Dr Paul Allen

Sixty-one percent of Australians self-identified as Christians in 2011, which is down from 91 percent in 1911, only 100 years earlier. Australia's population is steadily getting older, but the church is about to get younger. As the churchgoing elderly (78.5 percent of Australians born before 1946 self-identify as Christians) slowly begin to pass away, the ever-growing middle-to-young population of Australia will begin to dominate the churches, though those churches will likely be smaller due to the number of young people no longer self-identifying as Christians. (1) Here are three primary pieces of the churches of Australia that will be integral to their health in the long run: 1. Evangelism Sixty-seven percent of Australians who self-identify as Christians are comfortable sharing their faith with friends and family. This means that 33 of every 100 Australian Christians are uncomfortable sharing the gospel with those closest to them. (2) (Remember, this is self-identified C