What are our local churches doing beyond worship on Sunday?
Reaching out into the local community is essential to discipleship and growth. Findings from National Church Life Survey (NCLS) indicate that our local churches are relatively active but asks “What could your church do more intentionally?”
Latest NCLS Reports indicated that 91% of churches run some form of discipleship activity beyond Sunday worship. This may take the form of small groups, youth programs, or women’s ministries. Our churches are indeed, “nurturing faith beyond the pulpit”.
See what’s working in local churches
Find out what percentage of our churches run regular small Bible study, discussion or prayer groups and where they offer short-term faith exploration courses.
How do we tally-up when it comes to evangelism though? How well do we use opportunities for outreach? What could your church do more intentionally?
Sometimes, the most effective way to grow is to invest in what’s already working—and extend the invitation to one more person.
For more information read: Churches on mission: What’s happening beyond Sunday worship – NCLS Research | ncls.org.au
Read the research reports for more detailed findings.
- Faith Sharing, Discipleship and Evangelism: Summary Report
- Discipleship and evangelism in local churches
- Sharing faith: Approaches by church attenders
- Leaders’ views on evangelism
Announcing the 2026 NCLS!
The 2026 National Church Life Survey will take place across Australian churches in late 2026, the same year as the National Census. Hundreds of thousands of voices will contribute to the most comprehensive view of church life in the world.