Demographic, cultural and technological megatrends are rapidly reshaping our ministry context.
Understanding Canadian church and faith trends helps us better explain who we are as Evangelicals, helps us understand our place in the broader culture, and helps us make better ministry decisions.
The EFC works collaboratively to conduct and foster research that studies the changing contexts in churches and Canadian society.
what's
Happening
The EFC launched a podcast series in Nov. 2021 called Faith Trends. Learn more.
The EFC is a partner in major research on the transitions into and out of church for youth after they complete high school, as they enter the next phase in life. The Young Adult Transition Research partnership has released two reports to shed light on how parents, churches and ministry organizations can help Christian young adults maintain a vibrant faith and connection with churches. Partners include Power to Change–Students, Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, Truth Matters, Youth for Christ and The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Learn more about Renegotiating Faith.
learn more
Canadian society is experiencing rapid change demographically, culturally and technologically. These changes influence Christian ministry and the context in which it takes place.
The EFC conducts and fosters research on church and faith trends in Canada in a variety of ways. We conduct our own research. We work collaboratively by helping to form research partnerships, participating in other research partnerships and funding research directly.
The EFC has addressed such diverse topics as Bible engagement, why youth and young adults leave or stay in church, donating and volunteering, immigration, missions engagement, voting patterns and how Evangelicals are defined and counted.
These research initiatives have resulted in resources such as:
the 2018 Young Adult Transition Research Study partnership, which recently published its first findings: Renegotiating Faith: The Delay in Young Adult Identity Formation and What It Means for the Church in Canada
the 2017 Canadian Evangelical Missions Engagement Study, done in partnership with the Canadian Missions Research Forum
the 2013 Bible Engagement Study
the 2011 Hemorrhaging Faith study on youth and young adults in the church
the journal Church & Faith Trends
Scholarly works such as:
The Meaning of Sunday: The Practice of Belief in a Secular Age by Joel Thiessen
A Culture of Faith: Evangelical Congregations in Canada by Sam Reimer and Michael Wilkinson
why care
As Evangelicals, we seek to understand the beliefs of our neighbours and the dynamics of the society in which God has placed us. We bear witness about the wisdom of God’s word and the redemption offered in the person of Jesus. We study to understand the times (1 Chronicles 12:32) in order to plan effective and relevant ministry.
The ability to know and explain who we are as Evangelicals furthers our ability to share the Gospel and live out our beliefs together in the public square. It helps us understand our place in the broader culture.
Good data on the trends rapidly reshaping Canadian churches and culture also helps us make changes in our ministries in order to be wise, relevant and timely.
take action
For more information on this topic contact research@theEFC.ca
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