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The resources frame is all about understanding what’s available to a congregation in its efforts to carry out its religious and social functions. Turns out it takes a lot!

(A) People.

The most important resource of any congregation is its people. No people, no congregation! Yet, many congregations struggle to mobilize participants. People volunteering, their gifts/talents, relationships and shared experiences, members and non-members are all resources for the congregation.

(B) Commitment.

When they are mobilized, people are committed. Commitment though comes in many forms: worship attendance, volunteering, giving of financial resources, participating in small groups, community outreach, political organizing, etc. All these are ways people in congregations express their commitment.

(C) Financial.

The most obvious resources are likely financial ones. Participants in religious congregations donate a staggering about of money each year. And it’s a good thing because its takes a significant amount of money to keep a congregation going. Financial resources include offerings, endowments, legacy gifts, and other investments. Research shows that most congregations have a very hard time talking openly about money. This makes the task of resourcing a congregation quite challenging.

(D) Building.

If finances are the most obvious resource of a congregation, often the most under utilized one is a congregation’s building or physical space. Many congregations use their buildings only a few times a week. This has led many congregations to explore new ways of gathering in non-traditional spaces (e.g. coffee shops and pubs), online gatherings and shared spaces within the community.

Frame in Action

Faith-Based Programming: Four Tips for Congregations

How should congregations aiming to initiate or expand their social service programming go about doing so? We recently published The Arc of Faith-Based Initiatives (2018, Springer) and have both examined congregational social services for about two decades. Our research suggests four critical considerations. What’s your programming focus and will it fill a void? The field of faith-based programming is broad and diverse. The Arc of Faith-Based Initatives examines parenting, transitional homelessness, and addiction recovery programs […]
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Learning about Denominations

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 students and others observe a new congregation or parish it is helpful to know something about that larger connection. What are the beliefs and rules? Is this congregation typical? The Association of […]
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Studying Congregations in a Pandemic

In the midst of this pandemic, congregations have often been in the news (not always for good reasons). Newspaper columnists are writing about how we need what religion has to offer and how we miss the little things, like singing together, as well as highlighting the creative ways religious communities are staying connected. Meanwhile leaders of local congregations are scrambling to learn new skills, and members are gathering in new ways. Bible studies and committee […]
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Seeing and Staying – Rural Congregations and Rural Communities

Many students of congregational life focus their attention on religious gatherings in the city. It’s where the action is! Where there are exciting challenges and new opportunities. Where your innovations will get noticed and rewarded. But what about the thousands of gatherings in tiny places that we imagine are doomed to nothing but decline? Pastor Brad Roth* has been thinking about those places and what it means to turn aside from the career ladder to […]
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Great Data for Curious Leaders

If you are a congregational leader or lay worker in a local church, you’ve likely looked around and noticed your community is changing. Perhaps you wonder if your congregation needs to change, too. Is there a site with the tools and resources that can help you find reliable answers to your questions? Indeed, there is. The Association of Religion Data Archives (the ARDA) has an amazing range of relevant data and easy-to-use tools that will […]
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The Practicalities of Change: Racial Integration in a South African Church

In South Africa churches may be among the last bastions of apartheid, but some churchgoers are crossing racial lines, for the sake of survival. Philippolis is a small farm town far away from everything. Far from the city and the government, far from justice and equality. The population is still divided and named — “Colored,” “White,” and “Black” — referring to the racial categories of South Africa’s apartheid regime (1948-1994). White farmers own the land […]
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The Bittersweet Reality of Multiracial Churches

Multiracial congregations are all the rage, it seems, at least among Protestants. Conferences are being held across the country encouraging pastors and other religious leaders to be multiethnic, and groups like Mosaix and Kainos have been established to support the effort. People that attend these conferences are provided a theology for why more churches ought to work toward diversity as well as practical tools for moving their congregations toward that goal. After many years of […]
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What to do about the building

A recent article in The Atlantic proclaimed ”an epidemic of empty churches.” And the very same week the Washington Post asked, ”Does a religious community need its own building to flourish?” Both authors pointed to the reality that buildings are often a problem, and finding the right solution will require congregations and their leaders to do a careful assessment of their resources — but also of their place in the community and their own culture […]
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Who is Your Neighbor? Who Decides?

Immigration has become one of the most difficult issues facing people throughout Europe and North America. And congregations are on the front lines in many ways. Whether offering services to immigrants and refugees once they arrive or protecting those facing deportation, being involved with these neighbors also brings congregations into conversation with a larger public and with legal authorities. Governmental agencies are a part of the community ecology that is invisible most of the time […]
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Related Tools

Asking Questions

Even though it's hard to talk honestly about money and resources, sitting down and asking questions is a good place to start.
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Survey Says!

When it comes to identifying the resources of a congregation, especially beyond just money, a survey of the participants can be very helpful.
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Who's Out There?

When the community changes, it's likely to have an impact on a congregation and it's resources. After all, resources are all about people.
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