Some of you may have seen a report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research on church growth (good coverage at the Christian Science Monitor earlier this week). Some of the findings are predictable; others are more surprising or dispel conventional wisdom.
Churches are more likely to grow when:
• A church is multiracial.
• Men make up at least 60 percent of regular participants.
• Leaders describe worship as “slightly to not at all” reverent.
• Drums or percussion are always used in worship.
• Churches are located in new suburbs or downtown metropolitan areas.
• Churches have started or maintained a web site in the past year.
• Children are involved in worship.
• A church holds more worship services.
• There is an absence of serious conflict.
The report also suggests that, “More important than theological orientation is the religious character of the congregation and clarity of mission and purpose. Growing churches are clear about why they exist and about what they are to be doing – ‘purpose-driven growth.’” In fact, although it’s true that theologically conservative churches continue to grow while mainline congregations shrink, liberal churches experience growth rates comparable to conservative ones – 39% vs. 38%.
Melissa Rogers has more on the issue of theological orientation and church growth, including the following quote from the report on how a congregation’s mission goes beyond getting more people in the door:
Essential to the mission of any religious congregation is to create a community where people encounter God. . . .[There is] a strong relationship between growth and the sense that the congregation is “spiritually vital and alive.” This is perhaps the key to whether a congregation is actualizing its unique purpose—doing that thing that congregations are more able to do than any other organization in society.
