For several years, Archdeacons in the diocese have collected information from parishes using the Articles of Enquiry (AoE) section of the online Parish Return System.
It was agreed that the themes for the 2024 AoE would be environmental action, Christian formation and discipleship, mission, schools, children, and young people , social justice and finance.
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Environmental action | Christian formation and discipleship | Schools, children and young people | Social justice | Finance | Mission
Executive summary
Over 80% of our churches completed their Articles of Enquiry return. Given the high number of responses, the findings in this report can be used with confidence they are representative of parishes across the diocese.
Nearly half of churches that currently using gas or oil to heat their churches had heating systems that were 15 or more years old, so the Environment team plan to contact these churches to offer help when they need to find a new heating system.
Over half (54%) of all parishes ran house groups. For those parishes that had offered house groups, on average they ran 4.5 groups. Larger churches that are more likely to offer house groups. Half the house groups ran weekly, with 20% running fortnightly and 11% running monthly.
The most popular other way that parishes helped their congregations grow in faith was by offering prayer groups, offered by half of all parishes. Just over one fifth of parishes offered quiet days and ten percent or fewer offered gifts for everyday faith or personal discipleship plans.
Most parishes do not employ a full time CYF worker; 58 parishes said they had a paid full time children’s worker, 124 had a part-time paid CYF worker. Parishes were far more likely to have volunteers helping with their children’s ministry – a total of over 3,500 volunteers across our diocese.
There is an association between an increase in the number of paid CYF workers and an increase in the child AWA. Full time paid CYF workers are associated with a larger average child AWA than part-time paid CYF workers. A similar pattern with child AWA was seen when considering volunteers working with children and young people.
Most (almost 70%) of paid CYF workers work in the biggest churches, where they are more likely to be able to fund such posts and are more likely to already have families with children.
Overall fewer than half of all churches had engaged with each issue of social justice. The highest proportion was almost half of all churches had through sermons, speakers or small groups discussed the connection between issues of social justice and faith. However, engagement with each issue varied by archdeaconry being higher in Oxford archdeaconry for all the issues. 70% of churches in Oxford archdeaconry had begun or continued an initiative to tackle a social justice issue compared with fewer than 40% in all the other archdeaconries.
Just over one quarter of all churches held a stewardship or giving Sunday. Over one half of churches asked members of their congregation to reaffirm their level of giving or to start giving. 40% of churches asked for a one-off donation to the work of their church.
Key findings: Environmental Action
Diocesan Synod declared a Climate Emergency in March 2020 and is committed to reaching net zero target carbon emission no later than 2035. This focus area is responsible for planning action, prayer and advocacy across the diocese and supports churches with a range of initiatives including energy audits and the Eco Church awards programme.
Many churches have old heating systems that are not energy efficient, have high running costs and may need replacing soon. The Environment team therefore wanted to identify those churches that may soon need to replace their heating system, to offer help and support in the options available.
348 churches responded that their churches were heated using gas or oil. 151 churches (43%) of churches that currently using gas or oil to heat their churches had heating systems that were 15 or more years old, so the Environment team plan to contact these churches to offer help when they need to find a new heating system.
Parishes were also asked If their church had had an energy audit, what action they had taken from its recommendations. Also, whether the environment team could help them take the next steps e.g., guidance, funding etc.
The main measures, taken by many parishes, had been to change to energy efficient LED light bulbs. Others mentioned changing their energy supplier and implementing some of the recommendations from their audit.
"We are undertaking a major refurbishment with a goal to reach carbon net zero. This project will include many of the recommendations in the report, i.e. This involves a new heat pump hybrid with a gas boiler. We also will be fitting new double glazing and roof insulation. What we have done immediately is to replace all lighting with LED lights, draft proof for doors."
Parishes that had not had an energy audit gave several reasons for this; the most frequent comment related to the cost of either the audit or subsequent work or lack of people to implement any changes. Some churches do not own the building where they meet so are unable to influence their carbon emissions.
Key findings: Christian formation and discipleship
Parishes were asked whether during 2023 their parish had offered House Groups to help both established and new members of the congregation to explore the Christian faith? If they had they were also asked how many groups they ran and how often they met (Weekly/ fortnightly/ monthly/ other).
