Church of England Weekly Attendance Down 2% Last Year

… to 923,700.

Marriages were up 4%.

Interesting supplemental information though, from this article from Christian Today:

Despite the drop in attendance at Church services, there is positive news in the growth of fresh expressions of church.

The figures show that there are at least 1,000 fresh expressions and new forms of church linked to the Church of England. There are an estimated 1,000 fresh expressions within the Methodist Church.

It is the first time that fresh expressions have been included in the Church of England’s annual report on attendance.

Bishop Graham Cray, Archbishops’ Missioner and leader of the Fresh Expressions team, welcomed the rapid growth but cautioned that more needs to be done to reverse declining church attendance in Britain.

He said: “It’s inspiring to think how much has happened in so short a time. Since the 2004 Mission-shaped Church report, we have seen the development of some 2,000 fresh expressions of church in the Church of England and Methodist Church.

“The Holy Spirit has been at work in reaching thousands of people through these fresh expressions and we are all running to keep up. This is hugely encouraging and is a major contribution to the re-evangelisation of our land.

“However it is just a beginning, this is not a quick fix and there is much more to do. Fresh expressions of church are one vital factor, but there is a long haul ahead of us.”

Thoughts?