It is good news that the rate of decline in the number of children attending church has considerably lessened in the years since 1998, but we must not be blind to the ongoing impact that the huge loss of those under 15 in the 1990s will have on future churchgoing patterns.  In the final decade of the 20^th century some 500,000 young people stopped going to church; in the first 5 years of the 21^st century the number who dropped out was 67,000, pro rata only a quarter as many.

However, the consequence of the huge loss in the 1990s means that in 2005, some

*                       39%     of churches have no one attending under 11;

*                       49%     of churches have no one attending aged 11 to 14; and

*                       59%     of churches have no one attending aged 15 to 19.

These percentages will create a huge hole in church attendance as a missing cohort for succeeding generations till we reach the 22^nd century.  That hole may already be seen in the drop from 613,000 tweenagers and teenagers aged 10 to 19 in church in 1995 to just 230,000 by 2005, a fall of 62%, by far the highest decline in any ten year age group.

 

Those in their 20s

The 230,000 are now young people in their 20s.  Three-fifths, 57%, of these attend one of the 4,000 churches in Greater London, where more young people of this age-group are concentrated (19% of England’s 7 million).  Churches like Hillsong attract some 5,000 folk aged 20-29 each Sunday, and the big churches like Kingsway International or Holy Trinity Brompton also attract especially large numbers of folk in this age bracket. 

However, this leaves only 99,000 people in their 20s for the other 33,000 churches in England, and, unfortunately 60,000 of these attend the 4,000 large churches with 200 or more in their congregation.  That leaves just 39,000 young people in their 20s spread across some 29,000 churches!  So how do those churches find young people to help with youth clubs or Sunday young people’s work, to say nothing of potential ministers or mission workers of the future?

 

Under 20s

The situation with young people under the age of 20 is also quite dramatic.  Churches with Sunday congregations in excess of 200 people are some 12% of the total, but these churches account for half, 48%, of all churchgoers.  The larger the church, the greater the percentage of young people who attend it, as the chart indicates.  This could well be because larger churches have greater resources, and more personnel, to help run youth activities, making the church more attractive for families, who naturally come complete with children! 

It is also more likely that larger churches will be able to afford to employ a Children’s Worker or Youth Worker or both.  Both kinds of worker are effective in building up the numbers of young people in a church.  Indeed, given the large numbers of churches without children, it may even be necessary for a church to seek to employ such a Worker full- or part-time if it is to survive in the decades ahead.  Without children ultimately a church will presumably eventually close.

Larger churches may also be able to hold Parenting Classes (even Grandparenting Classes) which could encourage both more parents and more children.  Ultimately, however, it is not the activities nor the Workers which create the climate for successful children’s work.  It is the acceptance of children as part of today’s church by the adults who attend that church.  Where children are welcomed and appreciated, while recognising they can be wilful and disobedient, children respond with warmth and enthusiasm, and often a willingness to bring their friends along as well.  That is how a church grows!

 

Age-group of churchgoers by size of church, 2005