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Outside - Looking In; Researching the perceptions of non-churchgoers
In September-October last year ACNielsen conducted in depth qualitative research for the Presbyterian Church in three areas of Auckland currently experiencing population growth. The aim of the project was to identify opportunities for the Church to connect with people not currently involved with Church, and to identify any shifts in approach or practice needed to do this.
The researchers talked with parents of children aged between 0-16 and held separate interviews with children aged 8-12. Important factors in selecting these families were that they were open to ideas about western spirituality but had not gone to church in the last two years and had no strong links with organised religion or particular denominations.
There were in-depth interviews, some lasting up to two hours, in the homes of 40 people 28 with parents and 12 with children themselves. The study aimed to get a real understanding of why people are moving away from church involvement, thereby providing insight into how they can be encouraged to return.
The information is qualitative that means it provides a detailed understanding of key themes in the community, not a statistical profile. Although the study was done in Auckland, the themes that emerged from this study of families are relevant throughout New Zealand.
For sPanz, Michael Mead summarises some of the main research findings.
The full in-depth report, along with an introductory video and discussion guide, is available for interested Presbyteries and UDCs and Presbyterian congregations and CVs. Please contact Kirsten Dale, Communications Co-ordinator, Ph 04 381 8292, email kirstend(at)presbyterian.org.nz.
The information will be of particular interest to those looking to connect with new people in their community or those working with children and families ministry.
The research is part of the Church's operational plan 'Directions 2002 - 2005' that, among other initiatives, aims to increase the information available to help resource mission and growth.
Research taketh away with one hand and giveth with the other
"(Christianity) was being shoved down your throat and they were trying to force you into being a missionary or at least going and knocking on people's doors."
"In Church you always feel the presence of God. It goes to the middle of your chest, deep and meaningful."
Two statements, from the same person in the study (Sharon*). A strong message that comes through in the ACNielsen research is that conflicting views of the Church coexist in people's minds. The positive views do not necessarily counteract the negative ones but the conflict is present when people consider the Church as a place to express their spirituality.
Key themes
The research highlights that key to attracting people to Church is the environment we create for people to explore their spirituality. It is the expression of spirituality that is at the heart of the key themes in the research:
1. People still believe that spirituality is important, that there is something more to life than just existing.
2. Church attendance is not necessary to express your spirituality: spirituality is personal and inward.
3. Strongly negative perceptions of the Church prevent people from exploring their spirituality there.
4. The way the Church functions is at odds with people's modern lifestyle and the way they express their spirituality.
5. The Church needs to change the way it communicates and treats people if it is to be an attractive option for people on their spiritual journey.
Spirituality is important
People's perception of the church affects the view of everything we do. It's a big barrier and tends to override the things that we share with people in this study. Respondents had varied views of spirituality but most agreed that it was important in a way that seems familiar. Spirituality is defined as "something more" to life than just existing: a greater purpose or meaning of some sort: a belief that one does not become 'nothing' on death.
- The range of spiritual beliefs expressed by participants
Church attendance not necessary
Their understanding of spirituality might not seem too different than the Church's but under closer examination, wide differences emerge. Central to these was the view that you do not have to attend church in order to express a spiritual dimension in life. Spirituality was seen as an inward and reflective process. People did not see a need for an external party to guide them in defining their own beliefs. They made a clear distinction between spirituality and church attendance. This included those who have conventional Christian beliefs.
Spirituality and core values
Spirituality is linked to core values and respondees perceived a difference between their core values and those of Christians. While compassion, honesty, trustworthiness, respect and fair treatment are values they thought they shared with the Church they did not think we are tolerant, accept difference or value individual choice and 'making up your own mind'.
Church-goers are seen as 'very settled', 'content', even 'placid' by respondents:
"She has that satisfaction of feeling happy and content...her life is uncomplicated, easy, everything has its place. Her family comes first her family and her church." - is the typical perception of a church-goer's life.
The Church congregation is seen as a warm, supportive community which offers members a sense of belonging and support.
However, people in those congregations are perceived as 'needy'. We go to church because we lack something in our lives while the confident, non-churchgoer's life is full and 'busy' according to respondents:
"She's casual, sporty, busy...She has a strong personality, she knows where she is going and what she wants. She is very assertive. She doesn't need church, it is for little old ladies and those who need support." - that's how the non-churchgoer is seen.
