Beyond the Ordinary

Interpreting results

By Perry Chang  

Congregations examining their U.S. Congregational Life Survey results should keep in mind the three Cs:  critical analysis, celebration, and context.  The experiences of a couple of participating congregations underline the importance of the three Cs. 

Critical analysis 

At a meeting at a New England congregation that participated in the survey, congregational leaders combed quickly through the reports.  Leaders were tough on a couple of the reports’ features.  One leader noticed that whether worshipers had many close friends who were part of the congregation formed part of the calculations for the Strengths Report’s “Sense of Belonging” measure.  The leader objected to this factor, saying the fact that she had a mix of friends inside and outside of the congregation didn’t personally affect her strong sense of belonging. 

We have tested the survey thoroughly.  Interpreting the results, however, is an activity that folks in your congregation should undertake using the suggestions and resources we have supplied along with what they already know about your congregation.  Instead of simply taking the results at face value, ask tough questions, compare the results and your own perceptions, and do a critical analysis.  You’ll end up with a better interpretation of the results. 

Celebration 

At a gospel concert later that weekend at the same New England congregation, church leaders celebrated their congregation’s strengths.  They said:  “According to the survey that the church took a couple of months ago, 91% of you feel the presence of God in our worship services.  Well, tonight we want to work on that other 9%.”  

Congregations may look at its scores on all 10 strengths and may eventually work on some challenging areas.  Because the typical congregation has one to three strengths, we strongly encourage you to start with celebrating and building on those strengths.  Like this congregation, celebrate your strengths and then ask yourselves:  how can we do even better? 

Context 

The New England congregation and a Deep South congregation that also participated in the survey faced similar opportunities and challenges:  proximity to struggling inner-city neighborhoods and recent internal conflict.  The Southern congregation had expanded its ministry to homeless and hungry people, but this ministry had made some people in the community nervous about traveling to the area around the church.  

Other congregations participate in the survey soon after a beloved pastor or a perhaps a controversial pastor has left, and those situations can color results. Are worshipers still longing for the “good old days” when the former pastor was there each week?  Or are they breathing a temporary sigh of relief?

 Congregational leaders must keep their context and unique circumstances in mind.  A congregation’s location, recent history, or involvement in a pastoral transition may position the congregation in ways that the congregation or its leaders cannot simply wish away. The pastor of the Southern congregation had recently been involved in a conflict with members of the congregation’s governing board.  That fact no doubt affected how worshipers on different sides of that conflict responded to questions about pastoral leadership. 

As you look over your congregation’s survey results, don’t forget your particular context.  A result that may look one way in the abstract may look entirely different in light of what you know about your context.  

In short:  when interpreting your congregation’s results, do a critical analysis, celebrate, and consider the context. 

Congregational Web sites

by Ida Smith-Williams

 

Three-fourths of all congregations today have a congregational Web site (77%).  This is up from 2001 when not even half of congregations (43%) maintained a Web site.  A Web site is like an individual’s business card or like the Yellow Pages were in the 1970s for businesses—they are electronic billboards, if you will.  Web sites advertise information that people want to know such as the congregation’s name and location—the who, what, when, where, why, and how.  A church’s Web site gives a glimpse of the congregation’s “front door.”  

 

Besides attracting potential visitors, Web sites are used to communicate with attendees (77% of congregations with Web sites use them for this purpose).  They help worshipers know what is going on in the congregation.  Congregational Web sites may also feature:  a church calendar (83% have a calendar of events on their site); a list of volunteer needs or service opportunities (54%); online newsletters (52%); and sermon transcripts in audio, video, or written form (48%).  Fewer congregations feature online discussion groups or Bible studies (6%), an online giving option (9%), or a member directory (11%) on their Web site. 

 

Are there differences in what types of congregations have Web sites and which do not? 

 

Faith group:  Mainline Protestant churches are most likely to have Web sites (79% do), followed closely by equal percentages of Catholic parishes and conservative Protestants churches (72%).  These percentages have increased from 2001 when half or fewer in each group had a Web site (mainline Protestants, 53%; Catholics, 47%; and conservative Protestants, 37%). 

 

Size:  Congregations with larger worship attendance are more likely to offer Web sites:  81% of large churches with 351 or more in worship and 86% of mid-size churches with 101 to 350 in worship, but only 68% of churches with 100 or fewer in worship have Web sites.

 

Age of congregation:  Nearly all churches organized since 1980 (97%) have Web sites, compared to three-fourths (75%) of those organized prior to 1980. 

 

Growing churches:  Interestingly, churches that grew in worship attendance over the previous five years are no more or less likely to have a Web site than those that either lost worshipers or had no change in worship attendance. 

 

Are there differences in how congregations use their Web sites?

 

Yes.  As the table below shows, Catholic parishes are more likely than non-Catholic churches to use their Web site to communicate with attendees.  Compared to Protestant churches, Catholic parishes are also more likely to have a church calendar (96%), an online newsletter (67%), a list of volunteer needs or service opportunities (61%), and online giving options on their Web site.  Compared to other types of churches, conservative Protestants churches are more likely to offer sermon transcripts (56%), online discussion groups or Bible studies (12%), and a member directory (16%).

