Statistics for Mission 2011:
How to fill in these forms

  1. Fresh expressions of church

    The Church of England is moving intentionally towards becoming a mixed economy church: many different fresh expressions of church alongside the parish system. It is important that this developing aspect of our common life is included on this annual form.

    A fresh expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet "members" of any church.

    To find out whether or not your venture is a fresh expression please visit fresh expressions (www.freshexpressions.org.uk.

    Those attending established fresh expressions of church should be included alongside the normal returns for Sunday and weekday services and weekday activities. Activities such as Alpha, Lent groups, school carol services, and traditional annual events or services such as Crib services, memorial services and Harvest Supper etc. would not be considered a Fresh Expression. If you are uncertain as to whether an activity or service in your church counts as a Fresh Expression please do not list it.

  2. Which churches should be included on the form?
    In general, one form should be filled in for each parish. All churches and fresh expressions of church should be included. However, in some cases it may be more appropriate for the form to be completed by individual churches or fresh expressions of church. Where there are groups or teams the form may contain details for several churches in different parishes..

  3. Baptisms and Thanksgiving for the gift of a child
    Please state the numbers of people in each age group baptised between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011 or for whom a thanksgiving service for the gift (birth or adoption) of a child was held and registered..

  4. Marriages and Blessings of marriage
    Please state the total numbers of couples married in church and of couples for whom a blessing service after civil marriage was held in the church.

  5. Funerals
    In the first box please state the number of deceased for whom a funeral service was held in the church. In the second box please state the number of deceased for whom a full funeral service was conducted on behalf of the church/parish at a crematorium or cemetery i.e. excluding committal only. In each case include all funerals conducted on behalf of the church/parish by any minister including readers, stipendiary clergy, non-stipendiary clergy and retired clergy.

  6. Easter and Christmas
    In the communicant boxes please enter the number of communicants on Easter Day (including those at vigil services held on Easter Eve) and at any service (day or evening) on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Clergy and other ministers who took communion should be included. Each person should only be counted once even if they took communion at two separate services. In the attending worship boxes please enter the total number of people that attended worship over the same periods. Please include all people: communicants and those that did not take communion; adults, children and young people; clergy and laity. However, as far as is possible, each person should only be counted once even if they attended more than one service.

  7. Church attendance (including fresh expressions) in October 2011
    In order for consistent data to be collected from all churches/parishes please use the following definitions (8 to 10). They are intended to ensure that, as far as possible, each individual is counted only once each week irrespective of the number of times they attend church during the week.

  8. Adults
    All people of 16 years of age or over including those leading services.

    Children and young people
    All those under 16 years of age.

  9. Number at worship on Sunday
    Please enter separately the number of adults and children attending fresh expressions of church which meet on Sundays (see note 1 above) alongside the number attending Sunday services and Sunday schools or equivalent activities including the administration of the Eucharist outside the church e.g. at home/in prison/in hospital. All people should be counted only once each Sunday no matter how many times they attend. All people should be counted whether or not they are regular members of the congregation. For example, all people attending a baptism service should be included.

  10. 10. Additional number attending weekday services and worship activities

    Please enter separately the number of additional adults and children attending weekday fresh expressions of church (see note 1 above) alongside those attending weekday services, administration of the Eucharist outside the church and other worship activities.

    Worship activities include any activity in which worship is the prime purpose and predominant feature. Activities with only some worship element, such as some para-church group meetings, house groups, some prayer groups, Lent groups, mother and toddler groups, some school assemblies and Alpha courses, etc. would not fall into this category if they were a supplement to Sunday worship. However they should be included if they are, in effect, church for that group of people (and therefore a fresh expression of church as defined above).

    All people should be counted whether or not they are regular members of the congregation but wedding and funeral services should be excluded. People should only be counted once in each week beginning with the specified Sunday. Thus those attending on Sunday should not be counted in this category and those attending more than one midweek service should only be counted once in any week.

  11. a. Church Attendance on a 'normal' Sunday
    For the purposes of this return a 'normal' Sunday is one which is not a major festival or contained in a peak holiday period. If attendance fluctuates a weekly 'average' should be given. Sundays when no services are provided should be excluded. Persons attending more than one service on the same day should, wherever possible, be counted only once.

    b. Church Attendance during a 'normal' week
    For the purposes of this return please include those additional persons attending services or Fresh Expressions which are not included in the normal Sunday. Please refer to Note 1 for those Fresh Expressions which should be included.

  12. Electoral Roll
    Please state the number of persons on the Electoral Roll as presented to the Annual Parochial Church Meeting held within the period 1 January to 30 April 2011.