According to The Changing Faith Landscape of Australia Report

(McCrindle 2022):

“Almost half of Australians (46%) are extremely or very open to being in a spiritual conversation that may involve different views to their own.”

Top four prompts to think about spirituality and religion:

• 31% - A death in the family
• 26% - Conversations with people
• 25% - Health issues of a family member or friend
• 24% - Personal unhappiness

Top attractors to religion and spirituality:

• 66% - Experience a personal trauma or significant life change
• 64% - Seeing first-hand people who live out a genuine faith
• 58% - Philosophical discussion and debating ideas
• 57% - Stories/testimonies from people who have changed because of their faith
• 52% - Miraculous stories e.g. stories of people being healed or supernatural occurrences
• 46% - Hearing from public figures and celebrities who are examples of faith

Australians are likely to attend church if invited:

• 68% - of Australians would be at least slightly likely to attend a Christian church service or event if they were personally invited by a friend or family member.

Attitudes towards Christianity:

• 3 in 10 CHRISTIAN (30%)
• 1 in 4 WARM (27%)
• 1 in 8 NEUTRAL (14%)
• 1 in 4 COOL (28%)

Ps Melinda Dwight, Alpha Australia National Director:

“With 49 per cent of Australians saying they never have a spiritual conversation (McCrindle), but 70 per cent of Australians surveyed privately saying they pray - according to Melinda Dwight, Alpha Australia National Director-  she deduces there is a strong desire to find a safe place where every question is respected and every story valid.” - Eternity Magazine: August 11, 2021

“...seven out of 10 people in Australia are praying but they don’t talk about it. There’s interest in spirituality, and there’s interest in taking opportunities to have those conversations. People aren’t sitting down at the pub saying, ‘So what do you think about the Resurrection?’ But if we give them the space and the opportunity, they all have questions they’d like to discuss. It’s probably quite easy to live your entire life without ever really engaging with anyone on those questions. And it’s so important. In society we’re obsessed with mental health and physical health, so it’s okay then to ask, ‘What about spiritual health?’ We just have to use language that’s accessible. If you say to a friend, ‘Would you like to come and have a discussion on the Kerygma before catechism?’ they might say, ‘I don’t think so.’ But if you say, ‘Do you have any questions about God, life and faith?’ they might say ‘yes’.”