We might disagree with the way we have been characterised but the key point the research makes is that it is the perception of the Church that really matters and that's what stops people seeing the more positive examples of what the Church is doing and can be, says Shannon Brown, Research Director, ACNielsen:
Childhood experience, occasional attendance at transition events, media and hearsay have contributed to an often negative image of the church. While there are some positive elements in participants' picture of the church it is the negative preoccupations that people bring up first. These are strongly-held barriers which make it very difficult for the church to attract participation or even communicate with non-churchgoers.
Perception of the Church
To encourage non-churchgoers to bring their spiritual questions to church we have to get past the negative perceptions of the church. The research makes clear that this will be a very difficult task, says Shannon Brown.
"The people we spoke to had really strong barriers to church attendance based on the negative experiences they'd had at church or the things they heard about the church and saw the church do."
The perception of the church is strongly dominated by what people see as 'conventional Christianity' and it's an image that is not flattering. We are seen to be dictatorial, judgemental, narrow-minded and bigoted. We preach love and kindness but according to respondents we:
"...are unaccepting of the other sorts of people that there are in the world. They can be very narrow minded in some of their thoughts...Some of them I think have fairly strong opinions about different people, sexuality, perhaps race or colour...they don't believe that men can be gay and that's their opinion and I don't think they're necessarily right. People are people. That's how they were born and that's how they are." (typical quote from a survey respondent)
Church doesn't fit modern lifestyle
The combination of strong negative perceptions and a belief that Church attendance is not necessary, makes attracting people to the church problematic. Add in the way the church functions being at odds with people's modern lifestyle and it becomes even harder.
Respondents need flexibility, options, a good fit to express their spirituality. The church with its emphasis on continuity, weekly commitment, authority, core beliefs, is seen as too prescriptive. It just doesn't fit with the pace, unpredictability, 'breadth' and busyness of modern life, which is filled with activity, often leaving Sunday as the only time the family can relax and spend quality time together say respondents:
"I mean the girls just have the two things, the swimming and the touch rugby but then with Jack's things and my things it sort of gets a bit busy and you seem to be forever rushing out the door!", is the typical busy parent in the study.
Respondents want to keep their options open:
"I don't like to be so tied. If I want to come and go then I want to be able to come and go. I don't want to be committed to a group."
Their spirituality is more linked to the freedom, informality and interactivity of the outdoors, qualities they do not see in the church.
"We lead such busy lives, I don't know if I could put that time aside. If I had put that time aside I'd feel that I would need to go on a constant, regular basis. But if it's a nice day on a Sunday, I'd rather be out enjoying the spirituality of the freedom of being on the water going flat tack with the wind on your face." says another respondent.
The ideal
The ideal spiritual gathering is consistently described as held outside, in parks, at beaches, mountains or in the bush. These places are seen as intrinsically spiritual and reflect New Zealanders' outdoor culture, says Shannon Brown (see case studies below).
"Outside, you can determine your own level of involvement, there are no complicated ceremonies, people can leave at any time in contrast to the church where they feel like there is a rigid timetable and formal structure," was a typical theme from respondents.
Interactivity is a key aspect of respondents' ideal spiritual gathering. For some that meant being able to openly discuss spiritual thoughts and views, with no one preaching or judging the 'rightness' of your views. For others, it was simply an opportunity for people to be together and share with others in casual conversation with no specific talk of God.
The church faces an enormously difficult task in the face of participants' strongly negative perceptions of the church. These barriers keep people away yet even if they are addressed some participants are still unwilling to participate in church. The positive aspects of church are seen as appealing for other people, not themselves. Church as participants see it, does not fit their lives and aspirations.
An Ideal Spiritual Experience
"A collection of trees, no walls, no fence... something that flows. You're never closer to God than when you're in nature. Scent is very important, there would have to be beautiful scented species. And some tall trees because everyone allways looks upwards as this is where the spiritual being, God or whoever dwells. You feel your eyes are drawn upwards... and there's a canopy, sub canopy and ground covers because that way you get the whole. you get to embrace every level.
"Worship is the sharing of ideas and some group problem solving. Get together with likeminded people... you've got a tree that's 3-4 metres tall, it grows 4 metres into the ground as well, it's got to have support before it can reach the heights. It's all about humanity... the depth of a person, a person can only reach lofty heightsof enlightenment if they have the depths that goes with it.
"It's more awesome than a church. It's more welcoming to anybody. she'd just sit there and do her yoga, no-ne looks at her funny. She just enjoys the open spirituality of it all. Like there's no specific hymn book, no specific icons around the place that say this is what we believe. We just believe."
