Beyond the Ordinary

How can congregations compete with demands of youth sports?

By David Briggs

Talk to pastors about youth sports, and few will not have stories lamenting how some children and their parents in their congregations are missing on Sundays due to a child's softball tournament or softball game.

The 2008 Faith Communities Today survey found school- and sports-related activities, more than driving distance or work-schedule conflicts or other potential obstacles, were the biggest challenge to regular participation in church. More than a third of congregations said it was somewhat or quite a bit of an issue.

In an in-depth study of 16 Protestant congregations, more than half of the pastors interviewed said competition with sports was one of the main reasons fewer people were attending their churches. In focus groups with members, many also identified children's sports activities on Sundays as the main reason more people are missing, researcher Stephen McMullin reported in the current issue of the Review of Religious Research.

The challenge for congregations is how to respond. And it is not an easy one. Say or do nothing about parents who choose youth sports over church and the losses will continue. Draw a line in the sand demanding parents choose one or the other, and many young families will walk away.

One way many congregations have responded is to offer additional services. This gives people with busy schedules, including parents ferrying kids to sporting events, more options to attend.

More than one in five congregations in the 2008-2009 U.S. Congregational Life Survey reported starting a new worship service in the past five years.

Many congregations also offer their own sports programs.

Twenty-two percent of congregations in the 2008-2009 survey said they offered sporting activities or teams. In addition, more than half offered other social, recreational, or leisure activities.

This combination may beneficial. In the 2010 Faith Communities Today survey, more than two-thirds of congregations who said sports and fitness programs were a specialty of the congregation reported more than a 10 percent growth in attendance from 2000 to 2010. In contrast, only a third of churches with no athletic programs reported such growth.

“Any time you can include programs that are of interest to people in the community, that is an advantage,” said Cynthia Woolever, research manager of the congregational life survey.

But much more can be done by the church to be a light to its own members and the community, say some scholars and observers.

"The church hasn't thought deeply about this," said John White, director of the Sports Chaplaincy/Ministry Program at Baylor University. "We simply said, 'World, we'll capitulate in how you do sports."

He advocates developing a theology of sports that emphasizes the positive values of athletics, while also criticizing its negative aspects, including unbalanced family lifestyles.

Religious education about athletics should begin at an early age before kids and their parents make decisions about travel teams and other ways they will be challenged to balance sport and faith in their lives, White said.  The church can also partner with other community group that share similar concerns about the excesses of some aspects of youth sports.

In his study of declining congregations, McMullin also visited two rapidly growing churches for comparison purposes. The pastor of one rural Canadian Church with  an average Sunday attendance of 600 is a hockey coach in the community, and encourages people in the congregation to be active in sports organizations.

“So it’s not like we’re going to win against the culture; it’s a reality. So we try to partner with people and help them understand that,” the pastor said.

At the same time, the pastor said he will “challenge our people that when sports and God collide in terms of church, when sports and God collide every Sunday, if sports wins every time you have sent a message to your kids that could damage them spiritually forever. And that you better have God win sometimes. I try to make that balance.”

In deciding how to face an increasingly pervasive culture of sport, the best advice for congregations may be simply to not sit on the sidelines.

 

Key to a spiritually alive church: Support your fellow church members

By David Briggs

My wife and I had just moved to Fairfield County in Connecticut, and were searching for a church. We were impressed when as visitors to an Episcopal congregation, the priest invited my wife to work with other volunteers at a craft fair.

She looked forward to the opportunity to meet people in a new town. Until it was time for lunch, and all of the women from the church working with her went to eat together, leaving only my wife behind to staff the table.

We never went back.

In a religious world that can often seem hierarchical, from clergy leading services to regional and national offices making decisions that impact local churches, the significance of the role played by each person in the pews can often be overlooked.

Yet a growing body of research is showing how worshipers treat one another can have a significant impact on the congregation and the spiritual life and physical health of its members.

