Theos Report on Growing Good

A new report from Theos has recently been published:

Hannah Rich, Growing Good: Growth, Social Action and Discipleship in the Church of England (London: Theos, 2020).

Here are some paragraphs from the Theos website:

‘Over the past decade, the contribution that the Church of England makes to society through its social action has increased, reflecting an increase in the demand and expectation for it. At the same time, church attendance in the country has continued to decline; by most key metrics, attendance at Church of England services fell by between 15% and 20% from 2009–2019. This is the paradox facing the Church of England in 2020: the national church of a nation that is increasingly reliant on its social action and yet less and less spiritually connected to it.

‘This research, done in partnership with the Church Urban Fund… explores the relationship between social action, church growth and discipleship in the Church of England. It finds that social action can be a route to church growth in both numerical and spiritual terms. Further, social action is one of the key ways in which congregations can build wider networks of relationships resulting in people initiating a faith journey and joining the church.

‘Crucially, social action leads to church growth when it enables congregations to develop meaningful relationships with those they would not otherwise have done, or who might not otherwise have come into sustained contact with the church.

‘The report identifies key characteristics of churches that are growing in number and discipleship through their engagement with social action…’

A pdf of the full report is available here.

Mission Frontiers 41, 4 (July-August 2019)

The July-August 2019 issue of Mission Frontiers, published by the U.S. Center for World Mission, contains a number of articles on the theme of ‘A Call to Foster Movements in All Peoples’.

According to the Editorial:

‘On very rare occasions we take the time in MF to honor a remarkable individual who has made a significant contribution to our understanding and pursuit of the ultimate goal of world evangelization. This issue of Mission Frontiers pays special tribute to the extraordinary vision and work of just such a person: Dr. Steve Smith. Through his books, Kingdom Kernels columns in MF and leadership of the marvelous 24:14 Coalition, Steve pointed the way forward to achieving the goal of movement engagements in every unreached people and place by 2025. In this issue you will read more about his great desire to see Matthew 24:14 fulfilled in our generation and the tremendous legacy he has left...

‘[W]hat we are seeing in these Kingdom Movements is a return to first-century, book-of-Acts like, family-based churches in homes. As you read through the book of Acts, you will notice that believers gathered together in homes as families which often included extended family members and servants, but no dedicated church buildings. The modern Kingdom Movements reflect this pattern as the gospel multiplies through disciples making disciples and home based churches multiplying as the gospel spreads from family to family. This is increasingly how the unreached peoples are being reached.’

The issue is available here, from where individual articles can be downloaded.

Peter Brierley on Church Decline and Growth in the UK

Peter Brierley has a piece in Christianity Today – ‘Churches Outnumber Pubs in the UK’ – the standfirst for which notes that ‘while the big denominations continue their downfall, certain Pentecostal movements, from black churches to Hillsong, see a surge in attendance’.

According to recent figures from the National Churches Trust, there are now more church buildings than pubs in the UK. However, ‘the number of churches overall is falling too, just not as fast’.

While attendance in major denominations is declining, ‘there is actually substantial growth among certain types of churches in the UK... many of which have a Pentecostal bent, ranging from immigrant-founded denominations to Hillsong campuses’. Even so, as Brierley notes, ‘their increase, although significant, is unfortunately not enough to compensate for the drop among the bigger churches, but has moderated the overall decline’.

The Bible in Transmission (Spring 2018) on Challenging Church: Growth, Change and Diversity

The latest issue of The Bible in Transmission, from Bible Society, is available online here, offering a collection of articles on the theme of ‘Challenging Church: Growth, Change and Diversity’.

I have taken the ‘tasters’ of articles below from Chine McDonald’s editorial.

Chine McDonald

Editorial

David Goodhew

The Theological Foundations for Church Growth

The prevailing narrative coming from research into church attendance suggests that the Church in the UK could now be in irreversible decline. In our opening article, David Goodhew, the Director of the Centre for Church Growth Research in Durham, raises the disturbing question as to whether this decline has, in part, theological roots. Goodhew argues that we need to be liberated from such thinking. As he says, ‘Having a nuanced theology of church growth will assist churches in growing numerically, but doing so in a godly way.’

