 Church attenders are more educated than the wider Australian community according to the latest research from NCLS. The National Church Life Survey revealed that 27% of adult church attenders had completed a university degree compared to only 16% of the population.
NCLS says this means two things for the church:
1. The church must be able to specifically relate to a highly educated population. "University graduates have unique characteristics that when catered for can result in increased effectiveness to this expanding section of society."
2. Secondly, these results highlight a gap in church demographics. "Historically, much of the church in Australia has struggled to reach blue-collar workers, and those with less education. This should be seen as an ongoing challenge for churches, even while education levels are slowly increasing. In an era of the rise of graduates it is important that this section of society is not forgotten."
So what does this mean for Christian media in Australia? This research asks a question: Who is your audience? Does your media ministry need to relate to a higher educated Christian audience? Or is it your role to bridge the gap and reach the un-churched working class? Can Christian media do both?
For more detail on the research including profile of university graduates see NCLS's website www.ncls.org.au
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