Check out this great web resource
I'm off on holiday (and to visit some new church starts/new expresions of church, including "moot".. In the meantime, check out this excellent planning resource for congregational ministries and development:
click here.
"Less than half of the teens with Episcopalian parents report attending church once a month or more." So says The National Study of Youth and Religion, a research project being conducted at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill under the direction of Dr. Christian Smith.
In a just-issued companion document to the recently-published book "Soul Searching," the document says:
* Forty-five percent of Protestant teens report attending church at least once a week.
Forty-one percent of all teens report attending church at least once a week, and only 9
percent of unaffiliated teens say they attend at least once a week. At the low end of
church attendance, less than half of the teens with Episcopalian parents report
attending church once a month or more.
* Slightly more than one-half of all Protestant teens (55 percent) report going to Sunday
school at least a few times a month in the last year. Teens whose parents are
affiliated with conservative and black Protestant denominations are more likely than
mainline Protestant teens to regularly participate in Sunday school. Conversely, only
38 percent of teens whose parents are affiliated with the Disciples of Christ and 23
percent of teens whose parents are Episcopalian report regular Sunday school
participation.
* Almost half of Protestant teens (47 percent) say they are currently in a religious
youth group, while only 38 percent of all teens and 12 percent of unaffiliated teens
say the same. The differences among the specific denominations generally follow the
conservative/mainline differences. Seventy-one percent of Assemblies of God teens, for
example, report youth group activity while only 25 percent of Disciples of Christ and
34 percent of Episcopalian teens say they are currently in a youth group.
* About one-third of Protestant teens (32 percent) report reading the Bible by themselves
once a week or more. Teens whose parents are affiliated with conservative and black
Protestant denominations are more likely than teens whose parents are affiliated with
mainline denominations to report reading the Bible at least once a week. Well over 40
percent of Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ teens say they read the Bible
alone at least once a week while only 22 percent of Disciples of Christ and 8 percent
of Episcopalian teens say they read the Bible alone at least once a week.
* Of the Episcopalian teens surveyed, 35 percent of Episcopalian teens who attend church more than a few times a year say that most or all adults in their congregations are hypocrites.
To read the report: click here.
For those interested in learning more about congregational life cycle theory
here's where to find (for free!) The Life Cycle in Congregations :
According to the National Council of churches 2005 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches, the Episcopal Church has 2,320,221 members and a growth rate of .57 percent. While this growth is small, other "mainline" churches continue to decline:
"Churches that declined in membership in 2004 are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4,984,925 members, down 1.05 percent; the Presbyterian Church (USA), 3,241,309 members, down 4.87 percent; The Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), 2,488,936 members, down .95 percent); American Baptist Churches in the USA, 1,433,075 members, down 3.45 percent; and the United Church of Christ, 1,296,652 members, down 2.58 percent."
The Roman Catholic Church remains the largest Christian church by far. "The Catholic Church remains the largest faith group in the U.S. with 67,259,768 members and a growth rate last year of 1.28 percent. The second largest denomination in the U.S. is still the Southern Baptist Convention with 16,439,603 members and a growth rate of 1.18 percent. The United Methodist Church is third largest with a reported membership of 8,251,175 and a growth rate of .002 percent.
The Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints, with a reported membership of 5,503,192, rose from the fifth to the fourth largest church in the U.S. The yearbook noted that the church “continues to grow remarkably” at a rate of 1.71 percent last year.
A reported surge in membership of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has placed the communion on the list of the largest American churches. The Syosset, N.Y., based church grew 11.11 percent to 1-million members, according to the yearbook.
Other churches in the top 25 that continued to grow in 2004 are the Assemblies of God, 2,729,562 members and a growth rate of 1.57 percent; the Episcopal Church, 2,320,221 members and a growth rate of .57 percent; the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 1,432,795 members and a growth rate of .14 percent; and Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1,041,030 members and a growth rate of 1.82 percent."
Here is the list of the 25 largest churches in the USA:
U.S. Membership Denominational Ranking: Largest 25 Denominations/Communions
2005 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches.
1. The Catholic Church – 67,259,768
2. Southern Baptist Convention – 16,439,603
3. The United Methodist Church – 8,251,175
4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 5,503,192
5. The Church of God in Christ – 5,449, 875
6. National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc. – 5,000,000
7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – 4,984,925
8. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. – 3,500,000
9. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – 3,241,309
10. Assemblies of God – 2,729,562
11. African Methodist Episcopal Church – 2,500,000
12. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America – 2,500,000
13. Progressive National Baptist Convention – 2,500,000
14. The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) – 2,488,936
15. Episcopal Church – 2,320,221
16. Churches of Christ – 1,500,000
17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America – 1,500,000
18. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. – 1,500,000
19. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. – 1,433,075
20. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church – 1,432,795
21. United Church of Christ – 1,296,652
22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International – 1,200,000
23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ – 1,071,616
24. Jehovah’s Witnesses – 1,041,030
25. The Orthodox Church in America – 1,000,000
Source (and for more info): http://www.ncccusa.org/news/050330yearbook.html
A Small Church Leadership Institute to be held at Toddhall, Columbia, IL, July 25-29, 2005. Sponsored by the Episcopal Church. "This unique session is designed so that anyone in small church leadership may attend. We particularly encourage newly assigned ordinands to come. The schedule begins on Monday morning and ends at noon on Friday. The curriculum will focus on mission orientation for small congregations. We hope you will want to take advantage of this training event."
