What We are Doing

Worries about the steep decline of the Canadian Christian Church are regularly discussed in academia, media, city planning, and especially in large and small denominations. These losses are being taken increasingly seriously, not only because of the impact on individual congregations, but because of the significant socio-economic damage to less churched communities. Despite this grim narrative, half of Canadians still identify as Christians and the emergence of innovative thinking, deeper commitment to good research, and the rapid influx of international Christians are cause for hope.

But beyond sometimes unwarranted optimism, and overblown doomsaying, what do we really know about what has been happening in the Canadian church? The Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research (CIECR) is launching a three-pronged, yearlong examination of the pulse of Canadian churches, focusing on:

      • Stories and trends in declining churches.

      • The rhythms and trajectory of new churches (i.e. church plants).

      • The nature and commonalities of “great” churches in Canada.

    Led by a team of experienced researchers, data specialists, and theologians, CIECR will leverage a diverse range of research approaches and data – including AI cluster analysis, traditional surveys and interviews, and our 30-year Canadian Revenue Agency database.

    But we need your help. Over the next six-months, we will be conducting three surveys and and we want to hear from as many voices and congregations and congregations as possible, spanning a wide array of denominations, ages, ethnicities, and regions. 

     

     

    Benefits to You and Your Congregation

    Beyond supporting a deeper understanding of the Canadian Church’s characteristics, strength, and struggles, we will be providing all participating churches and denominations, free of charge, with:

        • Direct access to our digital interactive summaries and analysis

        • Denominational specific findings (in case where there are at least five churches from the same denomination).

        • Access to our final reports (December 2024).

        • An invitation to discuss the findings with you and your teams at a convenient time. 

       

      Our Surveys

       

      National Survey of CRA Registered Churches

      Opens Week of May 20, 2024

      (For clergy, lay leaders and congregants)

      What do Canadian churches look like and what do they do?

      How are their activities connected to the kind of resources they have and the type of communities they live in?

          • Anonymous (except denominational affiliation) and encrypted, 10–12-minute online survey.
          • Major focus on how denominations resource new churches.
          • Helps provide a chronicle of the impact and availability of resources and helpful relationships for church planting teams.

            • Anonymous (except for church affiliation) and encrypted, 12–15-minute online survey.
            • Major focus on the key characteristics of your church and your experience and relationship with it.
            • Helps provide an overview of Canadian congregations, which we will connect to our charitable and census data.

           

          Congregational Life Survey

          Opens June 2024

          (For clergy, lay leaders and congregants)

          How do Canadians engage in their churches and what matters most to them?

          How do churchgoers feel about the churches they attend?

          How do churches respond to changing and challenging circumstances?

              • Anonymous (except for church affiliation) and encrypted, 10–15-minute online survey.
              • Major focus on how churchgoers engage in their churches, how they characterize their churches (especially their resilience and adaptability) and what values matter to them.
              • Helps provide an overview of the particular culture of Canadian churches and how it may be linked to their current vitality.

             

            Church Plant Survey

            Opens May 30, 2024

            (For denominational leaders)

            What type of material and relationships do denominations make available to new churches?

              • Anonymous (except denominational affiliation) and encrypted, 10–12-minute online survey.
              • Major focus on how denominations resource new churches.
              • Helps provide a chronicle of the impact and availability of resources and helpful relationships for church planting teams.