The Value and Relevance of Community Research

Photo credit: Andrew Holzschuh via Lightstock

The Value and Relevance of Community Research

By Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Why research our communities when we can simply talk to people or make casual observations?

In-depth research helps us go below the surface. There we discover the root causes of problems, hidden needs, or little-known assets and resources.

Research provides a broader understanding of the various trends or forces impacting our communities. With this greater awareness, Christians can more effectively minister in their communities or start new ministries.

Community research lays a foundation for community transformation and effective witness.

This presentation is part of the larger series, Community Research and the Church. For earlier segments, click here.

The Nature of Community Research

Photo credit: Sam Ramsey via Lightstock

The Nature of Community Research

By Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Communities are complex social systems made up of people interacting with each other within a local area. The geographical context can be as small as a neighborhood or as large as an entire region.

As we learned in the first part of the Community Research and the Church series, community research includes various tools to learn more about your neighbors and community.

Community research is the systematic, careful study of a group of people who have common ties and social interactions, as well as the local area in which they live or interact.

How does this square with our Christian faith? God’s revelation provides a perspective on the world that informs our study of communities and culture. This biblical and theological research combined with community research helps us apply biblical principles and develop practical ministries in the church and community.

This presentation is part of the larger series, Community Research and the Church. In the next segment, we explore the value and relevance of community research.

Ministry With Eyes Wide Open: The Varied Lenses of Community Research

Photo credit: Hamilton Photography via Lightstock

Ministry with Eyes Wide Open: The Varied Lenses of Community Research

By Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Are you seeing all that can be observed about your community?

From community-based participatory research to social-network analysis, there are various ways Christians can learn more about the communities they serve.

In this presentation, we explore several approaches to community research:

• Spiritual and religious assessment

• Historical-research approach

• Demographic approach with mapping

• Community-based participatory research

• Assets-based approach

• Needs-assessment approach

• Community-indicators approach

• Leadership studies and stakeholder analysis

• Case studies of organizations and best practices

• Social-network approach

• Systems-analysis approach

A number of these approaches can be used as part of an overall community-building or community-development process that leads to community transformation.

This presentation is part of the larger series, Community Research and the Church. In the next segment, we explore the nature of community research and how it relates to biblical research and Christian ministry.

Community Research and the Church

Photo Credit: Athena Grace via Lightstock

Community Research and the Church

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

A Christian church or ministry functions in the context of a particular community. To effectively minister in that community, it’s important to understand it.

There are various ways Christians can learn more about the communities they serve. Community research provides us with the tools to go below surface observations. It lays a foundation for community transformation and effective witness.

In this series, we explore several facets of community research: different approaches, its nature, and its value and relevance to the church.

• Ministry with Eyes Wide Open: The Varied Lenses of Community Research

• The Nature of Community Research

• The Value and Relevance of Community Research

Illustrated Guide for Researching Your Community

Photo credit: Boston Heath via Lightstock

Illustrated Guide for Researching Your Community

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Click here for a template of a community research guide.

Community or Neighborhood Name:

Community geography

• Clearly identify the boundaries of your community (geographical, political).

• Identify the U.S. Census tracts of the community (unless you are covering a large area) or identify other defined areas used in population or demographic surveys.

• Describe the main geographical features of the neighborhood or community. Describe any other basic defining characteristics or features. What key features (rivers, hills, waterfront, railroad, etc.) influence or define the nature and boundaries of the community?

• Create or obtain a detailed map of the neighborhood or community. Add boundaries and use the base map to add other items of interest such as churches, schools, social service organizations, landmarks, cultural organizations, neighborhood associations, recreational facilities, and other resource assets. Separate maps can be created for different types of resources or institutions. You can also do this using layers in digital maps. You can use Google My Maps to create and share online maps. See google.com/mymaps. Another online option is to create a map in Harvard World Map, worldmap.harvard.edu, or Open Street Map, openstreetmap.org.

Grove Hall Boundaries and Census Tracts

Map of neighborhood churches

Examples of maps in a community study.

Map of Organizations and Programs in a Neighborhood

Key to map

Maps of schools, churches, and other institutions can be created, or these can be combined using symbols into one map.

Hawthorne Grove, the Marshall P. Wilder Estate

Community History

Research the community’s history using primary and secondary sources, as well as oral history interviews. Aspects of community history may include biographical information on significant people; the history of the built environment; the history of religious and cultural organizations; economic and political history; and the history of ethnic, racial, and social changes. The history can be presented in narrative form supplemented with maps, charts, and visual illustrations.

Old Blake House, Edward Everett Square, Dorchester

Overall population and population trends

What is the current total population of the community or neighborhood?

