DISTRICT STUDY
The District Study examines the historical spending patterns, affinity population changes, and worship attendance of each local church in the district. The purpose of the report is to identify “strategic” churches—churches that are expected to significantly affect district worship attendance by either fulfilling or failing to fulfill growth possibilities.
District leaders can use the District Study as a planning tool. For every church, worship attendance is compared to the current size of its affinity population. For some churches the ratio of attendance to its affinity population demonstrates the condition that growth is highly unlikely, for others highly likely. Such information can change the perspectives of some small membership churches and help redirect efforts in maintaining and growing membership.
Why We Do It
The world is missing out on the hope, truth, and power of the Gospel. The local church remains the best vehicle by which its message is spread. The secular press continues to challenge the work of the Church with its predictions of decline and rejection among the younger generations. Instead, the local church can grow and prove its capacity to change lives and communities. Growing Christian churches among our mainline denominations and beyond is a real possibility.
What We Use
- Local Church Geodata
- Local Church Indicators: Worship Attendance and Congregational Giving—past 5 years
- Local Church Spending Patterns—Past 5 years
- Pastoral leadership—Past 10 years
- Establishment of Benchmarks
- Statistical projections—Next 5 years
What We Do
ILCG works side by side with local church leaders to identify internal deficiencies through comparisons with thriving peer group outcomes. Comparisons bring broad solutions that are refined or customized by local church leaders. In the end, the local church becomes more effective in ministry to community and in making disciples of Christ.
How We Do It
ILCG takes a comprehensive approach to measuring and understanding the impacts of the changing composition of churches. Based upon statistical analyses of over 1 million local church records—about 32,000 churches over 28 years — sophisticated simulation models have been developed to scrutinize past experience, clarify present standing and discern the factors that provide the foundation for a vibrant future.
