Welcome to our section on Statistics
Who hath believed our report…? (Isa 53:1)
Collecting and entering statistics may feel at best a chore and at worst a distraction from the real business of ministry. But our numbers really do matter.
So first: thank you. Thank you to the Churchwardens, Treasurers, administrators, clergy and many more who diligently collect this important data and send it to our parish support teams at St James’ House. We want to make it easier to collect, return and use these stats.
This section guides you through the why, what, when and how of church statistics:
Why the statistics matter – and where and how they are used
What statistics parishes should return
When the statistics are requested and deadline dates
How to make the statistics returns – as simply as possible.
You’ll Find Guidance in This Section on:
The annual Statistics for Mission forms.
The annual Return of Parish Finance.
Regular Service by Service returns (the old ‘quarterly returns’).
Parish Dashboards: visual displays of your parish data.
The Service by Service returns capture all Sunday, midweek and Fresh Expressions of church attendance. It’s easy and efficient to collect this data (which is uploaded automatically) using the free Service Register App.
Knowing our Numbers
There are several reasons why it is important that we ‘know our numbers’:
For our church
Our numbers are important information for our church, our parish. Like the camera, they never lie. Our numbers shine a spotlight on parish life; not the only one, but an important one. Knowing our numbers helps us understand our past, make decisions for the our present and plan for our future.
For our diocese
The data sent in by our churches helps our diocese to understand trends and plan for a sustainable future for mission and ministry. We’ve received tens of millions of pounds in grants for important projects and in of our clergy costs. The data we collect is one of the ways we hold ourselves accountable and are held accountable for how we use that money (2 Cor 8:20-21)
For the national church
Much of this data is sent directly to London. The annual Return of Parish Finance and Statistics for Mission forms populate the Church of England statistics we read in the newspapers.
We trust that these pages help but if you can’t find what you need then email centralservices@liverpool.anglican.org for support and advice. There are contact details on each page.