What overall population trends have occurred in the last several decades? Include earlier data if available. Explore possible reasons related to the changes and possible future trends.

Decade	1990	2000	2010	Latest
Total population
% change from previous decade

Made with HTML Tables

[The formula to find the % change is (B-A) /A x 100 =. Say the 1980 population (A) is 1,000 and the 1990 population (B) is 800. To find the % change from 1980 (A) to 1990 (B), begin on the calculator with B (800) and subtract A (1,000) then divide that by A (1,000) x 100, and then hit =. You should get -20. You can add the % sign to -20. The % change from A (1,000) to B (800) is -20%.] Source:

Example of a line graph showing the population trend for a neighborhood study.

Ethnic and Racial composition and trends of the community

Fill out this table for the major ethnic and racial groups in the community. (You may expand the table if you would like to include more groups, or you may combine smaller groups into an “Other” category.) Separate tables can be created for each census tract or for specific nationalities within the Hispanic group. Graphs and maps may also be used to visualize trends and changes. If the community has other nationalities and ethnic groups not listed in your table, you can list and describe them separately. Describe any intercultural or inter-racial tensions that exist. Summarize your observations and analysis of population trends.

Name of group (ethnic group, racial group etc.)	2000		2010		Latest
	pop. of group	% of total pop.	pop. of group	% of total pop.	pop. of group	% of total pop.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Total pop.		100%		100%		100%

Made with HTML Tables

The formula to find the percent is: A/Total x 100 =. Say there are 2,000 people (total) in your community, and 250 (A) are Hispanic. Put 250 (A) on your calculator, and divide by 2,000 (total) and multiply by 100 = 12.5. You can add the percent sign to your answer because you multiplied by 100. 250/2,000 x 100 = 12.5% of the people in your community are Hispanic. (Make sure your percentages total 100%.) Source:

• From this table, how has the ethnic and racial composition of the community changed in the last few decades? Summarize your observations and analysis of population trends.

• Describe any intercultural or inter-racial tensions that exist.

Example of a graph showing racial trends in a neighborhood.

Languages spoken and Linguistic Isolation

• What languages are spoken in the community? Provide numbers per language.

• What number and percentage of the population are linguistically isolated? ( A household is linguistically isolated if all members 14 years and older speak a non-English language and they speak English less than “very well.”) Of those who are linguistically isolated, what percentages speak various languages other than English? What percentage of the population over 5 years speaks English less than “very well?”

What are the age characteristics of the community’s population?

Complete the following table to reveal any important differences between the age profile of the church, community, and nation. Use your personal estimate or ask your pastor for the church data. (Figure the percentages and make sure they add up to 100.) Do the percentages differ significantly between the church, the community, and the nation?

Age category	Your church		Community		Nation
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
0-4 years
5-9 years
10-19 years
20-34 years
35-64 years
65+ years
Total		100%		100%		100%

Made with HTML Tables

The formula to find the percent is A/Total x 100 =. Say there are 200 people (total) in your church, and 25 (A) are youth. Put 25 (A) on your calculator, and divide by 200 (total) and multiply by 100 = 12.5. You can add the percent sign to your answer because you multiplied by 100. 25/200 x 100 = 12.5% of your church are youth.

• What is the current median age of the population? Compare this with the median age of the nation, state, and larger city, or metropolitan area. Compare median age differences between different races in the community (and between the Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations).

• Observe more specific characteristics of the teenage and young adult populations, such as the racial and ethnic composition. Break down the age groups by single years.

• Which generations are represented in significant numbers in your church? Is one generation dominant?

  • Baby Boomers, born 1946-1964

  • Generation X, born 1965-1980

  • Millennials, born 1981-1996

  • Generation Z, born 1997-2012

Examples of graphs showing age profiles and comparisons of a neighborhood.

Family Characteristics and Marital Status

• What is the average household size in the community? What is the average household size in the individual census tracts or subsections of the community? Observe any variations and also compare with the metropolitan area, state, and nation.

• What are the numbers and percentages of the population (over 15 years) in your community who are:

Marital status	Number	%
Now married (except separated)
Single (never married)
Separated
Divorced
Widowed
Total population (over 15 years)		100%

Made with HTML Tables

Source:

• What percentage of families consist of (Compare to total population: A/total x 100 = %)

  • Married couples with children (under 18 years)? %

  • Married couples without children (under 18 years)? %

• Households

  • What is the total number of households?

  • What percentage of households are family households?

  • What percentage of households are non-family households?

  • How do these percentages compare with the state and national percentages?

  • How many family households have children under 18 years?

    • How many of these family households with children under 18 are female-headed with no male spouse present?

    • How many of these family households with children under 18 are male-headed with no female spouse present?

