in the Church of England).  Since the first Back to Church Sunday in 2004, nearly 230,000 people have come back to church though the vast majority do not continue beyond 6 months.

A panel of leading Christians has been invited from across the church denominations and organisations to comment on the data from each particular perspective.  The data includes responses from leaders and reconnectors within Methodist, Anglican, Quaker, Baptist, Newfrontiers, Independent, Salvation Army and Catholic churches.

1) The nature and process of initial connection to God within different denominations

2) How denominations /churches can combat pressures  and causes for disconnection

3) What can be done to win back those who have disconnected

4) How a person who is reconnecting might be different to what they were before

5) What churches can do to reintegrate those reconnecting

See the resources for your church from various organisations, read the articles from Christian Leaders, take part in the polls, add to the discussion board and prayer board

These resources are for you to build your church and reach out to your friends – many of them including the development of this site are free.

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