In a new study using data from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, researchers found informal support from church members was more associated with spiritual growth than worship service attendance or belonging to formal church groups.

Conversations before services or at church suppers may be even more effective than Bible study groups or Sunday School classes in that they provide give-and-take opportunities with trusted companions that can directly address the spiritual needs of individuals, say researchers Neal Krause of  the University of Michigan and Cynthia Woolever of the US CLS.

Several other studies also uphold the benefits of this type of positive social support within the congregation.

For example, a study of older adults over time found that greater spiritual support appeared to be associated with having fewer doubts about religion. In contrast, older people who encountered more negative interaction with other church members reported having more doubts.

 Those people who have negative experiences with others also are more likely to suppress those doubts, an action associated with less favorable health, researchers Neal Krause and Christopher Ellison of the University of Texas at San Antonio reported in an article on “the doubting process” in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

 In a separate study on self-forgiveness reported in the Review of Religious Research, Krause found results suggesting older adults who were more satisfied with the emotional support they received from church members were more likely to forgive themselves than those who were not satisfied with the support they received.

 At their best, what worshippers say to one another at coffee hour or in the grocery store reflects the prayers they recite during services.

When other church members model messages of love and forgiveness that are at the foundation of a faith’s teachings, it reinforces belief and the value of being part of a congregation, Krause says. If the messages are contradictory, with church members gossiping about or criticizing one another, it can place those beliefs in question.

Amid other pressing concerns such as church finances and programming, congregations need to evaluate how members are expressing their faith in their relationships with one another, Krause advises.

“Are the people in our congregation getting along? Are they supporting one another” are among the questions that need to be asked, he said.

The choices members make when they are together matter, whether it is to offer spiritual support in an environment of trust and mutual caring or even for a group of church friends to decide to go to lunch in two groups so a newcomer will not be left alone at a church fair.

It is in those settings, Krause says, "where the real business of religion takes place.”

 

Growing congregations keep pace with changing times

By David Briggs

Longer services. More substance abuse counseling. And a greater emphasis on the environment.

Add to the mix a presence on Facebook and Twitter.

What you get are some of the traits more likely to be found in fast-growing Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations in 2011, compared to the practices associated with fast-growing churches in the denomination in 2002.

Navigating the challenges posed by an uncertain economy, growing Presbyterian congregations appeared to embrace new opportunities to meet the needs of contemporary worshippers, Ida Smith-Williams reported in a study presented at the recent annual meeting of the Religious Research Association.

Smith-Williams, a researcher with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, compared survey data from 114 fast growing Presbyterian churches in 2011 with responses from 93 fast growing Presbyterian congregations in 2002.

In the post-recession period, the fastest growing congregations are doing more with less. In 2011, about three in 10 growing congregations reported increasing finances; in 2002, nearly three-quarters of growing churches said their finances were on the way up.

But fast growing congregations in 2011 continued to lead the way in using technology to reach out to potential new members.

In 2002, 70 percent of growing congregations had a website, a percentage similar to the average
Presbyterian congregation according to the 2008-2009 wave of The U.S. Congregational Life Survey. But 97 percent of fast-growing congregations in 2011 reported having a website.

While 73 percent of growing churches in 2002 reported placing an ad in the paper and 61 percent
advertised in the phone book, the evangelism strategies of six in 10 fast-growing churches in 2011 included following up with emails and using social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

Among other changes, nearly half of the fastest-growing congregations in 2011 used visual projections in worship services, compared to 26 percent using those devices in 2002. Today's growing churches were also almost twice as likely to offer substance abuse counseling and four times as likely to offer animal welfare or environmental activities.

As some activities were added, others were cut back. Consider also these findings:

• Longer services:  Even in an era of decreased attention spans, 89 percent of worship services in the fastest growing congregations in 2011 lasted more than an hour.  In 2002, just 55 percent of worship services in the fastest growing congregations were longer than an hour.
• Missing teens: Six in 10 growing congregations in 2002 said participation by teens was part of the worship service. Just four in 10 of growing churches in 2011 reported teen participation.
• Exit laughing: Ninety-one percent of growing churches in 2002 said laughter was part of their worship service. But that dropped to 80 percent of growing congregations in 2011.
• Fewer sports: A quarter of growing congregations in 2011 reported offering sporting activities, compared to 38 percent of growing congregations in 2002.

