As parishes opened their results for the National Church Life Survey (NCLS) over the past month, some were surprised by one particular statistic: only 15 per cent of Sydney Anglicans see "reaching those who do not attend church" as something they "most value" about their congregation.
"If nothing else, the result is a wake-up call to refocus on the importance of evangelism in our congregations," says Jim Ramsay, CEO, Evangelism Ministries.
Sam Sterland, spokesperson for the NCLS, says this doesn't necessarily mean people aren't right behind evangelism and the Diocesan Mission.
"It is not asking them about the Diocese, and it is not asking them about their personal values (that is, whether they personally value evangelism)," says Mr Sterland.
"Their answer is partly a comment on this, but also a comment on the emphasis of their particular church."
The figure was listed as an average statistic for the Diocese based on current survey information.
The answer was one of three options parishioners could choose from a list of 13, which also included social justice, music, preaching, prayer and fellowship.
This is one of a handful of findings for the Diocese as a whole that was released in the parish kits.
Other diocese-wide data is expected to be released publicly in the near future.
The Archbishop's Executive Officer Dr Philip Selden says that, as some parishes are still submitting their surveys, the release date for official results for the Diocese is still unknown.
The nationwide survey was conducted in churches last September, with Sydney Anglican churchgoers answering questions on topics including faith, worship, leadership and vision.
The survey results are designed to highlight the church's strengths, the change in the church over time, attendance patterns, and the values and hopes held by the church as a whole.
Ideally, churches should appoint a team to review the findings, before passing results on to the congregation, says Mr Sterland.
He hopes parishes will incorporate their survey results into their thinking for the future.
"This time, we've put in the most effort ever to help people to see this as a planning tool."
The Diocese has been using the five-yearly survey since 1991.