Rhiannon McAleer

Church Growth – The Numbers

Although the prevailing narrative is of a Church in decline, the picture is perhaps a little more complex than we might think, as Dr Rhiannon McAleer, Bible Society’s Head of Research, explores in her article. McAleer’s statistical overview of the UK Church demonstrates that although there is decline, there are also pockets of hope, in which denominations are seeing signs of flourishing in terms of church planting and growth. 

Israel Olofinjana

The Impact of Black Majority Churches in Britain

Israel Olofinjana, a member of the training team at the Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, explores the impact of black majority churches in Britain and world mission.

Harvey Kwiyani

Monocultural Churches in an Age of Migration

Dr Harvey Kwiyani, lecturer in African Christianity and Theology at Liverpool Hope University, explores growing churches, migration and multiculturalism in more detail.

Ashley Beck

Church on the Move: A Theological Reflection

Examining the issue of migration from a theological and biblical perspective, Father Beck challenges Christians to properly understand migration so that the Church as a community may more closely reflect what it means to be the people of God.

Linda Rayner

Re-imagining the Church in a Rapidly Changing Culture

Growth is a sign of life. As Linda Rayner explains, the Fresh Expressions movement is just one of the ways in which churches are adapting to the times, changing where they meet and the way in which they do things in order to fulfil the Great Commission.

Jenny Sinclair

Fostering a Culture of Encounter

Another movement that has begun to emerge in recent years is Together for the Common Good. In her article, Jenny Sinclair explains how the principle of seeking the common good can untap the potential of churches, build relationships and strengthen communities.

Jill Hopkinson

Church Growth in Rural Communities

A story we seldom hear in discussions about church growth is the signs of hope and flourishing taking place within rural churches. But it is time to tell a new story, writes Jill Hopkinson.

Growth, Relationship and Action in the Church of England

Introducing the GRA:CE (Growth, Relationship and Action in the Church of England) Project

Paul Williams

News from Bible Society

Tim Keller on Church

I was asked to write six brief book notes for the November 2013 edition of EG, published by LICC. I’ve been posting them individually here over the last week or so. 

Timothy J. Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids: Zondervan 2012).

Tim Keller’s theological vision of a ‘center church’, articulated around three core commitments: gospel (proclaiming the gospel and its implications for the whole of life); city (exercising wisdom in how we contextualise the message, neither overadapting nor underadapting to culture); movement (the church engaging in mission as both institution and organism, rooted in tradition and reaching out through its members). The largest of Keller’s books published over the last few years, this one helpfully provides a comprehensive but eminently readable presentation of his insights.

Church Growth Resourcing Mission Bulletin

Church Growth Research & Development is a hub designed to ‘communicate and disseminate some of the Church of England's work on church growth research and development that aims to help the Church allocate its resources effectively to facilitate its mission and growth’.

I’ve recently started subscribing to the Church Growth Resourcing Mission Bulletin, which often contains some useful short pieces.

The October 2013 edition, available as a pdf here, includes the following:

Paper 1: Growth and Challenge in Liverpool Diocese

This is an edited version of a speech given by the Bishop of Warrington to the College of Bishops which met in September 2013 to discuss the mission and financial challenges facing the Church

Paper 2: Capital Vision 2020

By the staff of the (Resource) Strategy and Development Unit in conversation with Debbie Clinton, Capital Vision Manager, diocese of London

Paper 3: Partnership for Missional Church

By the Revd Canon Dr Nigel Rooms, Director of Ministry and Mission, diocese of Southwell and Nottingham

Paper 4: Developing Relationships in Mission

By Sandra Cobbin, Freelance Trainer and Mediator

Paper 5: Pioneer Ministry in a New Community: A case study on the first year of ministry in Cranbrook, Exeter

By the staff of the (Resource) Strategy and Development Unit in conversation with the Revd Mark Gilborson, Minister for Cranbrook, Exeter