    • What number and percentage of family households with children under 18 are single-parent households?

      • Number:

      • %:

    • What percentage of children under 18 years living in households, lived with

      • Grandparents:

      • Other relatives:

      • Non-relatives:

Economics and Income

• Poverty

  • What percentage of the population is living below the poverty level?

  • What percentage of youth age 18 and under are living below the poverty level?

  • What percentage of youth ages 12-17 are living below the poverty level?

  • Families: What is the total number of families? What is the number of families living below the poverty level? What percentage of families live below the poverty level?

  • Comparisons: How do the percentages above compare with the city, state, and national percentages? Do some parts of the study area have higher rates of poverty than others?

• Income

  • What is the median family income in this community?

  • What is the mean (average) family income in this community?

	2000	2010	Latest
Community
Metropolitan area
State
Nation

Made with HTML Tables

• Trends

  • Has the general income of the community changed significantly relative to wider trends? (Middle income to lower income, or gentrification, etc.)

EMPLOYMENT

• Major employers or types of employers in the community?

• What is the present rate of unemployment? %

• Have there been any changes in the type of employment, location of employment, or unemployment rates?

Education

• Highest level of education: What percentage of all persons over 25 years old have

  • Less than high school?

  • High school?

  • Bachelor’s degree?

  • Master’s degree or higher

• How do these percentages compare with the national and state percentages?

Example of a graph comparing educational achievements.

• What is the current event drop-out rate for any high schools in the community?

• Research the elementary and secondary educational institutions in the community.

  • List and describe each school. Provide any statistical data available.

  • List any postsecondary educational institutions and their enrollment.

Jeremiah Burke High School

Housing

• What are the major housing types in the community based on your observation? (High-rise apartments or public housing; single-family detached houses, rowhouses, duplexes, triple-deckers, etc.)

• What percentage of the housing units are owner-occupied? % (Compare to total)

• What percentage of the housing units are low-income or affordable? % (Compare to total)

• What is the median housing value for the community? For the nation?

• Is the housing value increasing, decreasing, or stable?

• What are the current typical monthly rental costs for a

  • Studio:

  • One-bedroom:

  • Two-bedroom:

  • Or more bedrooms

• What housing needs and problems does the community have?

Recreation

List any important recreational facilities and activities in the community:

• Source:

Community events

List major community events that occur annually or regularly:

• Source:

Organizations

List any major community organizations, neighborhood associations, clubs, social, political, or educational groups:

• Source:

Media

• How are events in the community publicized?

• Is there a community newspaper?

• Source:

Social Needs

• List any important Social Service Agencies and their services:

  • Source:

• List three social needs that are not being effectively met by these groups.

  • Source:

• What are the major crime concerns in the neighborhood?

  • Source:

Click here for a template of a community research guide.

Guide for Researching Your Community

Photo credit: JYount Photo via Lightstock

Guide for Researching Your Community

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Click here for an illustrated guide to researching your community.

Community or Neighborhood Name:

Community geography

• Clearly identify the boundaries of your community (geographical, political).

• Identify the U.S. Census tracts of the community (unless you are covering a large area) or identify other defined areas used in population or demographic surveys.

• Describe the main geographical features of the neighborhood or community. Describe any other basic defining characteristics or features. What key features (rivers, hills, waterfront, railroad, etc.) influence or define the nature and boundaries of the community?

• Create or obtain a detailed map of the neighborhood or community. Add boundaries and use the base map to add other items of interest such as churches, schools, social service organizations, landmarks, cultural organizations, neighborhood associations, recreational facilities, and other resource assets. Separate maps can be created for different types of resources or institutions. You can also do this using layers in digital maps. You can use Google My Maps to create and share online maps. See google.com/mymaps. Another online option is to create a map in Harvard World Map, worldmap.harvard.edu, or Open Street Map, openstreetmap.org.

Community History

Research the community’s history using primary and secondary sources, as well as oral history interviews. Aspects of community history may include biographical information on significant people; the history of the built environment; the history of religious and cultural organizations; economic and political history; and the history of ethnic, racial, and social changes. The history can be presented in narrative form supplemented with maps, charts, and visual illustrations.

Overall population and population trends

What is the current total population of the community or neighborhood?

What overall population trends have occurred in the last several decades? Include earlier data if available. Explore possible reasons related to the changes and possible future trends.

