Can community analysis be used effectively by real people in real ministry? In this section we provide introductory articles, guides, resources, and samples of community analysis by real people which may help you to become focused, equipped and inspired to successfully venture out and obtain useful data yourself.
This article discusses how to do a church survey, which is the basis for information in Emmanuel Gospel Center’s Boston Church Directory. EGC has been surveying churches in Boston since 1969, and uses the information to understand the Kingdom of God in Boston and to help set goals and ministry initiatives. In addition to describing the process of a survey, the article by Rudy Mitchell and Steve Daman details some of the initial findings of EGC’s 2005-2006 survey.
Conn, Harvie, and Manuel Ortiz. Urban Ministry: The Kingdom, The City and the
People of God. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2001. See Part 4: “Developing Urban Church Growth Eyes. (The Social Sciences and Mission; Ethnographic Studies and Mission; Demographic Studies and Mission).”
Dudley, Carl S. Community Ministry: New Challenges, Proven Steps to Faith Based
Initiatives. Herndon, Virginia: Alban Institute, 2002. See especially part I.
Eisland, Nancy L. and R. Stephen Warner. “Ecology: Seeing the Congregation in
Context.” In Studying Congregations: A New Handbook, edited by Nancy T. Ammerman, Jackson W. Carroll, Carl S. Dudley, and William McKinney. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998.
Hadaway, C. Kirk. “Learning from Urban Church Research.” Urban Mission, January
1985, 33-44.
Lingenfelter, Judith. “Getting to Know Your New City.” In Discipling the City: A
Comprehensive Approach to Urban Mission, 2nd edition, edited by Roger S. Greenway. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1992.
Mitchell, Rudy. Studying Urban Communities. Boston: Emmanuel Gospel Center, 1994.
Monsma, Timothy M. “Research: Matching Goals and Methods to Advance the Gospel.”
In Discipling the City: A Comprehensive Approach to Urban Mission, 2nd edition, edited by Roger S. Greenway. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1992.
Sider, Ronald J., Philip N. Olson, and Heidi Rolland Unruh. Churches That Make a
Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2002. Chapter 12.
Taylor, Dick. “Discovering Your Neighborhood’s Needs.” Sojourners, June 1979, 22-24.
Warren, Roland L. Studying Your Community. New York: The Free Press, 1965.
Guide for Community Studies
Basic Questionnaire Form
Urban Ministry Resources
EmmanuelGospel Center•Research Department & Library
Box 18425, Boston, MA 02118• 617-262-4567
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Introduction
Although facts about an area’s population may not be highly meaningful or interesting taken in isolation, they can become very significant and useful when studied in their dynamic relationship to urban change, movement, social structure, and when brought into comparison with other communities and contexts. Demographic study of the urban community outlines the trends in basic population, and gives a picture of the population composition by age, sex, race, and nationality. It includes finding facts about the population’s health, education, employment, language, and marital status. All of these areas have useful application to church ministry and community development.
Doing community research, whether formal or informal, is vital for effective church ministry. Research can enable church leaders to minister more effectively, to avoid duplication of programs, to discover resources, to gain a larger perspective, and to understand community needs. Sider, Olson and Unruh suggest several other reasons in their book, Churches That Make a Difference:
“1. To Guide strategic planning and the development of new ministries;
2. To help understand the forces that affect the lives of people in the community;
3. To help understand community factors that influence the effectiveness of
church ministries;
4. To help understand how the church itself is affected by the community;
5. To discern how your church is perceived by the community.”[1]
Community research also enables the Christian leader to discern where God is already at work in the community and the spiritual contours or focal points in the area. Beyond the basic facts, the perceptive leader can begin to understand the systems, networks, structures and powers which underlie community strengths and problems.
[1] Ronald J. Sider, Philip N. Olson, and Heidi Rolland Unruh,
Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works ( Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2002), 257-262.
Community Study Questionnaire
1) Community or Neighborhood Name:
2) Main geographicalfeatures of the neighborhood or other basic defining characteristics: what key items influence or define the nature and boundaries of the community?
Source:
3)What is the estimated current total population of the community?
Source:
4) Population Trends in the community from the Census
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Decade
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1980
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1990
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2000
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Total
Population
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% Change from previous decade
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XX
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Source:
5) Fill out this table for the major ethnic and racial groups in the community:
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Name of Group
(ethnic, etc.)
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1980
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1990
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2000
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Total pop.
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% of pop.
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Total pop.
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% of pop.
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Total pop.
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% of pop.
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1)
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2)
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3)
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4)
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5)
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Total
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100%
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100%
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100%
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Source:?
From the table on the previous page, how has the ethnic and racial composition of the community changed in the last few decades?
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6) What are the major languages spoken in the community? ____________________________________________
7)Obtain a good street map of your community, walk around, and mark important institutions, landmarks, churches, neighborhood associations, cultural organization, and other resource assets. Submit with this completed form.
8)What is the age profile of your community? Complete the following table to reveal any important differences between the age profile of the church, community and nation.