 

How Congregations Use Their Web Sites

	Catholics	Mainline Protestants	Conservative Protestants
Church calendar	96%	86%	69%
Communicate with members	86%	76%	73%
Online newsletter	67%	64%	22%
List volunteer needs	61%	56%	45%
Online giving	22%	9%	4%
Sermon transcripts	17%	50%	56%
Member directory	4%	10%	16%
Online discussion groups	0%	3%	12%

 

As computer technology continues to change, it will be interesting to track how such changes will further affect congregational life across the country. 

Responding to disaster

by Deborah Bruce

In the wake of Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti, we offer a look at the extent to which congregations and worshipers are inovolved in disaster relief efforts.

How are congregations involved in emergency services?

Congregations often contribute to such efforts by sending work teams to areas hit by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.  Overall about half of congregations (49%) sent individuals or groups to provide assistance to people in need in the previous year.  Catholic parishes and mainline Protestant congregations are more likely than conservative Protestant congregations to have sent people to help with relief efforts or other needs within the United States. Protestant congregations are more likely than Catholic parishes to have sent people or groups to provide assistance in other countries.

Congregational Involvement in Relief Efforts and Other Assistance to Those in Need

 

In the past 12 months, has the congregation sent people or groups to provide assistance to people in need . . .

	Catholic Parishes	Conservative Protestant Congregations	Mainline Protestant Congregations
In another part of the U.S.	45%	34%	44%
In another country	24%	29%	31%
Neither	48%	56%	49%

  Note.  Percentages add to more than 100% because some congregations sent people or groups to another part of the U.S. and to another country.

 

Many congregations also provide emergency aid in their own communities.  Almost nine in ten congregations (87%) report providing emergency relief or material assistance (free meals, food, clothes for the needy) in the previous year.  Catholic parishes (92%) and mainline Protestant congregations (89%) are more likely than conservative Protestant congregations (83%) to be involved in such services.

To what extent are individual worshipers involved in relief efforts?

We asked two questions that help answer that question.  The first asked whether worshipers had themselves participated in a mission or service trip in the previous year.  While this question did not ask separately about domestic and international work trips, it provides a first look at worshipers’ involvement in hands-on activities.  Overall, just 6% of worshipers reported going on work or mission trips. 

 

But among some groups, mission trips are much more popular.  One-quarter (23%) of worshipers 15 to 18 years of age participated in a work trip in the previous year.  That percentage rises to 35% among teens in Protestant congregations. These young people experience first-hand what it means to put their faith into action by helping those in need.

 

We also asked worshipers if they made a financial contribution to a charitable organization other than their congregation in the previous year.  While we don’t know whether these charities provide disaster relief, support social services, fund research for diseases or medical conditions, seek to fight injustice, or meet other societal needs, contributing to such organizations is widespread among worshipers.  Almost three-quarters (73%) made such a contribution in the previous year.

 

Congregations and worshipers play a vital role in meeting needs in times of crisis.  How will you and your congregation help? 

 

Please pray for the people of Haiti and seek ways to support the recovery effort through organizations active in Haiti or through your denomination’s disaster assistance programs.  The online Congregational Resource Guide provides information about supporting disaster relief and evaluating nonprofit organizations and links to major independent and denominational disaster assistance groups. 

 

 

 

 

Who are the people in your neighborhood? A quick and easy guide

by Cynthia Woolever

Congregations are fundamentally "retro" because they don't exist in virtual reality.  While they may be heaven-focused, churches are earth-bound in reality.  All communities of faith worship and gather on a particular spot on the globe (use this free Geocoder to find your congregation's exact longitude and latitude).

Does it make a difference where your congregation is located? Yes! Just as every congregation is unique, every location is unique.  The congregation's programming, outreach, and worship style should be a good fit for the community.  Our research shows that all congregations can be effective if they (a) identify the strengths of their particular location and (b) use that information to better focus their ministry efforts.

We suggest that congregational leaders should investigate and understand important aspects of their congregation's community.  This understanding will yield more effective ministry.  Start by learning about the people who live around your congregation:

• Annual population growth
• Percentage of households with children
• Adult age distribution
• Housing types
• Education level of adults
• Household income
• Major cultural/ethnic populations

Here are several easy-to-use sources for finding statistical information about your community:

1. Check out the U.S. Census Web site, which supplies information for all counties and cities or towns with more than 25,000 people.  You can also use the Census Factfinder, which presents information on the people living in the cities/towns, counties, or individual zip codes-use the "show more" links on that site for additional information.
2. Look at the Association of Religion Data Archives' Community Profile Builder. This excellent Web site provides additional tools and links to other Web sites with community data, including information on the religious composition of the community.
3. Many denominations and faith groups offer community or demographic information on their Web sites.  For example, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Web site organizes U.S. Census data in ways that make it easy for churches to learn more about their community.  (This site is available to Presbyterian congregations and to any other congregation interested in such information.)

Finally, consider reading Places of Promise: Finding Strength in Your Congregation's Location and using the Places of Promise Leader Guide found on our Web site.  The Leader Guide provides a process and tools for examining your congregation's location.  Pages 21-26, in particular, offer frameworks for gathering the most useful information about your community.