Decade	1990	2000	2010	Latest
Total population
% change from previous decade

Made with HTML Tables

[The formula to find the % change is (B-A) /A x 100 =. Say the 1980 population (A) is 1,000 and the 1990 population (B) is 800. To find the % change from 1980 (A) to 1990 (B), begin on the calculator with B (800) and subtract A (1,000) then divide that by A (1,000) x 100, and then hit =. You should get -20. You can add the % sign to -20. The % change from A (1,000) to B (800) is -20%.] Source:

Ethnic and Racial composition and trends of the community

Fill out this table for the major ethnic and racial groups in the community. (You may expand the table if you would like to include more groups, or you may combine smaller groups into an “Other” category.) Separate tables can be created for each census tract or for specific nationalities within the Hispanic group. Graphs and maps may also be used to visualize trends and changes. If the community has other nationalities and ethnic groups not listed in your table, you can list and describe them separately. Describe any intercultural or inter-racial tensions that exist. Summarize your observations and analysis of population trends.

Name of group (ethnic group, racial group etc.)	2000		2010		Latest
	pop. of group	% of total pop.	pop. of group	% of total pop.	pop. of group	% of total pop.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Total pop.		100%		100%		100%

Made with HTML Tables

The formula to find the percent is: A/Total x 100 =. Say there are 2,000 people (total) in your community, and 250 (A) are Hispanic. Put 250 (A) on your calculator, and divide by 2,000 (total) and multiply by 100 = 12.5. You can add the percent sign to your answer because you multiplied by 100. 250/2,000 x 100 = 12.5% of the people in your community are Hispanic. (Make sure your percentages total 100%.) Source:

• From this table, how has the ethnic and racial composition of the community changed in the last few decades? Summarize your observations and analysis of population trends.

• Describe any intercultural or inter-racial tensions that exist.

Languages spoken and Linguistic Isolation

• What languages are spoken in the community? Provide numbers per language.

• What number and percentage of the population are linguistically isolated? ( A household is linguistically isolated if all members 14 years and older speak a non-English language and they speak English less than “very well.”) Of those who are linguistically isolated, what percentages speak various languages other than English? What percentage of the population over 5 years speaks English less than “very well?”

What are the age characteristics of the community’s population?

Complete the following table to reveal any important differences between the age profile of the church, community, and nation. Use your personal estimate or ask your pastor for the church data. (Figure the percentages and make sure they add up to 100.) Do the percentages differ significantly between the church, the community, and the nation?

Age category	Your church		Community		Nation
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
0-4 years
5-9 years
10-19 years
20-34 years
35-64 years
65+ years
Total		100%		100%		100%

Made with HTML Tables

The formula to find the percent is A/Total x 100 =. Say there are 200 people (total) in your church, and 25 (A) are youth. Put 25 (A) on your calculator, and divide by 200 (total) and multiply by 100 = 12.5. You can add the percent sign to your answer because you multiplied by 100. 25/200 x 100 = 12.5% of your church are youth.

• What is the current median age of the population? Compare this with the median age of the nation, state, and larger city, or metropolitan area. Compare median age differences between different races in the community (and between the Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations).

• Observe more specific characteristics of the teenage and young adult populations, such as the racial and ethnic composition. Break down the age groups by single years.

• Which generations are represented in significant numbers in your church? Is one generation dominant?

  • Baby Boomers, born 1946-1964

  • Generation X, born 1965-1980

  • Millennials, born 1981-1996

  • Generation Z, born 1997-2012

Family Characteristics and Marital Status

• What is the average household size in the community? What is the average household size in the individual census tracts or subsections of the community? Observe any variations and also compare with the metropolitan area, state, and nation.

• What are the numbers and percentages of the population (over 15 years) in your community who are:

Marital status	Number	%
Now married (except separated)
Single (never married)
Separated
Divorced
Widowed
Total population (over 15 years)		100%

Made with HTML Tables

Source:

• What percentage of families consist of (Compare to total population: A/total x 100 = %)

  • Married couples with children (under 18 years)? %

  • Married couples without children (under 18 years)? %

• Households

  • What is the total number of households?

  • What percentage of households are family households?

  • What percentage of households are non-family households?

  • How do these percentages compare with the state and national percentages?

  • How many family households have children under 18 years?

    • How many of these family households with children under 18 are female-headed with no male spouse present?

    • How many of these family households with children under 18 are male-headed with no female spouse present?

    • What number and percentage of family households with children under 18 are single-parent households?

      • Number:

      • %:

    • What percentage of children under 18 years living in households, lived with

      • Grandparents:

      • Other relatives:

      • Non-relatives:

Economics and Income

• Poverty

  • What percentage of the population is living below the poverty level?

  • What percentage of youth age 18 and under are living below the poverty level?

  • What percentage of youth ages 12-17 are living below the poverty level?

  • Families: What is the total number of families? What is the number of families living below the poverty level? What percentage of families live below the poverty level?

  • Comparisons: How do the percentages above compare with the city, state, and national percentages? Do some parts of the study area have higher rates of poverty than others?

