In a country that has seen a sharp rise in people identifying as non-religious over the past years, a recent survey found people responding with a surprising openness to going to church this Christmas, if they are invited.
“As Christmas approaches, many Christians might want to share this time with their loved ones. Some may feel unsure about how an invitation to church would be received by their family or friends,” NCLS Research writes.
Exploring the attitudes among Australians, their survey asked more than 3,000 people whether they would attend a church service at Christmas this year. The result revealed that just under half of those surveyed (45%) would respond positively to an invitation, with another 20% unsure. Only a quarter said “no”, with the remaining 10% stating that they have no close family or friends who attend church.
When asked what would motivate them to respond positively, the unsurprisingly most important factors revolve around personal relationships.
Especially close friends and family would accept an invitation to church if they felt that it is important to their friend or relative, said just over one third of respondents (34%) in a 2021 survey. Second and third most common factors in deciding to accept an invitation are how welcoming and caring the church is, making up 16% and 13% respectively.
With such fertile ground among Australians, churches and especially individual believers should take initiative, NCLS Research concludes. “Christmas is a great reason to invite friends and family to come and see who the celebration is all about!”
