Many church denominations now stand at a crossroads. They are perhaps, on the precipice of the last opportunity to regain the strength necessary for them to enter the future as strong and viable denominations capable of serving disciples of Christ for generations to come.
The United Methodist Church in the U.S. has been on decline since the 1960’s. There now is a sense of urgency among church leadership that significant changes must be implemented in order to assure future prospects.
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.
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.
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.