• Income

  • What is the median family income in this community?

  • What is the mean (average) family income in this community?

	2000	2010	Latest
Community
Metropolitan area
State
Nation

Made with HTML Tables

• Trends

  • Has the general income of the community changed significantly relative to wider trends? (Middle income to lower income, or gentrification, etc.)

EMPLOYMENT

• Major employers or types of employers in the community?

• What is the present rate of unemployment? %

• Have there been any changes in the type of employment, location of employment, or unemployment rates?

Education

• Highest level of education: What percentage of all persons over 25 years old have

  • Less than high school?

  • High school?

  • Bachelor’s degree?

  • Master’s degree or higher

• How do these percentages compare with the national and state percentages?

• What is the current event drop-out rate for any high schools in the community?

• Research the elementary and secondary educational institutions in the community.

  • List and describe each school. Provide any statistical data available.

  • List any postsecondary educational institutions and their enrollment.

Housing

• What are the major housing types in the community based on your observation? (High-rise apartments or public housing; single-family detached houses, rowhouses, duplexes, triple-deckers, etc.)

• What percentage of the housing units are owner-occupied? % (Compare to total)

• What percentage of the housing units are low-income or affordable? % (Compare to total)

• What is the median housing value for the community? For the nation?

• Is the housing value increasing, decreasing, or stable?

• What are the current typical monthly rental costs for a

  • Studio:

  • One-bedroom:

  • Two-bedroom:

  • Or more bedrooms

• What housing needs and problems does the community have?

Recreation

• List any important recreational facilities and activities in the community:

• Source:

Community events

• List major community events that occur annually or regularly:

• Source:

Organizations

• List any major community organizations, neighborhood associations, clubs, social, political, or educational groups:

• Source:

Media

• How are events in the community publicized?

• Is there a community newspaper?

• Source:

Social Needs

• List any important Social Service Agencies and their services:

  • Source:

• List three social needs that are not being effectively met by these groups.

  • Source:

• What are the major crime concerns in the neighborhood?

  • Source:

Click here for an illustrated guide to researching your community.

The Value of Making Youth Voices Heard [VIDEO]

The Value of Making Youth Voices Heard [VIDEO]

The BEC was privileged to work with some amazing youth leaders last school year, training them to be community researchers in the Lenox/Camden area by using the tool of participatory action research. We were also blessed to collaborate with Vibrant Boston, St. Stephen's Youth Programs, CrossTown Church International, and Boston College School of Social Work to make this program a success. See the video for a short intro.

Making Youth Voices Heard

2018

Shepherding the Seriously Ill: 3 Workshop Takeaways

Shepherding the Seriously Ill: 3 Workshop Takeaways

By Bethany Slack, MPH, MPT, and Evangeline Kennedy

Serious illness brings up serious questions—for both patients and their families. Individuals facing the end of their life often call on Christian leaders for support in their time of grief and questioning. With the right training, pastors and other caregivers can play a crucial role in helping medical staff and family decision-makers honor the ill person's wishes in a manner consistent with his or her beliefs and values.

In April, Emmanuel Gospel Center, in conjunction with Greater Boston Baptist Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield, facilitated the workshop Pastor, Will You Pray For Me? Shepherding Those with Serious Illness. Bethel AME Church hosted the morning workshop, which featured local pastors and clinicians as speakers. The gathering gave pastoral caregivers:

• an orientation to the world of end-of-life care

• a tool for open communication between pastoral caregivers and seriously ill congregants

• an opportunity to network with diverse pastoral caregivers shepherding the seriously ill in their faith communities.

Pastoral caregivers from 15 local churches and organizations from Greater Boston gathered to discuss helpful approaches and tools for shepherding individuals with serious illness.

TAKEAWAYS

We asked participants what elements and discussion points of the workshop were most valuable to them.

1. Talking About Serious Illness Presents Emotional Challenges

Caregivers, patients, and their family members experience mental and emotional obstacles to serious illness conversation.

Workshop participants spoke of their sadness, emotional ties to patients, and their desire to engage more confidently and proficiently in conversations around serious illness.

These caregivers also noted that the patients and families were often reluctant or completely unwilling to deal openly and realistically with the situation. One participant said "Some people don't want [to] talk about these issues/answer these kinds of questions. Sometimes they don't know how to think about [it]." Disagreement between a patient and their spouse adds another layer of emotional challenge to such conversations.

Another noted the challenge of talking openly about serious illness amidst "fierce reliance on a miraculous healing."

However, participants mentioned the Conversation Guide (described below) as a helpful tool for approaching these anticipated barriers.

