1. Church Growth: How it can Happen
David Goodhew,
Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, Durham
21st March 2017

2. Centre for Church Growth Research
A research centre based at Cranmer Hall, St Johns College, Durham University
follow via
and via its website -

3. Wise Use of Research how do we measure growth ?
how do we define church ?
how do we compare diverse areas ?
what about data quality ?
The best way forward: multiple measures
And if there are dangers in numbers, there are even bigger dangers in ignoring numbers…

5. Sunday Church Attendance in Greater London
(from Brierley, Capital Growth, p.57)

6. Number of Churches in London
Peter Brierley, Capital Growth, p.23

7. Trade Routes

8. Some National Figures…
Number of pubs in Britain in 2003, but 52,201 in June 2016
Number of churches in Britain in 2000 was In 2013 it was
(Source: P. Brierley, Religious Trends 7, UK Church Statistics, and UK Church Statistics 2; Guardian 10 Aug 2016, accessed )

9. London Electoral Roll, 1972-2010

10. Church Attendance in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities
There are about 500,000 Christians attending black majority churches in Britain.

11. New Churches in the North East
A survey of New Churches in the North East of England, with Particular Reference to Black and Minority Ethnic Churches. Funded by a Leech Fellowship.

12. Key Findings List One: 125 new churches
Usual Sunday attendance (all age): c
Baptisms (in past 12 months): c. 1000

14. Geographical Patterns

15. This map of Newcastle shows the location of the BME churches in the city, and indicates how centrally focused these churches are. This is presumably due to the high proportion of BME communities within urban centres. However as I mentioned, we cannot assume that all attendees of central urban churches live in the immediate proximity, and many congregants travel to attend some churches.

16. New Churches: Chronology
1980s 15 founded
1990s 19 founded
2000s 40 founded
2010 to founded

17. British ‘Non-Mainline’ Churches 
Orthodox
Pentecostal
‘New’

18. Seven Key Factors in Growth:
Concrete Expressions of Intentionality
Focus on the under-25s
Use the Trade Routes
Start New Churches
Give People Ways In
Shut the Back Door
Resources

19. When does faith come ?
84% of people become Christians by the age of 25
72% of whom had done so by the age of 19
(Source: Confidently Sharing the Gospel (London 2012))

20. Messy Church Started in 2004
There are now at least 2500 Messy Churches in the UK
The largest Messy Church in the country is in…Newcastle (Holy Trinity, Jesmond)

21. Shutting the Back Door…
Vacancies
Falling parochial clergy numbers and amalgamating parishes.
Growing younger clergy

22. Vacancies
‘a general culture of accepting long vacancies…has been probably the major single cause of Anglican church attendance loss in recent years.’
Bob Jackson, The Road to Growth, 29.

23. Cutting Clergy Numbers

24. Candidates recommended at BAPs under the age of 30

25. SACRED MYSTERIES SLEEPY HOLLOW - SUNDAY SERVICES
Starting 11 th May :. C… m u_o Fa\’.,y

26. THE UPPER CREEK GROUP OF PARISHES
St Without’s 9.30am alternate Sundays St Paddle’s 11am Family Service 1st & 3rd Sundays, otherwise eucharist Little Snoring 8am Holy Communion (1st Sunday) 6.30 (2 nd & 4th Sundays) Great Creek 9am (summertime) 11am (wintertime) – see church notice board for local variations Joint Services 5th Sundays and other feast days. Come and join us ! Come and join us!

27. Welcome to… St Isosceles and All Angles
1st Sunday Family Service with Sandpit 2nd Sunday Solemn High Mass 3rd Sunday ‘Old Hymns’ Songs of Praise 4th Sunday Extra-loud Eucharist with rock band ‘Terminal Explosion’ 5th Sunday Baptisms by the riverbank: whatever the weather! Come every week!

28. Welcome to St Wooldyed
Come to St Wooldyed’s for reverence and tradition:
8.00 Early Mass
10.30 Morning Mass
6.30 Evening Mass
We always use the proper Prayer Book at St Wooldyed
Three similar services – one type of person

29. Our service every week are:
Welcome to All Saints
Our service every week are:
Holy Eucharist with Choir
Family Service with groups for children
Service in Urdu
Contemporary Praise
Four distinct services-four types of people