Churchgoing in the UK

TearFund, a respected charity that I support, has today published a major piece of research on Churchgoing in the UK, available in PDF format here. I've not had chance to read the full report, but the executive summary announces the key findings as:

• Over half the population claims to be Christian, other faiths total 6%
• 7.6 million attend church monthly (including 4.9 million weekly)
• Nearly 3 million likely to go in future
  "There is a clear opportunity for churches to attract new members by tapping into the 2.9 million people (6% of UK adults) who are likely to go to church in future. The personal touch is a major trigger. A personal invite, family or a friend attending or difficult personal circumstances, are most likely to encourage people into church."
• Two thirds are out of touch with church
• Nearly 1 million adults attend ethnic majority churches
• 22% of London goes to church
  
• 45% go to church in Northern Ireland

It looks like a useful document, and the fact that almost three million people declare themselves likely to go to church in the future should encourage us to remember that there is a great opportunity to help others to active faith.