The Small Church Leadership Institute offers training in the following areas:
Congregational Development
Resources
Sociology, Church and Community
Gospel Based Discipleship (Scripture)
Mission Orientation for Small
Churches
Team Development
Dealing with Conflict and Resistance
Liturgy and Music
Trainers for 2005:
The Rev. Ginny Doctor, Archdeacon,
Diocese of Alaska, musician
Warren Frelund, Deacon, Diocese of Iowa, Trainer,
New Directions Ministries
Prof. Gary Goreham, Sociology, North Dakota State University
The Rev. Ben HelmerCongregational Development
Episcopal Church
Prof. Susan Norton, Psychology, EdinboroUniversity, Pennsylvania
LaDonnaWind, President New Directions Ministries
Diocese of Kentucky
Monday, July 25, 2005 (morning) through Friday, July 29, 2005
(noon) Participants should plan to arrive Sunday evening, July 24th.
Sessions begin after breakfast Monday morning. There will be
free time from after lunch on Wednesday until Thursday at
breakfast.
Cost:
$325.00 (by June 24, 2005) plus travel
$375.00 (after June 24, 2005)(includes all meals and materials)
Location:
Toddhall Center Columbia, IL
The Center offers private rooms with full bath. Convenient to St.
Louis International Airport, Amtrak or by car. Toddhall is fully
accessible.
Registration:
contact
sajohnson@episcopalchurch.org
Congregational Development
Episcopal Church Center
Attn: Sarah Johnson 815 Second Ave.
New York, NY 10017
from Alban Institute:
"Should your congregation run ads in the newspaper? Are congregations getting the most out of those advertising dollars? "
The Advertising Debate
By Anne Van Dusen
Should your congregation run ads in the newspaper? Are congregations getting the most out of those advertising dollars? Most congregational communications programs include worship leaflets, newsletters, program brochures, promotional flyers, and a web site. Each brings with it relatively fixed costs—and, in most cases, funding that needs to stretch to meet those expenses. Advertising, i.e. paid promotion, can tax even the most robust budget. Paper and printing costs continue to rise dramatically—which leads to ever-increasing advertising rates for print publications. Is the cost of advertising worth it?
for the rest of the article see:
http://www.alban.org/weekly/2005/050509_AdvertisingDebate.asp
"Mainline Protestants sometimes refer to themselves as the "frozen chosen," a reference to the reasoned, non-emotional approach to religion followed by many Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans and other non-evangelical Christians."
A fascinating and suggestive article from the Washington Post. Read the beginning here; see the link for the rest.
Old-Time Religion For Mainline Churches
Some Congregations Use Ancient Approaches To Stir the Fervor
By Bill Broadway
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 1, 2005; Page C01
Mainline Protestants sometimes refer to themselves as the "frozen chosen," a reference to the reasoned, non-emotional approach to religion followed by many Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans and other non-evangelical Christians.
But what's happening in some mainline churches today is anything but cool spiritual detachment. In its place is a heavily devotional, even mystical approach to spirituality that often calls on ancient Christian practices.
Read the rest at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/30/AR2005043000959.html
The Creative Ministry Fund of the Episcopal Diocese of California has announced the awarding of five new grants, with a combined funding of $49, 488 toward the development of new and creative ministries in the Diocese.
Jubilate Deo’s Creative Ministry Fund Makes Grants for Spring 2005
The Creative Ministry Fund of the Episcopal Diocese of California has announced the awarding of five new grants, with a combined funding of $49, 488 toward the development of new and creative ministries in the Diocese.
The latest grants were awarded to congregations from around the Diocese and ranged from $3,500 (for a “kids’ church” program at Holy Innocents, Corte Madera) to $14,380 (toward the planning and development of a Pan Asian Ministry in Foster City). Other creative ministries funded in April include the development of evangelism to the Spanish-speaking community in San Bruno, outreach to the unchurched in Marin County, and the development of an urban ministry to families in Oakland.
The Rev. Canon Michael Barlowe, Officer for Congregational Development, said that these awards represent the discernment and work of people from throughout the Diocese: “The success of the Creative Ministry Fund lies not only in the financial support offered congregations, but also includes the creative discernment and cooperation among those involved in evaluating the proposals. Furthermore, the collaborative nature of the Creative Ministry Fund means that creative projects in one congregation often inspire new ministries elsewhere.”
Committee members include Ms. Kathleen Crisp, The Rev. Mary Moore Gaines, The Rev. Scott Hayashi, The Rev. Bob Honeychurch, and The Rev. Kathy Trapani. In accordance with the committee’s commitment to transparency and fairness, no member was a part of any discussion or review of any application in which his or her congregation had an interest.
For further information about the Creative Ministry Fund, contact Canon Barlowe at michaelb@diocal.org, visit the Congregational Development website at www.condev.diocal.org, or call him at 415-869-7825.
April 2005 Creative Ministry Fund Grants
Congregation Award Ministry
Holy Innocents Corte Madera $3,500.................... Kids’ Church
St. Ambrose Foster City $14,380....................Pan Asian Ministry
St. Andrew’s San Bruno $11,327....................Evangelism to Latino Community
St. Macrina the Younger $8,000....................Evangelism
In Marin County
St. Paul’s Oakland $12,281....................Urban Family Ministry