UPDATE 20-10-21.

  • Over 3000 churches are currently signed up nationally to participate in the NCLS. Port Phillip East congregations are currently submitting their survey form requests.
  • Given the challenges of COVID, the time from for completing the survey has been extended, beginning in November and continuing into early 2022 if needed.
  • Survey kits will begin to arrive in churches in the first week of November (subject to current postal delays).

Here’s a new video from NCLS Director, Dr Ruth Powell.

2021 NCLS October update (2 min).mp4 from NCLS Research on Vimeo.

Port Phillip East Presbytery is encouraging its congregations to participate in the five yearly National Church Life Survey (NCLS) in November 2021. The NCLS is conducted across Christian denominations around the country.

The NCLS has been running for 30 years and is respected internationally as providing valuable information for church leaders to understand their church members’ attitudes towards congregational life, worship, faith development, community service, and matters of social concern. Along with the leaders’ survey, the data becomes a resource to aid discernment and planning. The aim is not to compare churches, but to assist churches to look at themselves in the mirror. This is an incredibly helpful set of tools.

The PPE Standing Committee has agree to cover the $250 administration fee for each congregation. Each church will need to contribute $2 per person participating in the surveys. Invoicing will be covered by the Presbytery following the NCLS.

Click here to view the brochure which outlines the reasons for a 2021 NCLS. It also presents the benefits of taking part for your local church and the resources your church will receive. It describes the various surveys and what will be learnt about different groups.

Your church can sign up now here. Please select the individual church registration, and then select your congregation from the popup menu.

Duncan Macleod recently led a briefing session about the NCLS. You can watch it here.

Craig Mitchell will be co-ordinating the presbytery’s engagement with the NCLS. More information about the NCLS and how it works will be available in the coming months. For now, you can learn more about it here.