Data data everywhere!  

We have had plenty of opportunities for statistical speaking over the past few months, thanks to our annual “Chats for Mission” with dioceses, the final step in the process of checking the annual church attendance and participation figures.

After querying unusual-looking figures with churches and making estimates where necessary – based on returns from previous years – we sent draft figures to dioceses in July. Since then, we have spoken to (almost) every diocese, checking that there are no wonky numbers that slipped through, no exciting new churches that we’re missing, and no large churches that we’ve not heard anything from for so long that we’ve assumed they have closed. Equally important is the chance to find out about how dioceses are using their churches’ data and the resources that we provide, and to hear ideas for changes to what we do. We are always open to suggestions!

This is the third year we’ve had these conversations, as part of our efforts to work as effectively as possible with dioceses. These conversations feed into the planning for our thrice-yearly diocesan stats days, so things are joining up nicely.

Looking beyond the details, what’s the point of all of this work? So that everyone who can benefit from it (which means people in churches, people with diocesan roles, and the national church) knows what information is available, knows how to use it, and can make decisions based on the best possible information. Simple!