Deep Recession =

Deeper Questions?

Benita Hewitt

Director, Christian Research

Introduction► What did we do?

► 2005 interviews with a nationally representative sample of UK adults

► Conducted by Research Now 24-27th April 09► Why? To find out …

► who is searching for more meaning in their lives► what has prompted them to search► where they considered looking► what action they took► what they found helpful and would consider

doing again

How have we defined a ‘searcher’?

► Someone who has had cause to reconsider their core values, or think about the big issues like ‘the meaning of life’, in the last year

How many are searching?

Not searching,

27%

Searching, 73%

Base: Total Sample (2005)

Who is searching? ► Over 70% of …

► all age groups from 18 to over 65► males and females► every region in Great Britain► all social grades except the lowest

(67% of Es)

What has prompted the search?

49%

47%

27%

12%

27%

CreditCrunch/Economic

Downturn

Concern overpersonal finances

Job insecurity

Other reason

Not searching

}Any of these

= 70%

Base: Total Sample (2005)

Where do searchers

look?

No. 1 is ‘spending more time with family and

friends’

56%

50%

47%

Considered it

Did it

Worth it

% of all searchers

The most important thing is to love and be loved

No. 1 is ‘spending more time with family and

friends’

Jesus said ‘I give you a new commandment:

love one another’

John 13.34

Recent research by Charities Aid

Foundation John Low, Chief Executive, said:

‘While nobody would have wished for the recession, society may emerge the

healthier for it. Circumstances are bringing

many families closer together …

No. 2 is ‘contacting past friends’

Base: searchers (1472)

36%

31%

25%

Considered it

Did it

Worth it

% of all searchers

The most important thing is to love and be loved

Searching for love …

► RECORD NUMBERS LOG ON FOR LOVE AS INTERNET DATING SITES BUCK CREDIT CRUNCH

► During the credit crunch the number of subscribers at Christian Connection, the UK’s leading Christian dating site, increased by more than 40 per cent

► It’s a similar picture for sister dating site Ivory Towers, specifically serving graduates

► One mainstream US dating site reported a massive increase in people joining on September 29 - the day the Dow Jones fell by 700

No. 3 (considered) Doing

voluntary/community work

24%

13%

11%

Considered it

Did it

Worth it

% of all searchers

But, only 54% of those who consider it actually do it!

No. 3 (that’s worth it) Praying

15%

14%

12%

Considered it

Did it

Worth it

% of all searchers

After spending more time with friends and family, praying is the most helpful activity

Given everything that was

tried, what was the least

helpful?

12%

10%

5%

Considered it

Did it

Worth it

% of all searchers

Only around 4 in 10 of those who considered horoscopes actually used them and found

them helpful

Are women or men more likely to spend time away alone to

reflect on life?

17% considered11% tried

10% found it helpful

19% considered10% tried

9% found it helpful

Men are equally likely to find spending reflective time alone

helpful

23% of the population do

not have a religion and are

searching …

They are more likely to be middle class

and younger

do they even consider going

to church?

Not really!

They are more likely to be middle class

and younger

3%

1%

0%

Consideredchurch

Went

Would go again

% of all 'non-religious' searchers

Where do the ‘non-religious’

searchers consider looking?

54%

35%

22%

19%

16%

Family & friends

Past friends

Voluntary/communitywork

Reflective time alone

Art/music hobby

% of all 'non-religious' searchers

What do they find most helpful?

45%

25%

8%

8%

8%

Family & friends

Past friends

Art/music hobby

Voluntary/communitywork

Reflective time alone

% of all 'non-religious' searchers

The most important thing is to love and be loved

Hierarchy of needs

Self –actualisation

Esteem

Love/Belonging

Safety

Physiological

They are mainly searching and looking

for stability here

Secondarily, those with no religion look here

Secondarily, Christians look to prayer, the church and Bible

Jesus said ‘I give you a new commandment: love one

another’

John 13.34 (GNB)