Denominational and movement leaders get:
-
help for their strategic and pastoral roles
-
evidence for their decisions
Results can offer insight for support for consultancies, new staff placements, funding applications, strategic reviews, local church strategic resourcing, ongoing training and pastoral support.
Help for strategic and pastoral roles
Denomination/ movement leaders will receive results to support local church ministry.
Denomination/ movement leaders will get overall results for the denomination or movement about:
- Church health across congregations
- Leaders and staff
- Local church activities
Research-based evidence for decisions
Denomination/movement leaders have evidence for their decisions. Results are provided in the areas of church health, leadership, who goes to church, programs/ systems and church in society.
Church effectiveness
- Church health and vitality
- Governance
- Church planting
Leadership
- Effective leadership practices
- Sustainable leadership, thriving vs burnout
- Formation, mentoring
Who goes to church
- Intergenerational church
- Newcomers to church life
- Cultural diversity
Programs/systems
- Governance
- Ministry programs, youth, children, schools, outreach
- Practices of healthy churches
Community, spirituality
- Religious faith/practice
- Personal wellbeing
- World views
- Social issues
Some of the purposes of the 2026 NCLS are:
- To describe and explain what is:
The shape of religion in Australia is undergoing significant change. The 2021 NCLS provides a reality check, alongside the 2021 national census. - For denominational and regional leadership to evaluate and plan
To evaluate the status of mission, to support local churches (through access to measures of the health and vitality of each participating church) and to support church leaders. - For local churches: to help them reflect and plan
Providing an evidence base to inform strategic and pastoral planning, the NCLS resources aim to be credible, practical and easy to use. This survey allows leaders to hear from all attenders. - For local leadership: effectiveness and wellbeing
Insight into leadership development and practices, as well as leader wellbeing will be provided through a survey of clergy and lay leaders. Results will form a benchmark for use in the future by anyone who wishes to evaluate leadership within groups or churches. - To continue the longitudinal study of Australian church life
The longitudinal nature also makes a unique dataset in the world. It is possible for researchers worldwide to investigate questions about church life that no-one else in the world can. - For the wider community
The National Church Life Survey is a credible authoritative source for describing the Australian church landscape and has been used widely by commentators within and beyond the churches
More information
Goals and vision of the 2026 NCLS