It should not come as a big surprise that fast-growing congregations change over the years.

What is consistent throughout research on church growth is that openness to change and a commitment to embracing the future are key indicators of successful congregations.

 

10 Spiritual Resolutions for the New Year

by Ida Smith-Williams

Adapted from original post on 2/8/11

People often make resolutions regarding health and finances at the beginning of a new year to improve their life.  Consider comparing yourself to benchmarks from the U.S. Congregational Life Survey to find ways you might make changes in your spiritual life.

1)      Attend worship services.  Increase your frequency of attending or start attending.  Overall, 65% of attendees are in worship usually every week.   Studies suggest that religious people are happier and that it might be due to friendships with others in the congregation.

2)      Get more involved in group activities. Nearly half of worshipers are not regularly involved in any group activities in their congregation.  Three in ten are involved in fellowships, clubs, or other social groups; one in five attends Sunday school, church school, or Sabbath school; and one in five are involved in prayer, discussion, or Bible study groups.  When asked to compare their participation in activities at the church now to two years ago, half (51%) said they participate about the same amount.   The USCLS found that many congregations with high levels of worshiper involvement also have worshipers who are growing spiritually, are inviting others to worship, and share a strong vision for the congregation’s future. 

3)     Become a leader.  Six in ten worshipers do not play a leadership role in the congregation.  Yet there are many ways to be involved (ushers, church school teachers, choir members, committees, etc.).  A pastor cannot do all the things a church needs to function.  How can you help?  

4)     Spend more time in private devotional acts (prayer, meditation, reading).  Only half of all attendees spend time every day or most days in private devotional activities.   It is these activities that will help you grow in your faith. 

5)     Grow in your faith.  Half of attendees have grown much in their faith over the last year (49%).  A third report growing mainly through activities of their congregation, 12% through their own private activities, and 6% with the help of other groups or congregations.

6)     Talk to others about your faith.  Invite friends to your congregation.  Nearly six in ten feel at ease talking about their faith and do so when it comes up.  Yet only four in ten have invited friends or relatives to their congregation in the past year.  Inviting others is an important first step
toward increasing the number of new people.  Most people attend a congregation for the first time because someone they know invited them. 

7)      Get more involved in your congregation’s community service, social service, or advocacy groups.  Two-thirds of worshipers are not involved with such groups.  Strong congregations balance their attention inside their congregation and outside in the wider community.  This is the mission of many churches, if not all—to help others in need.  There are many benefits to working towards this mission.  Getting involved can help you learn or develop a new skill, find new interests or hobbies, experience the “real” world, meet new people, give you a sense of achievement and purpose, and make you feel good about giving back to your community.     

8)     Make more friends in the congregation.  Two-thirds of worshipers have some close friends in the congregation.  Close friendships among churchgoers, rather than theology, seem to be the key to happiness among religious people, according to the findings of the Faith Matters Survey of U.S. adults.

9)     Pray.  Three-fourths of worshipers pray every day or most days for themselves or for their family.  Three-fourths pray more often than in the past.  Beyond connecting you to God, there are many proven benefits of prayer.  Prayer relieves stress, calms fears, reduces anxiety, stabilizes your moods, and gives you a feeling of well-being. 

10)   Support your congregation financially.  Fewer than one in five worshipers are tithers, giving 10% of their income to the church.  Three in ten give between 5% and 10%, and about as many give less than 5% regularly.

Do any of these give you ideas for personal change?

Interested in learning how your congregation’s worshipers compare to these averages?  Give the U.S. Congregational Life Survey.  Learn how. 

