Canadian Spirituality Statistics

For those of you who are interested in the current state of religion and spirituality in Canada, check out these statistics and commentaries:

• Who’s Religious? (Statistics Canada)
• Canadian Weekly Religious Service Attendance (Statistics Canada)
• The Comeback of Organized Religion in Canada (Reginald Bibby)

It takes a while to read through the numbers and analysis, but it seems that the general Canadian “shift” is not away from religion per se, but rather is a change in how religious beliefs and values are expressed (via personal participation).

Also, in general, experience seems to indicate that many people who previously left “organized” Christianity to become more “individual” in their expressions of faith, are now desiring to return to a “community of faith” within which they can can find a solid foundation for their spirituality.  The challenge, then, for Christian leaders is to understand what kind of “community” people are looking for and then remold their ministries to regain their relevance (in terms of method, not message).

What has been your experience with Christianity, churches, community, etc?  What trends have you seen and/or experienced?