Your congregation's leaders should be able to complete these basic statements:

• Our worshipers are similar to the people in our community in these areas:
• Our worshipers are different to the people in our community in these areas:
• These similarities and differences surprise us in these ways:
• These similarities and differences mean that our congregation:

Does your congregation need to update its knowledge about who is in your neighborhood?

 

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

Religion Communications Congress 2010

The Religion Communicators Congress (RCCongress 2010) is a once-a-decade, interfaith forum of religion communicators gathering from around the world in Chicago, April 7-10, 2010.  Speakers include author Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morrie and Have a Little Faith); Diana Eck, founder of Harvard University’s pluralism project; columnist and authority on American religion, Martin Marty; Ingrid Mattson, first female president of the Islamic Society of North America; Otis Moss III, pastor of Chicago Trinity Church; musician, composer and storyteller Ken Medema; and Barbara Bradley Hagerty, religion correspondent for National Public Radio.

Attendees will be able to choose from dozens of workshops—one of which will include a look at the U.S. Congregational Life Survey.  Deborah Bruce (together with Scott Thumma from Hartford Institute for Religion Research) will present How to Evaluate Research about Congregations and Worshipers.

Discounted early registration ends January 15.  For more information and registration, visit the RCCongress 2010 Web site at http://RCCongress2010.org

 

 

Calvin Symposium on Worship

Worshipers and leaders from around the world gather each January at the Calvin Symposium on Worship at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a time of fellowship, worship, and learning, seeking to deepen and integrate all aspects of worship, develop their gifts, encourage each other, and renew their commitment to the full ministry of the church.  This year’s worship theme is “The Great Stories:  Narratives of the Old Testament.” The dates are January 28-30, 2010. 

For more information and registration, visit the Calvin Symposium on Worship Web site at http://www.calvin.edu/worship/sympos/2010/

 

 

Interview with the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Recently the Reverend Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), posted an invitation to interview him.  We took him up on the invitation! 

 

Moderator Bruce Reyes-Chow has served at all levels of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) over the past 20 years.  In June 2008, Bruce was elected to service as Moderator of the 2.3 million member Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) denomination. This is the highest elected office in the denomination, and he will serve until July 2010. An ordained minister since 1995, Bruce Reyes-Chow is a 40-something-year-old Northern California native and the founding pastor of Mission Bay Community Church, a new church development of San Francisco Presbytery.  Bruce says he’s a third generation Filipino/Chinese American, Oakland A's fanatic and motorcycle enthusiast.  He describes himself as an “Apple Macintosh guy, mediocre guitarist and drummer and not nearly as cool or hip as he wants to be or thinks he is.  He also may be single-handedly supporting the coffee industry of the SF Bay Area.  Most are certain that he has never met a Social Networking Web site that he didn't like or a Social Media discussion he won't jump into.” 

 

Here are our questions and Bruce’s answers:

 

Q1.  Can you give an example of a time when information (data, statistical facts, etc.) about your congregation or about the community around your congregation helped you be more effective as a pastor?  What information did you use and how was it helpful?

 

A:  I have always felt that demographic data helps us to understand some bigger picture realities of a geographic community, ethnic group, age ranges, etc.  At the same time, I have also found that the best way to integrate the use of demographic data about the community or church is to hold the information given with great care.  If we treat these number too lightly we run the risk of turning any data into stereotypes and labeling, but if we treat these number with the care they deserve, we are given a nuanced lens through which we experience the world.

 

As an example is how we operate as a Session.  The average age of our nine-person session is 27 years old with none having been a member of our congregation for more than three years.  Knowing the general time realities of this demographic informs how and when we hold meetings: short, late evening and many sub-groups over Skype.  We also understand than most may not be able to fulfill a full 3-year term so we have built a session structure that is highly adaptable and can shift on an annual basis regardless of who holds office.  We build for 1-3 year cycles because we understand that our community is and will continue to be transient.  The information that is extrapolated from our demographic data gives us great insights and glimpses, but is only truly effective as we experience the realties that bump up against or affirm the information.

 

Q2.  Can you give an example of a time when information (data, statistical facts, etc.) about the PC(USA) helped you be more effective as moderator?  What information did you use and how was it helpful?  What information do you wish you had?

 

A:  Hmmmm . . . now this one is a little more difficult.  I think the best info I have used has been statistics around the call process: number of people in the system who are looking for calls, the number of calls available, etc.  This has allowed me to have some very honest conversations about the future of professional ordained ministry in some parts of the country.  These numbers have helped to give a picture – and not always a pretty one – of the realties facing our clergy in the future.  More importantly, having number like this, no matter the positive or negative outcome, only helps in encouraging the church to develop a culture of transparency.

 

Bruce’s responses to other virtual interviews are linked here:  http://www.mod.reyes-chow.com/2009/12/care-to-interview-the-moderator.html

 

Bruce’s Moderator blog is here:  http://www.mod.reyes-chow.com/

 

Bruce’s personal blog is here:  http://www.reyes-chow.com/