We hear a lot about ‘food deserts’ or ‘health care deserts.’ But are there ‘congregation deserts’? That is, neighborhoods where there simply aren’t any nearby places for religious gathering. When the Boston Globe did a story about a neighborhood grappling with questions about a major redevelopment project, they noted that neighbors had a hard…
I’ve been thinking a lot about history lately – how we tell complicated stories and how we know about the past. Maybe that’s because I’m cleaning out my attic! How do we know? Students of congregations have a great new data source available at The ARDA. In the first half of the 20th century, the…
Between the pandemic and the spread of virtual meetings, congregations – like other organizations – are left to wonder what it means for people to ‘attend’ services. Attendance numbers can’t be deduced by counting the ‘butts in the pews,’ so YouTube views and Zoom participants have to be added to the mix. But what are…
Ask someone why a congregation would share its facilities with an outside group or organization, and you may get the answer, “It’s all about the money.” Congregations need operating funds, and rental income is an obvious source of income, correct? National data challenge that assumption. Sociologist Nancy Ammerman’s study of more than 500 Christian and…
As a pastor, not surprisingly, I often view my congregation through a theological lens, and I’ve recently challenged my congregation to join me. In a world that promotes division through competition and having the one correct perspective to a challenge, I’ve invited them to think more deeply about our collective mission as a congregation and…