Sources: WorldWide Religious News, BBC News A Tearfund survey of 7,000 people in the United Kingdom indicates one in 10 people in the country attends church every week and one in seven goes once a month. The figures place Britain among Europe’s least observant countries. Two-thirds of those polled had not been to church in the last year except for baptisms, weddings or funerals. Tearfund said 53 percent of respondents identified themselves as Christian compared with almost three-quarters in the 2001 census. The survey also indicated that churches could do more to offer encouragement to potential worshipers. The survey indicated that 3 million people who had stopped going to church, or who had never attended, would consider attending “given the right invitation” such as a personal invite, the chance to accompany a relative or friend, or the offer of help during difficult personal circumstances. Tearfund President Elaine Storkey told BBC Radio Five Live that a lot of people would be unsure what to expect if they did visit. “The church for a lot of people is a very strange place these days,” she said. “So the first thing they have really got to wake up to is that there is this big cultural gap between the churched and non-churched.” read the whole story here
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