Parishes were also asked whether during 2023 their parish had offered opportunities to help people explore prayer, their gifts and vocation through:
- Quiet Days
- Prayer Groups
- Gifts for Everyday Faith
- Personal Discipleship Plans
- Other
Over half (54%) of all parishes ran house groups. For those parishes that had offered house groups, on average they ran 4.5 groups. This varied by archdeaconry from 67% of parishes offering house groups in Berkshire archdeaconry to 46% of parishes in Dorchester. Oxford archdeaconry parishes that offered house groups ran on average 9 house groups.
However, the increased proportion of parishes offering house groups in some archdeaconries is due in part to them having more larger churches as it is the larger churches that are more likely to offer house groups, as shown in the figure below:
The most popular other way that parishes helped their congregations grow in faith was by offering prayer groups, offered by half of all parishes. Just over one fifth of parishes offered quiet days and ten percent or fewer offered gifts for everyday faith or personal discipleship plans. This varied by archdeaconry with Oxford archdeaconry parishes offering these resources in more of their parishes.
Key findings: Schools, children, and young people
Parishes were asked, excluding clergy, how many volunteers and paid staff (full time or part time) there were in their parish leading or co-leading church groups with children and young people and families (CYF) on a Sunday or midweek (whether they are held in your church buildings or elsewhere)?
Most parishes do not employ a full time CYF worker; 58 parishes said they had a paid full time children’s worker, 124 had a part-time paid CYF worker. Parishes were far more likely to have volunteers helping with their children’s ministry – a total of over 3,500 volunteers across our diocese.
The figure below shows the Child average weekly attendance (AWA) by number of paid CYF workers. This shows an association between an increase in the number of paid CYF workers and an increase in the child AWA. Full time paid CYF workers are associated with a larger average child AWA than part-time paid CYF workers.
A similar pattern with child AWA was seen when considering volunteers working with children and young people. The churches with the largest number of CYF volunteers were in Oxford St Ebbe 173, Maidenhead: St Andrew 150, High Wycombe: St Andrew 140, Earley Trinity 127, Oxford St Andrew, 95 and Bracknell 90.
The figure below, however, shows that most (almost 70%) of paid CYF workers work in the biggest churches, where they are more likely to be able to fund such posts and are more likely to already have families with children.
Key findings: Addressing social justice
Social action and social justice are linked but are two different types of responses to poverty and inequality. Social action is often seen as responding to human need by meeting the immediate needs of our neighbours. Social justice, however, is more about transforming unjust structures of society, for example, through campaigning, speaking to MPs or employers, speaking up against discriminatory decisions, setting up initiatives that tackle the root problem of an aspect of poverty or inequality.
Overall fewer than half of all churches had engaged with each issue of social justice. The highest proportion was almost half of all churches had through sermons, speakers or small groups discussed the connection between issues of social justice and faith. However, engagement with each issue varied by archdeaconry being higher in Oxford archdeaconry for all the issues. 70% of churches in Oxford archdeaconry had begun or continued an initiative to tackle a social justice issue compared with fewer than 40% in all the other archdeaconries.
Other findings: Finance and Mission
Finance
Churches were asked whether they had a Giving/ Gift/ Stewardship Sunday during 2023. If so, then they were asked whether people were asked to reaffirm their level of committed giving/ begin regular giving, and whether people were asked to make a one-off donation towards the work of their church.
Just over one quarter of all churches held a stewardship or giving Sunday, although in Oxford archdeaconry over one half of all churches did so. Over one half of churches asked members of their congregation to reaffirm their level of giving or to start giving. 40% of churches asked for a one-off donation to the work of their church.
Mission
Curches were asked an open question about the highlight of 2023 for their church. They were also asked to tell us about anything that successfully attracted new people to their church or to their activities. There were so many wonderful and uplifting examples including the quotes below:
"Being joined by an asylum seeker from Iran, who was baptised and has successfully had his case to remain heard by the Home Office."
"Community BBQ. Entire Church Family (all ages) involved in putting on a free event for our local community. Scouts ran the BBQ for us, and we leafleted the local community inviting people to come."
"Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the writing of the hymn Amazing Grace by John Newton, with special services, talks and exhibits in church."