Church attendance in Northern Ireland is set to increase this Christmas, with 57 per cent of adults planning to attend a church service or event, according to research commissioned by Tearfund.
The survey, conducted independently by Savanta among 998 adults, shows a notable rise from last year’s 50 per cent.
In line with ‘Quiet Revival’ trends, Gen Z are the largest generation to say they plan to attend church this Christmas (72%), followed by Millennials (62%), the Silent Generation (58%), Gen X (49%) and Baby Boomers (49%).
Key factors bringing people through the doors were tradition, spiritual meaning and community support.
Of those attending, 45 per cent say it is part of their Christmas tradition, a third (33 per cent) go for the atmosphere, and nearly a third (32 per cent) regard Christmas as a time for spiritual reflection.
Among non-Christians, 44 per cent say they leave church at Christmas feeling peaceful, while others report feelings of hope (21 per cent) or joy (19 per cent).
The role of churches as a community cornerstone has been noted; nearly half of Northern Irish adults (49 per cent) said they, or someone they know, has received support from a church at Christmas. Nearly one in ten (8 per cent) report using a Christian foodbank themselves, and almost a quarter (22 per cent) have benefitted from a free Christmas Day meal provided by a church – or know someone who has.
No transcript available.
POWERED BY BLUBRRY