An Ideal Spiritual Experience
"Somewhere in the open like a quiet place like a lake or in a big park, with lots of trees or a beach. Peaceful surroundings, outside. All different types of people - old and young and all different nationalities. A group of about 20, all there with their lunches like a picnic of a BBQ where everyone's yakking about their families or life experiences or whatever. Everyone just listening to each other, like a 'round robin' they might give you a scenario or something like that and ask people what they thought, then if someone else come out with something different well you can think 'oh yeah, I never thought of it that way'". It's different from a church because "it would be fun because you're not sitting in a pew listening to one person speak and not really understanding some of the stuff they're saying, whereas this one, you all get a turn at talking and just hearing different opinions."
Opportunities for the Church
It might seem difficult at this point to see a positive pathway forward but the research points out opportunities for the church. There are key times in an individual's life when they may take an unprompted step towards the church.
These include adolescence, birth of a child, old age or times of personal crisis, particularly those involving serious illness and death, say respondents:
"Religion steps in at times of trauma more than anything else. It's when people need something or someone that they need to hang onto and we all need it. James knew that his friend wasn't afraid of dying (had cancer) because he knew he was going to a happy place. It helps James to know that he thought he was going to a happy place."
Christenings, weddings and funerals are all 'special', 'serious' life events that can offer the opportunity for non-churchgoers to consider a step towards the church. These events prompt some people to take a step closer. It is important to support such small steps as church-held events allow the church and the minister to take a special place in the hearts of non-churchgoers as the "person who married us/christened our baby/buried Grandma."
However, non-churchgoers do not feel a 'need' to hold these events in a church (unless they are strongly conventionally religious). These events are more about the people involved than the spiritual element.
People's steps towards the church at these times may be tentative and many find their own barriers prevent them making a move.
Other activities that work
There are other opportunities other than transitional events where the church has the potential to communicate and function well. The times the church succeeds are when we offer a type of community that is optional, creative, child-friendly, flexible and when we run events that appeal in their own right, not as a way to access Christianity.
Mainly Music is an excellent example of a church activity that gives us an opportunity to be involved with young families and gain relevance in the community. It appeals widely because it is fun and accessible and raises few barriers because no attempt is made to approach people on a religious level.
Like the communities respondents choose to be involved in instead of church, such as the life-saving club and sports clubs, Mainly Music is interactive, a group activity the whole family can enjoy.
The way we communicate
Perhaps more important than these 'transitional' events or other activities is how respondents feel they are treated. Does the church communicate in a way that makes it an attractive option for people and their spiritual journey? Do they feel that the church accepts them with an open attitude, or does it judge them, does it ask for too much commitment too early, does it set too many rules?
"When I wanted to get married to my second husband they wouldn't marry me. They said they would bless the rings but they wouldn't marry me in the (Presbyterian) Church. Because I had been divorced they won't let you re-marry in a church. I was disappointed as Gavin hadn't been married before. You feel like why - because you made a mistake. I thought if you're not going to marry me you can stick it up your bum." said one respondent.
Shannon Brown says the way the church communicates, the way it treats people is a key part of attracting people to church.
"It is so easy to validate negative stereotypes, given the strong negative perceptions that people have. Open, accepting attitudes go a long way to breaking down those perceptions."
Conclusion
The Presbyterian Church, like other Christian churches faces a huge challenge to break the negative perceptions that people have about the church. The positive finding from the research is that non-church attendance does not equate to a lack of spirituality. The Church's challenge is to find ways to encourage such people to explore their spirituality in a church community. Spirituality for most respondents is personal and inward. Modern lifestyles mean less time is available for Church attendance and there are so many more options for the way that time is spent. Respondents perceive that other groups, other experiences provide a more holistic experience for themselves and their families.
Transition events, such as baptisms, funerals, marriages provide some opportunities for the church to turn things around. Combined with an open, accepting attitude the church has a chance to lay negative stereotypes to rest and build a positive image of the church as a place and a community to explore spirituality.
There are many examples both in the Presbyterian Church and elsewhere where people of faith are already picking up the challenge and exploring creative ways to attract New Zealanders to the sprititual life.
(*Names have been changed to preserve confidentiality)
The full research report covers these and other topics in depth. Also included are sections rating the appeal of existing Church activities and programmes, what outside activities appeal during the weekend, a section on children's spirituality and the perception of church brands. Copies are available for Presbyteries/UDCs and Presbyterian and CV congregations, from Kirsten Dale, Ph 04 381 8292, email kirstend(at)presbyterian.org.nz