 

Discovering Strength in New Presbyterian Churches

by Joelle Kopacz

Seeking to turn around its declining membership, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recently ignited a movement to start 1,001 worshiping communities in the next ten years.  While newer congregations may face challenges as they seek to become established, they also display many strengths that draw worshipers. 

To learn more about new congregations, in 2011 we surveyed 88 newer PC(USA) churches—those organized between 1990 and 2009.[i]   Using worshipers’ survey responses and a list of 10 congregational strengths, we compared strengths from these newer churches to strengths from a random sample of over 500 PC(USA) churches surveyed in 2008/2009.  What are the strengths of newer PC(USA) congregations, and how do they compare to the strengths of PC(USA) congregations in general? 

New Church Strengths.  We found that the average strength scores are higher in new PC(USA) churches for the following aspects of congregational vitality:

• Growing spiritually—more worshipers in new churches say they are growing in their faith and feel the congregation meets their spiritual needs.
• Participation in the congregation—more worshipers in new churches give 5% or more of their income to the congregation and attend worship weekly or more often.
• Sense of belonging—more worshipers in new churches feel a strong sense of belonging and say most of their closest friends attend the congregation.
• Sharing faith—more worshipers in new churches are involved in evangelism activities and invite friends or relatives to worship.
• Welcoming new people—more worshipers in new churches began attending in the past five years.
• Looking to the future—more worshipers in new churches feel committed to the congregation’s future vision and are excited about the congregation’s future.

Shared Strengths.  New PC(USA) congregations show a level of strength that is similar to other PC(USA) congregations in four additional areas:

• Meaningful worship—similar percentages of worshipers experience God’s presence, joy, inspiration, and awe in worship services and feel worship helps them with everyday life.
• Caring for children and youth—similar percentages of worshipers report satisfaction with the children and youth program and have children living at home who also attend there.
• Focusing on the community—similar percentages of worshipers are involved in social service or advocacy activities and work to make their community a better place to live.
• Empowering leadership—similar percentages of worshipers feel the congregation’s leaders inspire others to action and take into account worshipers’ ideas.

Although they are younger than many congregations, newer PC(USA) congregations have valuable strengths they can build upon.  New congregations promote spiritual growth and evangelism, encourage participation and belonging, and enhance worshipers’ excitement about their congregation’s future.  Yet no matter how young or old, each congregation has strengths that can attract new worshipers and minister to current members.

What are your congregation’s strengths? Compare your congregation to the national average, to the Presbyterian average, or to the average of growing or new Presbyterian churches by taking a snapshot of your worshipers. Your congregation can take part in the U.S. Congregational Life Survey to learn more about who worships there and what they value, to identify your congregation’s strengths, to deal with change whether your congregation is growing or declining, to get ready to call a new pastor, or to renew or update your strategic plan.

Call 800-728-7228, ext. 2040 to get information about using the U.S. Congregational Life Survey in your congregation, or see the section titled “Survey Your Congregation” on our website (www.USCongregations.org).

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[i] A total of 426 newer PC(USA) churches were identified and asked to participate in this 2011 survey.

[ii] Higher scores indicate greater congregational strength in that area.  Strength scores are calculated using the combined responses of all worshipers in each congregation.  With the exception of “welcoming new people,” strength scores combine responses to several related questions.  Questions with different response scales make up each overall strength score so it is inappropriate to compare scores from one strength to another.

The Three Rules for New Churches: Assimilate, Assimilate, Assimilate

By Cynthia Woolever

New churches attract lots of new worshipers (42% joined in the past five years compared to only 28% for the typical Presbyterian church). As these churches take in these newcomers, do they assume everyone will just blend in, go native, or adapt without assistance? No! We’ve found that they make special efforts to ensure their worshipers connect with one another and with the congregation.

They make use of small groups or cells. New PC(USA) churches offer small groups as a strategy for involving people beyond just attending worship. These small groups serve as vehicles for engaging people in community service, building discipleship, and bonding with other attendees.

