The church appears to be among the best organisations in the UK at keeping people together in a group or community setting. That’s the good news that comes from the latest opinion survey released by Yougov and featured by the BRIN website. The bad news is that of those questioned about what organised group they belonged to only 6% said they belonged to a church or Bible study. (Non-organised community settings – like a pub – were not included in Yougov’s list – a serious weakness possibly.)

Only three other bodies managed to be above the church in the poll – trade unions (12%), gyms (12%), and the National Trust (10%). Readers will notice that of those three only within the trade unions is there any attempt at maintaining some kind of society where people gather to be together – and though 12% say they belong the truth is that only a small minority of those will actually involve themselves regularly in union activities. The other two – gyms and the NT – are not communal activities as such, though you may well go the gym with a friend or visit a NT property as a family. 

It would be fair to conclude then that the church is the UK’s no 1 communal activity. This is good news and shows that the church is doing well at maintaining what should be one of its core values – community and fellowship. For those wanting a place to belong and be accepted it seems the church, in general, is doing a good job at providing such a place.

But this leads to a more troubling concern – few, it would appear, want a place to belong outside the home. As I hinted above the lack of non-organised settings to belong to makes this an incomplete survey, but it does appear that in the UK gathering together in any organised fashion is an activity that is largely dying out. A full 51% of those responding said they belonged to none of the groups listed.

How should the church respond to this situation? And is all the effort put into making the organised gathering more welcoming a waste of time?


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