Belonging through Events? Exploring the Demographic Profile, Motivations, and Experiences of Those Attending the Afternoon Carol Services on Christmas Eve at Liverpool Cathedral

Abstract

This study tests the strength of Bishop David Walker’s notion of belonging to God through the Anglican Church through participation in events, by exploring the demographic profile, motivations, and experiences of 1234 participants attending the two afternoon Carol Services on Christmas Eve 2019 at Liverpool Cathedral, alongside 564 participants who completed the same survey at the evening Holly Bough Service on the Fourth Sunday in Advent 2019. The data confirmed the importance of event-belonging for 76% of the participants who do not regularly attend church services but who return year on year to the Cathedral and often invite friends to join them. The data also affirmed the presence of newcomers (12%) alongside returnees. Between two-thirds and three-quarters of the participants perceived beneficial impact on their personal wellbeing. For the participants, what drew them to the Cathedral and what made the experience so special was not simply the quality of the music (93%), but also the opportunity to remember the Christmas story (82%).

Evaluating the missional impact of an advent son et lumière in Liverpool Cathedral

“…Such a survey was conducted in 2019 among participants attending the Christmas Eve carol services, with 1,231 responses, and could be repeated. 22 Third, we need to be able to compare Christmas Eve/Day attendance trends in other cathedrals. The most recent report of Cathedral Statistics 2022 provides aggregated Christmas attendance from 2012 to 2022, 23 so it may still be some time before the national picture for Christmas 2023 becomes available.…”