Waterloo - August 19, 2021 - New research from over 2,700 church leaders across Canada reveals some eye-opening findings on the state of evangelism in Canada.

“In light of the finding that 65% of Canadian church leaders do not see evangelism as a priority, Alpha Canada sees a tremendous opportunity to help Canadian Christians reimagine what it looks like to make Jesus’ last command – to make disciples – our first priority,”

Shaila Visser, National Director for Alpha Canada

As we continue to navigate a period where our entire world has been turned upside down, Alpha Canada’s research, in partnership with the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University, offers an important pulse check on Canadian Christian leaders. Other important findings include:

• Only 48% of Church leaders believe that evangelism is central to their church’s approach to discipleship

• Most who come to Christian faith do so as children, teens, or young adults, though 46-48% of those who work with youth, children, or families in congregations/parishes agreed/strongly agreed that it is wrong to share Christian beliefs with someone of a different (non)religion in hopes that they will one day identify as Christian.

• On the positive side, the more of a priority a congregation reportedly gives to evangelization, the more likely respondents and their congregations are to adopt beliefs or practices that are more evangelistic in scope.

Canadian Christians are looking towards their leaders for guidance. People's perception that they are in control of their lives has been shaken and many are potentially more open to spiritual conversations. Attitudes toward faith and evangelism are changing and deserve to be discussed as we look at the decade ahead. 

Reimagining what’s next for evangelism at the Life Shared Summit on September 9th, Alpha Canada will present and respond to new and surprising research on the state of evangelism in Canada. Christian Canadians will have the opportunity to hear from and pray with Church leaders and laypeople from across our nation!

Alpha Canada has partnered with 20 organizations across Canada to host six incredible speakers, who are Canadian leaders on evangelism: Danielle Strickland, Jean-Philippe Beaudry, Father Simon Lobo, Darrell Johnson, Patti Miller, and Jon Thompson.

Let's make Jesus' last command our first priority.

Register for the Life Shared Summit today!

To schedule an interview with Alpha Canada’s National Director, Shaila Visser, contact Veronica Pellini or Shannon Mischuk, veronica@grafmartin.com, or shannon@grafmartin.com, or call 519-342-3703.

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About Alpha

ALPHA equips and serves the Church in its mission to help people discover and develop a relationship with Jesus. For more than 30 years, Alpha has worked effectively across every major denomination, culture, and context worldwide. Churches offer Alpha as an 8-to 11-week course that creates a friendly, judgment-free environment for people to hear the gospel, ask questions about faith, and process through their doubts. Over 1 million people in Canada have experienced Alpha, and millions more have taken Alpha in over 100 countries and over 100 languages around the globe.

About Shaila Visser

Shaila is the National Director of Alpha Canada, Global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International, and Executive Producer of both The Alpha Youth Film Series (2013) and The Alpha Film Series (2016). Prior to her work with Alpha, she was on staff with Power to Change in Canada. Shaila is passionate about evangelism and the evangelistic responses in non-profits and the Church. 

She has a heart for people coming to know Jesus, developing young leaders, and helping the local church flourish. Known for her strategic leadership and her ability to bring people together, Shaila has been committed to evangelism in Canada for over 20 years. 

Shaila lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband Ryan, a K9 Unit Police Officer, and two four-legged family members, Benny and Talon.