Undercurrents of Faith

Undercurrents of Faith: Reframing the Narrative of Mission in Australia

If you’ve been part of conversations about faith in Australia lately, you’ve probably heard the familiar narrative: Christianity is in decline. There’s some truth in the statistics—fewer Australians are identifying as Christian, down from 52% in 2016 to 44% in 2021.

There’s more to the story however, with church attendance remaining steady or even slightly increasing in recent times; about 15-20% of the Aussie population attends church regularly.

The latest McCrindle report, An Undercurrent of Faith, contains this and other encouraging findings.

It seems that beneath the surface of decline lie some dynamic and hopeful trends. We know that the gospel works beneath the surface—in quiet, persistent, Spirit-led ways—perhaps these “undercurrents”, as they flow through our society, are signs that the Holy Spirit wants us to respond to.

A Harvest We Didn’t Expect

The McCrindle research reveals that while overall affiliation with Christianity is declining, large numbers of Australians are still coming to faith—including 784,000 people between 2016 and 2021 who previously identified as having “no religion”. That’s not just a trickle. That’s a stream.

Some of the most common reasons people turn to Christianity?

• Because they feel a spiritual connection or sense of divine presence that draws them to Christianity
• Because they find personal meaning and purpose through Christianity.
• Some drawn because they believe it offers answers to questions about life, morality or existence that they haven’t been able to find elsewhere.
• A significant life event or challenge can also encourage people to seek faith in Christianity.

In a society often described as secular, these findings suggest that spiritual hunger is alive and growing.

An Ageing Revival?

Another surprising undercurrent: older Australians are increasingly turning to Christianity. In fact, this age group makes up a growing proportion of new believers.

• While the overall proportion of Australians aged 55+ has increased by 3 percentage points in the last ten years, the proportion of Christian converts who are 55+ has increased by 11 percentage points.

Could it be that as our population ages, we are entering a new frontier for mission—one not just among the young, but among retirees, aged-care residents, and older neighbours who are asking deeper questions about life, death, and meaning?

Gen Z: Leaving… and Coming Back

Young Australians (15–24) are the most likely to leave Christianity, often citing irrelevance, past hurt, or disillusionment with church leadership. But here’s the twist: they’re also the most spiritually open.

• More than 1 in 4 Gen Zs are open to changing their religious views, and many of those who remain Christian are more likely to attend church regularly than previous generations.
• 51% of Gen Z and 54% of Gen Y are extremely/very open to a spiritual conversation that involves different views to their own, compared to 43% of Gen X and 32% of Baby Boomers.
• Even though younger Australians are becoming less likely to move towards Christianity, those who are Christians are more likely than older Christians to attend church at least monthly. Seven in ten Gen Y Christians (72%) and 68% of Gen Z Christians attend church either online or in person at least monthly, compared to 39% of Gen X and 26% of Baby Boomers.

This signals a generation that isn’t hostile to faith, but rather wants it to be real, meaningful, and lived out with integrity.

Regional Drift

One undercurrent that provokes careful reflection is that regional and rural areas—long seen as the “Christian heartland”—are now moving away from Christian identity faster than inner cities.

• There could be various explanations for this. Perhaps these areas are simply catching up to the trends observed in more urbanised contexts in recent decades, perhaps Christian nominalism now less likely in urban contexts?

As congregations in country towns face challenges and changes in their local communities this data is a wake-up call not to retreat, but to re-engage in place-based, relational mission.

So, What Might God Be Saying?

In the light of this report, I wonder if Jesus’ words ring with fresh relevance:

“Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white for harvest.” (John 4:35)

These undercurrents tell us something the Census checkbox doesn’t: God is still at work. The Spirit is moving in the lives of young seekers, older wanderers, disillusioned prodigals, and spiritually curious neighbours. The mission field is not empty. It’s just more complex—and more promising—than we might have thought.

Questions for Local Reflection

As congregations prayerfully consider their context and calling, here are some questions worth asking:

• Who in our community might be quietly seeking God—older adults, young people, recent arrivals?
• What does it look like for us to become a community of belonging, welcome, and spiritual hospitality?
• How are we investing in older adults as potential faith-seekers—not just as “faithful members,” but as a mission field?
• Are we honest about the hurt or disillusionment some feel toward the church—and are we humble enough to respond with integrity and grace?
• What small steps can we take to reimagine evangelism—not as pressure, but as invitation?

Encouragement for the Journey

We’re a church that values greatly Martin Luther’s insights, especially for example, Luther’s ‘Theology of the Cross’. Luther held fast to the truth that God works most profoundly in hidden and unexpected ways. The whole story of Easter after all is that God, in Jesus, used the horror and suffering of a Roman cross to bring about forgiveness, salvation and new life.

This report doesn’t offer easy answers, but it reframes the conversation. It reminds us that our God is the God of resurrection hope—who works through undercurrents, mustard seeds, and hidden yeast.

So don’t be discouraged. Be discerning. Be prayerful. And above all, be ready to participate in what God is already doing in the lives of those around you.

Let’s keep looking, each day, for undercurrents of God’s grace in our lives – and especially opportunities to share the good news.