Studying Congregations » How We Gather Series

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A lot of you are thinking about the buildings you aren’t worshipping in right now. This pandemic has prompted both nostalgia and hard reassessment. What do we miss? What could we still do? What use is the building anyway? One of the most vivid and poignant accounts I’ve read...

congregational culture, demographics, history

Learning about Denominations

09 Jul 2020

Art Farnsley

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Denominations matter more than you may think. Not all congregations are affiliated with a denomination or other national or international religious body, but most are. Even when they downplay that affiliation, it can be a significant part of how they do things. When...

community, congregational culture, emerging churches, focus groups

Thinking about How We Gather

06 Dec 2019

Nancy Ammerman

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In recent years, many people have wondered whether new forms of religious gathering might be replacing traditional gatherings like congregations. As the nonaffiliates – better known as “nones” – become an increasing share of the U.S. population, there is every reason to suggest...

When Congregations Share Their Properties – 5 Principles for Good Decisions

25 Apr 2018

Laura Sabia

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Feature Photo Information: Muslim women perform Ramadan prayers at Heartsong Church, suburban Memphis. Heartsong Church: Source: https://www.npr.org/2011/08/21/139831309/a-ramadan-story-of-two-faiths-bound-in-friendship. Photo by Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal. ...

case study, ecology frame, nondenominational, process frame, technology & internet

Producing Religion Online: Two Case Studies

20 Apr 2016

ter Kuile & Thurston

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RELEVANT Media Group Cameron Strang founded RELEVANT Media Group in 2000 when he was 24 because he could not find a Christian platform that spoke to his peer group, and, as he puts it, “Sunday morning was not fulfilling.” The company has never been affiliated with a denomination...

case study, community, culture frame, innovation, interfaith, Jewish synagogues, resource frame, tradition

Pop-Up Shabbat: A Dinner Community Case Study

28 Mar 2016

ter Kuile & Thurston

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Pop-Up Shabbat is a pop-up restaurant inspired by Jewish culture and tradition in Brooklyn, NY. Each gathering lasts 3-4 hours and includes “slightly socially engineered mingling, family-style dining, music (yes, sometimes dancing), and a bit of Shabbat tradition.” Numbers are...

The How We Gather series is a curated selection of case studies from a research by Casper term Kuile and Angie Thurston. The series explores how millennials are reimagining congregational life across religious traditions. All articles in the series feature interactive content that connect these communities to broader trends in contemporary religion in the US and to resources and ideas you can find here at StudyingCongregations.org.

How We Gather Series

What We’re Reading

Learning about Denominations

Thinking about How We Gather

When Congregations Share Their Properties – 5 Principles for Good Decisions

Producing Religion Online: Two Case Studies

Pop-Up Shabbat: A Dinner Community Case Study

About the Series