According to latest predictions, less than one per cent of the population will attend church in 15 years' time. Could this happen in Sussex?

The latest census by the Diocese of Chichester, which covers West and East Sussex, reveals the number of people attending Church of England services in the last ten years has dipped by seven per cent.

The number of children going to church regularly has dropped by 23 per cent and Easter and Christmas congregations are down 13 per cent.

The figures point to a gloomy future for churches in Sussex. But church leaders say the statistics do not tell the whole story.

They accept the numbers are down but they have faith people will continue to fill the pews and not just for weddings and funerals.

They claim there are still 40,000 people in Sussex attending church services every week.

About 10,000 children are on Sunday school registers and 62,000 attended crib services at Christmas.

The majority of the 157 church schools are oversubscribed and last year more than 4,000 baptisms and 2,000 weddings were held.

The Church accepts that huge changes in society in recent times have had a major affect on attendance. While past generations were traditionally sent to Sunday school, now they are more likely to be found worshipping different icons on the Sabbath, such as football teams and pop stars.

Where the local parish church was an integral part of every community, it now has to compete with modern Sunday traditions including sport and shopping.

But Church leaders believe the future is optimistic. They say figures from their census showed more people went to services than in past years. However, they were not attending often.

Diocese evangelist Father John Twisleton said: "We cannot deny there is an overall decline in attendance. But more people are attending less often."

The future obviously lies with the young and Fr Twisleton said the church acknowledged it had to work harder to get its message across to them.

He said becoming a member of the church was not like joining the National Trust. Young people who try to follow the doctrines faithfully could believe it would cramp their style, such as the Church's teaching on the subject of abstaining from sex outside marriage.

He said: "The challenge of the Church is to ensure the grass is greener so the sheep do not stray elsewhere.

"If you look at history we have sometimes been reduced to a remnant. We are not denying there is a falling away from religious practice. But there is a reshaping of the Church and there is a vitality about that.

"We are optimistic the Holy Spirit is burning in the Church but we need to fan the flame."

The census revealed, to the surprise of some leaders, that 42 per cent of church congregations in Sussex were showing signs of growing.

Two parishes currently enjoying success are St Margaret's, Rottingdean, where there was standing room only at last Sunday's service, and the parish of Ashington, Washington and Buncton, near Chichester.

Religious leaders have organised initiatives to spread its message among the young, including holding events at venues across the county.

Despite the denials of terminal decline and optimistic forecasts, the face of the traditional church-goer is expected to change in the future as the current congregation ages. The census showed 44 per cent were aged over 65 and only seven per cent aged between 17 and under 29.

While traditional Church of England services struggle to attract young people and secure their future, evangelical and charismatic churches show signs of huge growth.

The Church of Christ the King, in New England Street, Brighton, regularly attracts about 1,000 people. And it is still growing.

Nigel Ring, an elder at the church, which raised £3.5 million from the congregation to build it, said it appealed to people because its teaching centred not just on attending a service on Sunday but involved every aspect of their lives.

He said: "We have a very vibrant young group, many people are in their mid-30s and many are students and teenagers.

"As one of the newer styles of church we don't have tradition. We are able to be flexible and to move and make changes.

"We are confident and excited about the future. I am thrilled to see teenagers in churches. They are not wishy-washy at all. They are vibrant."