Updates from the Church Planting Initiative
GATHERING CHURCH PLANTING DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
Getting to know your context of ministry is an essential part of strategic planning for church planting. The purpose of this worksheet is to collect information about the people living in your target area so you can gain a general insight into who they are before you plant. Fill in as much of the information for your area as you can by using one of the recommended free demographic resources listed below. These reports contain all the information below plus much more.
Gathering demographic research can be overwhelming if we don’t know what to do with the information that we have gathered about the location in which we are seeking to start a new church. So what do we do with the demographic information? According to Craig Ott and Gene Wilson, authors of Global Church Planting, there are four things that they recommend when doing demographic research: data collection, data analysis, application to strategy, and evaluation.1 After you have filled out the demographic information answer the following four questions.
- Data Collection: What is the demographic information?
- Data Analysis: What does this information tell us about the community and the people?
- Application to Strategy: What do we need to do based on this information?
- Evaluation: How do we implement a plan based on this information?
Free Demographics Resources
- http://factfinder.census.gov
- http://www.peoplegroups.info
- http://www.freedemographics.com
Dr. Bevins has created a worksheet to help with this process, and the entire resource library is always available for those desiring to understand their ministry context more fully.
NEW PODCAST EPISODE
Season 2 of Church Planting Conversations continues with Peyton Jones, a veteran church planter and evangelist, joining Winfield on episode 3 as they explore how God’s mission for church planting is holistic and dynamic. Winfield also interviews Peyton about his new book, Church Plantology, the first comprehensive textbook from a veteran church planter. Listen now!
Episode 4 will be coming out by the beginning of March.
DR. HEADLEY’S FREE EBOOK
Dr. Anthony J. Headley joined us for the first session of New Churches for a New World. Dr. Headley presented a powerful teaching on the importance of balance for ministry and the case for pastors taking care of themselves as an act of love.
Read Dr. Headley’s book and find balance in your life & ministry.
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