They emphasize religious education for everyone. Our research showed that more people are enrolled in such classes in new PC(USA) congregations than older, more established congregations. The median enrollment is 90 in new PC(USA) churches and 36 in other PC(USA) churches.

They communicate electronically with members. Fully 90% of new PC(USA) churches use e-mail to communicate with worshipers. In contrast, just 72% of other PC(USA) churches do. In addition, more new PC(USA) churches (86%) than other churches (63%) use a website to stay in touch with attendees.

They issue invitations and make personal contacts with newcomers. New PC(USA) congregations are more likely than other PC(USA) churches to use a variety of specific ways to get new people integrated into the life of the congregation (see following table). Leaders in new churches strategically invite new worshipers to take on a church ministry role and/or a community service ministry. Clergy or laity often make follow-up visits to encourage participation.    

Not by chance. New congregations do not assume that new worshipers will take on the burden of assimilating themselves.  Rather they know that intentional strategies are necessary for newcomers to find their way to active discipleship. What can your congregation learn from them?  

  

Making Multisite Churches Count

By Cynthia Woolever

A new report suggests that 5,000 congregations are holding worship services at more than one location.[1] This figure may actually be too low! According to the U.S. Congregational Life Survey results, about 4% of congregations nationally host services in multiple physical locations. Since there are around 330,000 congregations in the U.S.,[2] that means the number of multisite churches possibly exceeds 13,000.

Warren Bird, research director of Leadership Network, has tracked multisite church growth for more than a decade. Since 2001, according to his research, the number of such churches has grown from 200 to 5,000 today. That’s an increase of 2,400%! This phenomenal growth pattern outdistances the rapid growth of megachurches in the same period. There were approximately 600 megachurches in 2001 and 1,650 in 2012—an increase of 175%.    

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) today consists of 10,536 congregations. About 3% (or 421 churches) of these congregations report holding services in more than one location.[3] Presbyterian churches founded in the past 20 years are twice as likely to be multisite congregations, with 6% of them reporting services in multiple locations. Table 1 compares the Presbyterian pattern to a national sample of congregations.

 

Warren Bird and a group of researchers recently discussed some of the key components of multisite ministries hoping to achieve agreement about language and definitions.[4]

The group found common ground on answers to two questions.

When does a service or gathering become another site?

• The congregation holds another service(s) in a separate, physical location. Although many churches offer one or more worship services at the same location or offer multiple venues at one location, these ministries are not counted as multisite.[5]  

When does a gathering of believers become a church rather than a site?

• In situations where a group of worshipers is self-governing and has a self-supporting church structure, then it is a church. Sites are (a) under the direction and leadership of the main site; and (b) funded through a shared budget with the main site.    

The next decade in religious life may further redefine the “large church”—from one giant venue to dozens of community sites to millions of virtual sites as worshipers attend services online. How will this movement impact your congregation? 

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[1] “Multisite churches are outpacing growth of megachurches,” Christian Century, September 19 (2012): 17.

[2] C. Kirk Hadaway and Penny Long Marler, “How Many Americans Attend Worship Each Week?” An Alternative Approach to Measurement,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 44, no. 3 (2005): 307-22.

[3] U.S. Congregational Life Survey (www.USCongregations.org), from a national sample of Presbyterian churches participating in the project in 2008/2009.

[4] Ed Stetzer, “Multisite, Churches, and Internet Campuses: How They Work and How to Study Them,” The LifeWay Research Blog (http://www.edstetzer.com/2012/08/multisite-and-church-planting.html), August 2, 2012.

[5] The U.S. Congregational Life Survey uses this definition as well. The Profile Survey, completed by a key informant in all participating congregations, contains this question: “Does this congregation hold services in more than one location (such as satellite locations)? (Do not include more than one worship space at the same location.)

Small Groups in Growing Presbyterian Churches: A Strategy That Works?

By Cynthia Woolever

Finding ways to get people involved in church life—beyond just attending worship services—is every congregation’s challenge. How do growing Presbyterian congregations meet that challenge?

