Rebuilders The emerging evangelistic opportunity in a time of upheaval
10 snips
Nov 15, 2023 The hosts discuss the emerging trend of churches in Australia, the increase in baptisms and people turning to faith during the pandemic, the decline of faith in politics and institutions, challenges faced by millennials, and the potential return of Christianity as a political and cultural movement.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Cold Turkey Church Attendances Growing
- Since the pandemic there's a growing phenomenon of previously unchurched Australians 'cold turkey' turning up at churches and being baptised.
- Reports come from country churches baptising multiple people after years without new conversions.
Local Churches As Neighbourhood Trust Hubs
- Australia historically had low trust in religious institutions but recent data shows an uptick, signalling people searching for new sources of meaning as trust in other institutions falls.
- McCrindle's data frames this as a neighbourhood-level opportunity for local churches.
Rising Trust In Churches After Pandemic
- Australia shows rising trust in local churches (21%) and broader church community (19%) amid rapid decline in trust for government, media and corporations.
- Mark connects this to post-pandemic openness: ordinary unchurched Australians are increasingly attending churches and coming to faith.