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AGE CATEGORY
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YOUR CHURCH
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COMMUNITY
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NATION
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Number
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%
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Number
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%
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Number
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%
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0 – 4 years
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5 – 9 years
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10 – 19 years
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20 – 34 years
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35 – 64 years
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65+ years
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Total
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100%
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100%
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100%
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Source:
9) FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS and MARITAL STATUS
A) What are the numbers and percentages of the population (over 15 years) who are:
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Marital Status
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Number
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%
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Now Married (except separated)
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Single (never married)
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Separated
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Divorced
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Widowed
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Total
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100%
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Source:
B) What percentage of families consist of:
Married couple with children? %
Married couple without children? %
Female householder (no spouse) with children? %
Male householder (no spouse) with children? %
Source:
C) What is the median and/or average Household Size?
How has this changed over time?
How does it compare with other communities, or areas?
What are possible reasons for changes and variations observed?
Source:
10) HOUSING
A) What are the major housing types in the community? (High-rise apartments or projects; single family detached houses, rowhouses, duplexes, triple deckers, etc.)
Source:
B) What percentage of the housing units are owner occupied? %
Source:
C) What percentage of the housing units are low income or affordable? %
Source:
D) What is the Median Housing Value for the community? _______________ for the nation?______________
Source:
E) Is the housing value increasing, decreasing, or stable?
Source:
F) What housing needs and problems does the community have?
Source:
11) EDUCATION
What percentage of all persons over 25 years old are High School graduates? %
How does this compare with the national average?
Source:
12) What is the MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME
in the community?
in the metropolitan area?
in the nation?
Has the general income of the community changed significantly? (Middle income to lower income, etc.)
Source:
13) EMPLOYMENT
A) Percentage of the total labor force employed in blue collar occupations? %
B) Major employers or types of employers in the community?
C) What is the present rate of unemployment? %
D) Have there been any changes in the type of employment, location of employment, or unemployment rates?
Source:
14)List any important recreational facilities and activities in the community:
Source:
15)List major community events that occur annually or regularly:
Source:
16)List any major community organizations, neighborhood associations, clubs, social, political, or educational groups:
Source:
17)How are events in the community publicized? Is there a community newspaper?
Source:
18) List any important Social Service Agencies and their services:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Source:
19)Are there social needs that are not being met by these groups?
Source:
20)What are the trends and amounts of crime?
Source:
Guide for Community Studies
Sources & Suggestions for research
(With Special Reference to Boston & Massachusetts)
Question 2. – A. Use personal observation looking for major highways, bodies of water, railroad tracks, hills, parks, etc.
B. Use topographical maps & other maps – go the State GIS website:
http://www.mass.gov/mgis/im_quad.htm - then select MassGis Topographic Tour.
Use the tools on the right hand menu to zoom in to your community.
Question 3. –For cities and towns this information is available from the U.S. Census (Select American Factfinder, then Get Data, then Census 2000 Summary File 1
(SF-1) then Detailed Tables – P1 or All Tables –DP-1). For Boston neighborhood populations, see the Boston Redevelopment Authority reports on the BRA website (or printed copies). www.cityofboston.gov/bra ( (1) Look under “News and Publications –Research Publications” – (2) Click on Census and then scroll down to Report #541).
Question 4. – Data for the 1990 and 2000 Census can be accessed online. For cities and towns outside Boston see the population statistics document posted online for the class (from the Boston Renaissance Resource Kit). For 1980 data you can also consult the printed Census reports in a library (see tables 59 and 60).
For Boston neighborhoods, use the Boston Redevelopment Authority report #541, “Changes in Population, Race and Ethnicity in Boston…,” compiled from the 2000 U.S. Census (and incl. 1980, 1990). If you want to find earlier data, see the series of neighborhood or district profiles published by the BRA (Boston Redevelopment Association) in the 1970s and 1980s.
To calculate the percent change –rate of growth or decline- subtract the earlier population number from the more recent population number. Then take this result (the difference) and divide it by the earlier population number (times 100 equals the percent change).
Question 5. –For ethnic populations and trends, use the same sources as mentioned for Question 4. See BRA report #541. For more specific nationalities, use U.S. Census tables for race and ancestry. See for Census 2000 – Summary File 3 (SF 3) Table QT-P13 for detailed nationalities. See Census 2000 Summary File 1- Table QT P3 (Asian & others), QT-P9 (Hispanic by country). See also BRA district profiles for earlier data and publications of the United Community Planning Corporation.
Question 6 –To identify languages spoken (in the home) see Census 2000, Summary File 3 (SF 3) Table QT-P16. Table SF3-P20 gives language ability by more general language groups, indicating potential language needs or barriers.
Question 7 - For maps of Boston, go to the website – www.cityofboston.gov/bra/maps/maps.asp (The Boston Atlas-which is useful for many other kinds of maps). Click on one of the default maps on the right for a menu of various map layers: for example, Aerial photo views and outlines of every building in the city can be layered on street and census maps.
