Child Thanksgivings up 23%

 

New statistics suggest that the service of Thanksgiving for the Gift of a child is increasing rapidly in popularity.  The provisional 2001 totals in "Statistics for Mission" show an increase to 1,600 child thanksgivings (i.e. for the age range 1-12 years) in 2001, compared with 1,300 the previous year.  Although the figure is small compared with many of the other statistics, and the proportions are therefore more prone to random variations, it is striking that this is the only figure which shows an increase in the whole table!

 

Overall, thanksgivings declined in popularity by 1% (to 6,800) whereas total baptisms declined by 5% (to 153,300) and infant baptisms by 6% (to 106,900) - in other words, thanksgivings are slowly gaining ground as a proportion of christening services for children.

 

During the year the numbers of children and young people attending church fell, by 6% or 4% depending on which measure is used.  A table of the figures was published in the Church Times for Friday 20th December 2002."