Church Research Some Areas for Church Research Church

Church Research

Some Areas for Church Research Church Growth n Christian Education n Leadership n Evangelism n Worship Service n Mission & Social Ministry n

Questionnaire Design n Be Clear and Be Concise n Type of Question Scales n 1. Priority Scale n 2. Frequency Scale n 3. Agreement Scale n 4. Amount (of Time, etc. ) Scale n 5. General Scale

Priority Scale Very high High Low Very low No opinion/ Priority Don’t know 1 How high a 2 priority do 3 you place on 4 the pastor living 5 near (within two miles of) the church?

Frequency Scale Frequently Never 1 Occasionally 2 Seldom 3 How often do you invite new people to church? 4

Frequency Scale Occasionally Weekly 1 Monthly Bi-weekly 2 3 4 How often do you feel there should be a “children’s sermon” ?

Agreement Scale Strongly Agree 1 Agree Disagree 2 3 4 1. Traditional hymns should be used in the worship service. 2. Praise and worship songs should be used in the worship service.

Amount Scale (Time, etc. ) Too Little ___ About Right ___ Too Much ___ How do you feel about the amount of time spent on the sermon in the worship service?

General Scale Very Good Poor 1 Good Average Poor 2 3 4 Very How would you rate the church nursery program? 5

Four Methods of Presenting Data n 1. Narrative with data n 2. Tables n 3. Graphs n 4. Maps

1. Narrative Presentations Using words to explain what the data says n “For the 1990/91 Fall semester at CUME a total of 318 students were enrolled. Of these 318 students, 202 were males and 116 were females. African American students numbered 137, and Hispanic students numbered 81. There were 25 Portuguese speaking students. Also enrolled were 30 Haitian students, 35 Anglos, 8 Asians and 2 other students. During the semester 162 churches sent students to CUME. There were 104 members of the clergy enrolled as students. ” n

2. Example of a data table

3. Graphs : example of line graph

3. Graphs – example of pie chart

Another example of a pie chart n Blue area= founding dates 1966 -2006

Two Pie charts Used to highlight a contrast More Pie Charts Budget Pie Chart Using the World

3. Graphs – Another example of a bar chart

Another example of a bar chart

More Bar Charts: Comparing countries of origin in four neighborhoods

4. Maps for data presentation

Map showing Status of Evangelical Christianity Worldwide Free to download at - http: //imbresources. org/index. cfm/fa/store. prod/Prod. ID/1428. cfm

Color coded map key 2% or less evangelical 10% or more evangelical

Church Growth Research: Life History of a Church 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980

How would you describe a healthy, vital church?

What are some other types of growth that might take place in the church ? Besides numerical membership growth? n Examples Growth in prayer n Growth in fellowship, interaction, small groups n Extension growth – planting other churches n Growth in service to others n Growth in understanding & applying the Bible n Growth in spiritual maturity (members); discipleship n Organizational growth-administrative structure n

Components of church growth Comparing two Growing Churches 20 10 0 -10 -20 Conversion growth Biological growth Transfer in Transfer out Biological loss (death) Reversion loss Transfer Conversion Close the Back Door

What do you observe about the growth of this church?

Rate of Growth bar chart: Growth in actual numbers but decline in RATE of Growth Years Rate of Growth 1920 to 1930 100 1930 to 1940 50 1940 to 1950 33 1950 to 1960 25 1960 to 1970 20

Calculating Rate of Growth Rate = Current Membership number - Previous membership number Difference divided by the previous memberhsip n Difference (x 100)= Rate in percent Previous membership

Rate of Growth n Example: 1930 200 1920 - 100 100 / 100 = 1. 0 x 100 = 100 % 1960 500 1950 -400 100/400 =. 25 x 100 = 25% 100

Age Pyramid graphs Reveal the age structure of a community or church Young Adults

Age Pyramid graphs Reveal the age structure of a community or church

Life Cycle of Urban Churches

Types of Factors affecting Church Growth

Our Basic church growth graph 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980

National Contextual factors National Immigration Trend (of church’s ethnic group Local church’s growth pattern

Swedish immigration to the U. S. -Florence Jansen, The Background of Swedish Immigration, 1840 -1930 (N. Y. : Arno Press, 1970), 3.

Impact of immigration on church growth Covenant Congregational Church, Jamaica Plain (Swedish background) Immigration Act of 1924 Greatly restricts immigration Strong immigration periods

Population and Church Growth Chart Much of the growth in number of churches has occurred in the last 30 years.

National Institutional factors

Mainline Church Decline Boston Mainline Decline American Baptists: 1966 - 5, 497 1991 - 2, 052 United Methodists: 1966 - 3, 148 1991 - 1, 600 Episcopalians: (1938 -17, 672) 1966 - 9, 455 1991 - 6, 526 National Decline

Local contextual factors Neighborhood Population Growth

Impact of Local Contextual Factors on Stoughton St. Baptist Church, Dorchester population 1880 – 17, 890 ; 1900 -73, 026 ; 1940 - 201, 673; 1980 -82, 912

Impact of Local Contextual Factors Pilgrim Congregational Church, Dorchester population 1880 – 17, 890 ; 1900 -73, 026 ; 1940 - 201, 673; 1980 -82, 912

Local Institutional Factors

Impact of Local Institutional Factors: Pastors of St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church

Mount Vernon Congregational Church, Back Bay 1842 - 1960 ~700 members Rev. Kirk 1842 Rev. Kopf

Impact of Local Institutional Factors English service New building & new pastor Boston Chinese Evangelical Church

Boston Chinese Evangelical Church Six worship services In Three languages (Cantonese, Mandarin, English) At 2 church campuses With 1200 participants

Church Growth Case Study