2. The Conversation Guide Helps

The "Serious Illness Conversation Guide" for caregivers was the most important takeaway for many participants. The Guide offers a list of specific questions as a tool for initiating and navigating serious illness conversations.

The caregivers valued the Guide content as well as the opportunity to practice using it through role play. One participant responded, "I need to ask some people some of these questions now!"

Some also appreciated the specific directives for using the Conversation Guide, including that:

• repeating the same questions is effective

• having the Guide in hand during conversations is perfectly acceptable

“Every situation is different and should be approached prayerfully.”

— participant

Panel discussion: (left to right) Dr. Michael Balboni (speaking), Dr. Janet Abrahms, Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, and Dr. Alexandra Cist.

3. Medical Decisions are Spiritual

Participants valued learning about clinicians' and pastors' complementary roles in helping Christians navigate decision-making consistent with their spiritual beliefs. One person summed up his/her thoughts with a quote from Dr. Michael Balboni, "Medical decisions are spiritual decisions."

The degree of overlap between the medical and spiritual spheres in serious illness decision-making surprised many participants. One caregiver was struck by the number of Guide questions he perceived as “clinical”. Another appreciated hearing the perspectives of the four-person panel, which included individuals working as physicians, pastors, or both.

“Medical decisions are spiritual decisions.”

— Dr. Michael Balboni

Another participant summed up the event as, "Every situation is different and should be approached prayerfully."

TAKE ACTION

If you're a pastoral caregiver interested in learning more about shepherding those with serious illness, consider joining us for our next workshop!

Connect

Connect

Learn More

Some Thoughts on Ministering to the Sick and Dying - The Gospel Coalition

"Where's God?" Counsel for the Sick and Dying - Biblical Counseling Coalition

Pastoral Visitation Resources - Head Heart Hand

Bethany is EGC's Public Health & Wellness research associate. Her passion is to see Jesus’ love translated into improved health and health justice for all, across the lifespan and across the globe.

Evangeline Kennedy was a Summer 2018 Applied Research and Consulting intern at EGC. She studies Public Health and Spanish at Simmons University. Her heart for the city continues to grow as she sees the vitality and vibrancy present in Boston and the work God is doing in churches and among Christian leaders.

Local Youth Insights: Community Youth Survey Lower Roxbury

Local Youth Insights

Community Youth Survey Lower Roxbury on Violence, Employment, and More

Youth are a resource to their community. The DELTA Youth (Diverse Excellent Leaders Taking Action) are a group of nine youth participating in the South End/Lower Roxbury based Making Youth Voices Heard initiative, a collaboration for community learning among youth, social work students, youth-focused non-profit programs, and community members.

In the spring of 2018, the DELTA Youth conducted a Community Youth Survey, using the Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) model. The survey gathered insights from 55 youth aged 13-24 living in the Lenox/Camden area of Lower Roxbury, Boston, MA.

Survey Insights

The Community Youth Survey gathered insights about violence, employment, poverty, drugs, and gangs. The DELTA Youth team further explored responses on violence and employment.

Have any close family members or friends been killed in violence?

Source: Making Youth Voices Heard Community Youth Survey of youth in Lower Roxbury, Boston, MA, by the DELTA Youth, 2018.

Community Presentation

In June, the DELTA Youth made a presentation of their findings to local residents, to facilitate community conversation.

 

Partner Stories

Ruth Wong - Director, EGC's Boston Education Collaborative

“It’s a learning process. This can be a launch pad—that’s the prayer and the desire."

Brent Henry - Founder and Director, VibrantBoston

"Rather than gentrification, there should be integration."

Sarah O'Connor - St. Stephens Youth Program's Lead Organizer for Lenox Community

"I want the young people who live there to see themselves as being a part of the future of that neighborhood."

Cherchaela Spellen, CrossTown Church partner, BU Social Work student, EGC Intern with Boston Education Collaborative

"Who knows best about the community but the members who are living in the community itself?"

A Bigger Fire: 2018 New England City Forum

A Bigger Fire: 2018 New England City Forum

By Kelly Steinhaus, Director of UniteBoston

New England has the reputation of lacking a Christian presence. But my experience shows otherwise—Christians in New England are some of the most faith-filled, gospel-driven people I’ve ever met.

At times, I get discouraged by what I think I should see of gospel impact in New England. But when I come together with other Christian leaders, my perspective changes. I get filled with faith and excited about how God is at work in our midst.

For this reason, I love working with UniteBoston and the New England City Forum. Within the walls of our churches and church networks, we can feel isolated. Coming together, we can see the larger story of God’s movement emerging.

 

Learning Together at the New England City Forum

This year’s City Forum brought together 96 leaders from 17 cities throughout New England. Many participants expressed to us how refreshing it is to be with people from different settings with similar visions and goals.