Maps for any area in the U.S. can be displayed online from the Census website. After selecting American Factfinder and one of the data sets (SF1, SF3, etc.), you can go to the page where you “select geographic type.” After you choose a geographic area, click on the “Map It” button. This can be especially helpful to map Census Tracts and the subparts which are Block groups and Census Blocks.
Pre-configured maps can also be accessed from the BRA website by selecting “Neighborhoods” from the left hand menu list. Next select the specific neighborhood from the pictorial icons. On the neighborhood page scroll down and select a sub-neighborhood under the Maps category. This will give you a map which is color coded by usage / zoning (showing all buildings, streets, and other details).
For Massachusetts communities go to the state website : www.mass.gov or www.state.ma.us/ . The select “Residents” from the tabs on the top. On the Resulting web page under the category, “Cars and Transportation,” select “Maps.” On the resulting page select “Demographic Mapping by cities & towns.” Then you can select (1) Towns, (2) Category (race, language, etc.), and (3) Layer to create color coded maps. To see the related demographic data select “Show Info” among the buttons along the top of the map.
ESRI also has a free mapping and demographic tool which you can explore at:
http://ashburnarcweb.esri.com/v2006/solutions/awx.jsp
With this tool, you can draw custom boundaries around an area & get the corresponding data (but be careful to draw careful and closed boundaries).
Question 8- For age data use U.S. Census table DP-1 or QT-P1 in the Summary File One (SF1) “List All Tables.” Add the appropriate age group numbers and percentages to fill out the question eight table. For Boston neighborhoods, use the BRA series of neighborhood reports numbered 570-586. Access these by selecting “Residents-my neighborhood from the menu on the BRA website (www.cityofboston.gov/bra), then selecting your specific neighborhood and scrolling down to the list of publications. Look for the report number for your neighborhood that is numbered between 570 and 586. Table 7 in the report gives totals for different ages in the second column.
The U.S. Age facts are:
0-4 yrs. 19,175,798 6.8%
5-9 yrs. 20,549,505 7.3%
10-19 yrs. 40,747,962 14.5%
20-34 yrs. 58,855,725 20.9%%
35-64 yrs. 107,101,163 38.1%
65+ yrs 34,991,753 12.4%
Question 9 – For Boston neighborhoods, use the BRA series of neighborhood reports numbered 570-586. Access these by selecting “Residents-my neighborhood from the menu on the BRA website ( www.cityofboston.gov/bra), then selecting your specific neighborhood and scrolling down to the list of publications. Refer to Table 22 for 9A; to Table 21 for 9B; and to Table 18 for 9C.
For other cities and for comparative purposes :
Question 9A – Using Census 2000, Summary File 3 (SF 3), consult Table P18
Question 9B – Using Census 2000, Summary File 3 (SF 3), consult table P10
Question 9C – Using Census 2000, Summary File 1 (SF 1), consult Table P17
Question 10 - Part A can be answered by community observation. The Boston Housing Authority website also gives information on the number of units in specific housing projects. Some census housing tables may also give useful numerical data on numbers of housing units of various sizes.
10B- See Census 2000 –Summary File 1 (SF 1) – Tables H11 and H14 (by race). For Boston Neighborhoods use the BRA series of neighborhood reports (#570-586), see above), Table 56.
10C - Look at Community Profiles (www.state.ma.us/cc) under housing to find the number of low income housing units that qualify for chapter 40B state regulation. Compare this with the total number of housing units in the city in the first page of the demographic profile.
10D & E – Median housing values change fairly rapidly.
Check local and area real estate sources. For Boston Neighborhoods also check the BRA series of neighborhood reports (#570-586), see above), Table 64.
Question 11- Use Census table QT-P20 for Educational Attainment. You may also want to check State or Boston statistics on school performance on testing, etc. In the BRA neighborhood reports (#570-586) see Table 28.
Question 12- Use Census table P77 for Median Family Income. In the BRA neighborhood reports (#570-586) see Table 46.
Question 13 – Use the information in the Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training Website – Mass Stats or choose specific city from the Mass.gov website and then select employment data from the web page on the specific city. Other information can be estimated from observations and interviews.
Question 14 & 15 – Obtain this information from observation, from park departments and from speaking with community organizations. Annual events may require newspaper and library research or informal interviews.
Question 16 & 18 - See the web site, Boston Resource Net, for Boston area social service organizations. http://www.bostonresourcenet.org
The Massachusetts Resource Locator is also helpful for state services of all kinds. The web site search engine is at - http://virtualgateway01.ehs.state.ma.us/RLocator/
Question 20 - For Boston, use the Boston Police Dept. web site, or go personally to the headquarters on Columbus Ave. and Ruggles St.
The web site is at – http://www.cityofboston.gov/police/ (Select Crime statistics).
See the state website for other statistics ( http://db.state.ma.us/msp/select.asp ). Boston newspapers and local newspapers also publish reports on crime trends and statistics. For other states & localities consult the police and sheriff departments
[1] Ronald J. Sider, Philip N. Olson, and Heidi Rolland Unruh, Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works ( Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2002), 257-262.
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