The fertility rate across the UK is now the lowest on record, with 1.44 children being born per woman of childbearing age.
There are many theories as to why: the cost of living crisis, the lack of affordable housing and the expense of childcare. Many dream of being able to one day afford a home in the suburbs, close to a good school, with a nice garden for their children to play in, but for now, they are stuck in the rut of long working hours and ready meals and can barely pay the rent for their apartment. Not ideal for family life.
In our post-Christian society, Biblical marriage has declined, and the pressures of finding a partner and staying committed for long enough to settle down and raise a family are also difficult. The rise in same-sex attraction and abortion has also had an impact on reproduction rates. More adults are making a conscious decision not to have children, favouring a career, leisure and travel. Others are reluctant to bring new life into a world of wars and rumours of wars.
The online gender gap: hope for church growth among men
I was interested to see the demographic breakdown of our church's YouTube channel.Scrolling through the various analytics, I was …