Start small groups! Many experts recommend that churches start small groups or cells to help members feel connected with others in the congregation. Small groups can also serve as a tool for involving people in the church and in community service activities. In addition, churches may offer small groups as part of their spiritual development or discipleship strategy. 

Growing PC(USA) churches are more likely than other churches to utilize small groups and to offer groups that focus on different purposes.

Increasing participation and greater sense of connection? We found two pieces of evidence that point to a link between the predominance of small groups in growing churches and worshipers’ participation levels and sense of belonging.

• Participation in congregational activities is more often increasing among worshipers in growing churches. One-third of worshipers in growing PC(USA) churches (32%) and 28% in other PC(USA) churches say they now participate more in activities of the congregation than they did two years ago. 

• More worshipers in growing congregations than in other congregations have a strong sense of belonging to their congregation that is increasing. A majority of worshipers in growing congregations (51%) feel a growing sense of belonging there; 45% in other congregations have that feeling.

Not your mother’s Sunday school. Almost all growing PC(USA) congregations (99%) and other Presbyterian churches (96%) offer religious education classes, such as Sunday school. Similar shares of worshipers in both groups of congregations participate in the traditional church educational offerings.

The additional groups offered by growing PC(USA) churches are something else—groups with an intentional focus and membership. For example, more growing churches offer prayer groups, groups for community service, groups for mission trips, and groups for new members.

One other edge shows up in growing churches: More fast-growing Presbyterian churches include church school classes for adults (96% do so) than the typical PC(USA) church (87% offer adult church school classes).

Not different, but more. Most churches, including Presbyterian congregations, take seriously worshipers’ spiritual development and growth in discipleship. What separates growing congregations from other churches? Not necessarily different strategies—the majority of churches offer religious education and small group opportunities. However, growing churches more fully utilize that small group advantage. 

 

New Presbyterian Churches: Full Offering Plates but Few Endowment Dollars

By Cynthia Woolever

Old money and older congregations.  New money and newer congregations.  What’s the difference?  That’s what we wanted to learn.  To do that we surveyed Presbyterian churches organized in 1990 or later and compared them to a random sample of 521 older Presbyterian churches and their 40,555 worshipers.  Around 90 new congregations agreed to participate in the U.S. Congregational Life Survey in the fall of 2011 and they gave our  survey to all 8,071 of their worshipers.

One thing we learned is that there are some huge differences.  One was in the age of the congregation.  That may not sound surprising – but the older congregations were more than 100 years older than their newer counterparts.  The average older Presbyterian congregation was organized in 1890 (median year across all churches).   The typical new PC(USA) congregation was founded in 1993. About 15% of the new Presbyterian churches surveyed began as a result of “church planting” and were established in the past five years. Almost 20% of the new congregations in the national sample moved to a new location sometime in the past five years.

More money in the plate. We were surprised to learn that the new PC(USA) churches have fuller offering plates than the older Presbyterian churches. As Table 1 shows, the new churches receive more contributions, have larger budgets and more staff than the typical older Presbyterian congregation. However, contributions per person are about the same.

A larger percentage of the overall income in the new Presbyterian churches (94%) comes from what individuals donate to the congregation than in the older churches (88%). New churches also use a larger slice of their budget for operating expenses (89%) than do the older congregations (86% goes to operating expenses).

Fewer dollars from an endowment. Perhaps not surprisingly, we learned that income from investments or bequests is relatively common among the older Presbyterian churches. About half of all of the older PC(USA) congregations receive endowment income. This is not the case for new congregations. Only one in ten of the newer PC(USA) churches (11%) has any endowment income.

Building a financial base. More new PC(USA) churches (22%) than older PC(USA) churches (15%) describe their congregation as having an increasing financial base. Three in ten new churches (28%) and four in ten older churches (38%) have a declining financial base (see Table 2).

