Why are families with toddlers the most common mission focus in Australian churches, while university students are a far more common mission focus for churches in the UK?
The answer is simple, and explanation a bit more complex. In Australia, families with toddlers are one of the easiest people group to reach. The same goes for university students in the UK.
Why are these people easier to reach than others? An explanation can be found in the work of Rodney Stark and Roger Finke in their book Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion.
Stark and Finke argue that religious belief is much more about belonging to a social group than intellectually subscribing to a set of propositions. They contend that “…social networks make religious beliefs plausible and new social networks thereby make new religious beliefs plausible.”Religious conversion less about about seeking or embracing an ideology; and more about bringing one’s religious practice into conformity with that of one’s social network.
People are loathe to convert to a new religious belief when they’re settled in a stable social network, because it would mean foregoing their existing social capital and investing anew in a different social network. Conversely, people are more likely to consider a new religious position when their interpersonal attachments to members of the new religious group overbalance their attachments to people within their pre-existing belief system – be it religious or not. Moving away from pre-existing relationships either by relocation or change of circumstance can shift the balance toward considering a new spiritual belief – or as Stark and Finke term it, a new ‘plausibility structure’.
Lets think about that in terms of families with toddlers – or more specifically, mothers of toddlers. In his book Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them, church growth researcher Thom Rainer observes that a nuclear family typically comes to faith in a predictable order, beginning with the mother.
When a woman begins having kids, it’s often preceded by a house move – purchasing a home in which to raise a family in a neighbourhood they can afford, with proximity to schools, a larger living space and a back yard. The geographical move often creates a change in social connections.
Then there’s the change in work participation – taking maternity leave, and a shift in priorities and routine. Life is forever changed.
It’s common for a woman adjusting to this seismic change to reach out to others in a similar situation, where she can share her experience and gain a sense of camaraderie. A new social network grows.
Churches that offer environments like playgroups have the opportunity to enfold young mums into a social setting where they’re welcomed, supported and can form new friendships – just the kind of environment that may lead to them becoming curious about the belief system that underpins the lives of their new friends.
Similarly, uni students in the UK leave home in order to study. Adrift from their hometown social network, new students are open to being enfolded in a church social group. The key concept is to provide a context where people in a phase of change can find belonging that may lead to being open to new belief.
Learn more about building belonging into your local church mission pathway. Sign up for this 90-minute online workshop – https://pathways4mission.com/product/belong-before-believe-online-workshop/ Stay tuned for the next article: witness before evangelism