New Facts on Episcopal Church Growth and Decline:
What do the numbers in this new report mean for your parish?
by Canon Peggy Bean, Canon for Congregations
NOTE: Click here to access the new report on the results of the 2014 survey of Episcopal congregations, conducted in conjunction with the Faith Communities Today (FACT) ecumenical/interfaith survey project.
What do the numbers really mean? I encourage you to read this report and think about your own numbers and trends regarding growth and decline. What are the numbers saying and what are they missing? Hopefully they start the conversation on this important subject, rather than ending it. In talking about what is going on in your church and how you are living into your mission, be sure to ask how you are being a good neighbor? Do you know what is changing in the neighborhood? So many of our churches talk about how people drive in to church and that is great but I also challenge you to look at what it would mean to be a neighborhood church. Would it look the same? These conversations are great for the vestry to have while addressing mission and looking at how connected the congregation is to the wider world, community and neighborhood. I encourage you to keep records of Worship on Sunday AND how the building and grounds are being used during the week AND what activities, events, teachings etc. the congregation is involved in away from the building. What are these numbers and trends telling you about: - church and the community
- people and the community
- people and the church
Questions? Please contact me at bean@diomil.org or (414) 272-3028/ext. 158 or (800) 236-3028/ext. 158. | 