Building a church’s ministry. So is it financially better to be older or newer?  It depends.  The typical older Presbyterian church has more than a one-hundred-year head start in securing a financial base to support the congregation’s ministry.  The upside translates into having endowment funds to tap.  The downside is often a declining financial base.

Building a solid and growing financial base in the midst of building new ministries is one of the big challenges for new churches.  The upside for them is higher contributions and budgets.  The downside is lack of endowments for future funding.

Regardless of whether your congregation is older or newer, our study shows that congregants in both new and old congregations support their churches financially.  That may not be surprising news – but it certainly is reassuring. 

 

Learning From the Strengths of Growing Presbyterian Churches

By Cynthia Woolever

What can we learn from fast-growing churches—those in the top 3% across the denomination in numerical growth?[i]

We compared growing PC(USA) churches (117 growing churches and their 8,000 worshipers participated in the U.S. Congregational Life Survey) with a random sample of more than 500 Presbyterian churches and their 40,555 worshipers. The results are enlightening.

Building on strength. Using worshipers’ survey responses, we studied ten congregational strengths in both types of Presbyterian churches. Guess what? The average strength scores are higher in growing PC(USA) churches than in other typical PC(USA) churches—on seven strengths! 

Here are the seven areas where growing Presbyterian churches outdistanced other churches.

• Growing spiritually—more worshipers in growing churches say they are growing in their faith and feel the congregation meets their spiritual needs.
• Meaningful worship—more worshipers in growing churches experience God’s presence, joy, inspiration, and awe in worship services and feel worship helps them with everyday life.
• Sense of belonging—more worshipers in growing churches feel a strong sense of belonging and say most of their closest friends attend the congregation.
• Caring for children and youth—more worshipers in growing churches report satisfaction with the children and youth program and more have children living at home who also attend there.
• Welcoming new people—more worshipers in growing churches began attending in the past five years.
• Empowering leadership—more worshipers in growing churches feel the congregation’s leaders inspire others to action and take into account worshipers’ ideas.
• Looking to the future—more worshipers in growing churches feel committed to the congregation’s future vision and are excited about the congregation’s future.

 

Other aspects of church vitality. Growing Presbyterian churches are indistinguishable from other churches in the denomination in two other areas of church life:

• Focusing on the community—similar percentages of worshipers are involved in social service or advocacy activities and work to make their community a better place to live.
• Sharing faith—similar percentages of worshipers are involved in evangelism activities and invite friends or relatives to worship.

The typical Presbyterian church actually scores higher than growing churches in one dimension of church life—participating in the congregation. Attending worship, participating in other church activities, and giving to the church are part of what it means to be Presbyterian! Churches with many new worshipers need to spend time helping these newcomers learn what it means to be fully part of a faith community.

Presbyterian congregations of all sizes and shapes show great strength and vitality! When congregations identify and build on their strengths, they become more vital in the present and more focused on the future. In turn, new worshipers want to be part of that present and embrace that future, and long-time members renew their commitment to the congregation’s mission.     

What are your congregation’s strengths? Compare your congregation to the national average, to the Presbyterian average, or to the average of growing or new Presbyterian churches by taking a snapshot of your worshipers. Your congregation can take part in the U.S. Congregational Life Survey to learn more about who worships there and what they value, to identify your congregation’s strengths, to deal with change whether your congregation is growing or declining, to get ready to call a new pastor, or to renew or update your strategic plan.

Call 800-728-7228, ext. 2040 to get information about using the U.S. Congregational Life Survey in your congregation, or see the section titled “Survey Your Congregation” on our website (www.USCongregations.org).

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[i] The initial sample identified the 345 fastest-growing congregations within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Those 345 congregations represent about 3% of the more than 11,000 Presbyterian churches across the country.

² Higher scores indicate greater congregational strength in that area. Strength scores are calculated using the combined responses of all worshipers in each congregation. With the exception of “welcoming new people,” strength scores combine responses to several related questions. Questions with different response scales make up each overall strength score, so it is inappropriate to compare scores from one strength to another.