We heard city presentations in the morning from New Haven and Springfield. In the afternoon, we hosted a “world cafe” style discussion, where people chose topic tables to discuss and collaborate on how to advance the gospel in New England.

We then asked participants in the forum to share with us what they took from the day that would most impact their ministry. Here’s what we learned.

1. God is on the move across New England—but we don’t hear about it.

We asked participants why they came to the forum. The most frequent reason they shared was to discover what God is doing more broadly in New England.

“I felt led to get out of my comfort zone and engage with others,” said one, wanting to “know New England better and what God is doing here.” Another attended “to learn about what God is doing in New England and meet some of the people He’s doing it through.”

Looking back over the day, one participant responded with the observation, “God is doing much in terms of our cities/movements. Most Christians are unaware beyond their own church, much less in other New England cities.” Another came away with the conviction that “God is moving—stay the course.”

2. Collaboration is the next normal.

Both of the city reports from New Haven and Springfield stressed the need for collaboration. Collaboration is celebrating the uniqueness of each community while partnering across differences.

“God has given charisma to all the churches, so we need to ask for them and each other,” shared one, acknowledging our need, “to humble ourselves and stop saying to other parts of the body, ‘I don’t need you.’”

Another added that we need collaboration across denominational, racial and socio-economic lines for the Church to “fulfill her calling and fully grow into her potential,” so that “revival can become a reality.”  

Through Christ, we're all adopted into God’s family, and thus we are all on the same team—like it or not. So we have to be intentional about partnering across the beautiful diversity of Christ’s Church: across race, denomination, and generation, to name a few.

Rather than individually blowing on our own fires and hoping for success, it is time for us to take down the walls and come together to build a bigger bonfire. As we humbly open our hearts for greater partnership, a vision bigger than preserving our individual ministries will emerge.

I believe such unity is a tangible sign of the “revival” for which many have been longing and praying. To this end, the Luis Palau Association’s City Gospel Movement website was recently launched to help people to connect with gospel-oriented collaboration throughout the nation.

3. Building diverse leadership and sharing power are essential.

Building kingdom collaboration requires diverse leadership. To make this goal a reality, we must commit both to racial reconciliation and power-sharing.

After viewing a video of Christena Cleveland, which emphasizes Jesus’ way of the first to be last, many participants echoed the need to develop diverse leadership.

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“Racial reconciliation can be modeled by pastors becoming friends,” wrote one participant, “learning to trust one each other and serving together as individuals and churches.”

Another responded in the form of a prayer, “God, please give me the heart and mind that is curious to genuinely seek to hear the power and truth of the person in front of me.”

Working together across our differences isn’t easy. As Pastor Todd Foster of the New Haven multi-church collaboration Bridges of Hope observed, “Being in the same room doesn’t mean you’re on the same page.” In his experience, we need to deal with the issues intentionally if we are to tear down the necessary walls.

But a fuller movement of God will come when we take the next step beyond mutual understanding. Real momentum will come when, as one participant shared, we become “ruthless about developing diverse organizational/neighborhood leaders,” with a commitment to “share the airtime.”

I’m convinced that if there is one thing needed in New England, it's a humble willingness to lay down our power to serve one another. I believe now is a God-ordained season where we must recognize we need one another like never before.

When we asked how we could improve the forum, many people suggested taking steps towards greater diversity among forum participants on various dimensions—ethnicity, vocation, and cities represented.

Internally, we’ve also held multiple conversations about what it could look like to develop more diverse leadership within the forum and ways we have not yet hit our own marks.

Looking Forward

Each Christian—each church—is a part of something much bigger than we can see. A united vision emerges the more we come together. The Emmanuel Gospel Center, Vision New England, and UniteBoston are committed to supporting unity-focused collaborations and creating spaces to learn from one another.

We’re grateful to NECF hosts and participants for fruitful conversations over the past three years. We’ve been encouraged to hear what God is doing and privileged to connect leaders in a shared learning space.

At this point, we do not plan to reconvene the New England City Forum next year.  Instead, our team would like to take some time to reassess God's leading as we support more learning opportunities for Christians across ethnicity, vocation, denomination, and New England geography. We welcome your input.

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We'd Love to Hear From You!

We are grateful for your participation in the New England City Forum and are eager to see how the Lord will bring us together again in the future.

Making Youth Voices Heard: Teens Work Against Gun Violence in Lower Roxbury

Making Youth Voices Heard: Teens Work Against Gun Violence in Lower Roxbury

By EGC Boston Education Collaborative

Youth from Boston’s Roxbury say gun violence is an ever-present threat in their neighborhood. The eleven teens of the Making Youth Voices Heard initiative are determined to do something about it.

