The Challenge of Leadership

Religion and Churchgoing in the Twenty-First Century

"....discontent is the beginning of change. Only by noticing what is wrong, seeing the systems and structures that do not foster health and happiness, can we ever make things different." Diana Butler Bass - Christianity after Religion (HarperCollins 2012)

 

Typology

Religious         26%  [28%]

Fuzzy Faithful    36% [39%]

Non -religious      31%  [33%] 

British Social Attitudes Report 26 (Voas and Ling / McAndrew )

Investigating the invisible church: A survey of Christians who do not attend church

 

Findings: Woodhead’s KENDAL study

• “The explanation we offered for this ‘spiritual revolution’ is that the forms of religion or spirituality that are doing best are those that help resource individuals in the living of their unique lives.” 

• “These can be Christian or alternative. In either case, what people are seeking are forms of religiosity that make sense to them, rather than those which   demand that they subordinate their personal truth to some higher authority. In other words, we are witnessing a ‘subjectivisation’ or ‘democratisation’ of the sacred.” 

Decline in religious affiliation

• Is it caused by …….. Generational Cohort effect…? Lifecycle effect….? Period Effect ….?

Adult education insights: 

Adults are not a blank slate.

Malcolm Knowles

Adults already have:

Experience‘Self-concept’………..

Adult education needs to start where people are

Faith Development insights:

Westerhoff’s ‘styles’ of faith 

Owned faith

Searching faith

Affiliative faith

Experienced faith

OFSTED:  Schools that are encouraging pupils’ spiritual development are likely to be: 

• Giving pupils the opportunity to explore values and beliefs….• …supporting and developing beliefs in ways which are personal and relevant to them

• Encouraging pupils to reflect and learn from reflection.• Promoting teaching styles which: 

– Value pupils’ questions and give them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns

– Enable pupils to make connections between aspects of their learning

– Encourage pupils to relate their learning to a wider frame of reference …

Promoting and evaluating pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (OFSTED, 2004)

• "I am intrigued by the Bible and the shape of the Christian message…….…… ………………..I would like the church to answer MY questions rather than THEIR questions..."

Speaker quoted in James Woodward, Valuing Age (SPCK, 2008)