On a freezing February day, eight dauntless youth guided shivering Boston College graduate students on a tour of the Lenox/Camden area. The tour route included their own housing complexes, a shiny new hotel, and other neighborhood gems, including where to get the best pizza.

But they also shared with these future social workers how gun violence has impacted their friends and loved ones. In a later shared listening session, the teens opened up.

“I have to worry about my family walking outside and getting shot in our own neighborhood,” says one student who grew up there. “We don’t feel safe.”

“Violence affects the people I care about,” says another teen. “I have a couple of friends that passed away through gun violence.”

As a group, three boys and eight girls, ages 14-19, now meet together twice a week at CrossTown Church, as part of the Making Youth Voices Heard program. CrossTown Church, located on Lenox Street in the Lenox/Camden area, is part of the Melnea Cass Network, a local collaboration of leaders “dedicated to ending family poverty and violence, one neighborhood at a time.”

Teens of the Making Youth Voices Heard program meeting with students of Boston College School of Social Work at CrossTown Church in Roxbury, MA, February 2018.

The youth began their team effort by sharing insights from their own experience.  “Violence affects the neighborhood as a whole,” said one. “The crime rate keeps increasing and many teens have been dying lately.”

They also discussed poverty—its causes and effects in the neighborhood. “Most of the people in my community [are] suffering from poverty,” shared one teen. Another reasoned, “There is gun violence because youth don’t have money to get what they want.”

But these courageous young people hope to learn more—they want to hear the voices of other youth who live in five housing developments in Lower Roxbury.

They plan to survey students not only about gun violence but also a host of related issues. Their goal is to hear from the community which issues feel most pressing, to help guide the team to action steps that they can take to strengthen the community.

The whole experience is an empowering process for the youth. The graduate students and collaborators are facilitating, but the teens are making all the decisions. The youth will decide what question they’re going to research, and they will present the results of what they learn.

““We just need better ways to protect the youth.””

— Making Youth Voices Heard youth participant

Making Youth Voices Heard

The Making Youth Voices Heard (MYVH) program trains youth in community research for action. It is a collaboration between EGC’s Boston Education Collaborative (BEC), the Vibrant Boston program for youth, St. Stephen’s Youth Programs, CrossTown Church, and Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work.

A summer 2017 pilot program with three young people provided early results, paving the way for full-year grants from the Church Home Society of the Episcopal Diocese, and the Paul & Edith Babson Foundation. The MYVH initiative does not yet have full funding for their proposal, which includes work stipends for the youth. The BEC is working on securing the remainder of the funding.

Youth Hub Surveys

Vimeo

The students will be replicating Youth Hub Boston's model of Youth-led Participatory Action Research and Innovation (YPARI). Youth Hub Director Rachele Gardner and youth residents of Codman Square, Dorchester, co-created the YPARI model based in part on UC Berkeley's Youth Participatory Action Research Hub.

In YPARI, youth learn how to design, implement, and analyze a survey, and then create action steps out of it. Ms. Gardner is serving as a consultant to the MYVH project, prepping the team every week to know how to structure the program sessions. Youth learn how to design, implement, and analyze a survey, and then create action steps out of it. Ms. Gardner is serving as a consultant to the MYVH project, prepping the team every week to know how to structure the program sessions.

After a welcome pizza party in December, students kicked off the program in January, getting to know one another’s stories. After a time of team bonding, setting expectations, and orientation to the program, they discussed:

• What issues do you care about most for the community?

• What issues have most impacted the neighborhood?

• What issues are you most passionate about?

“The issue I care about is violence because it leads to peer pressure,” responded one teen. “We do certain things to express how we feel, and use violence to fit in with other people, or just for fun.”

“Violence affects me and the people I care about,” said another.  “Violence is killing people who are 16 and 17, or just anyone. We just need better ways to protect the youth.”

After the youth chose to learn more about local gun violence, they started by exploring its causes and impacts. They identified other issues related to the level of gun violence in the area. So they decided to design a survey about five related topics: gun violence, poverty, drugs, employment, and education.

The teens will next be paired off to conduct the surveys. The group is aiming to survey 100 youth who live in five housing developments in Lower Roxbury—Mandela Homes, Roxie Homes, Lenox, Camden, and Camfield Estates.

Eight students from Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work are committed to helping. They’re doing some added background neighborhood research and will guide the youth in survey design and analysis. They’ve also contributed food and supplies for the youth.

Cherchaela Spellen is the Lead Facilitator of the program. Studying Social Work at Boston College, she is an EGC intern with BEC and a member of CrossTown Church. She works with the assistance of Amber Ko, an EGC intern with BEC and Greater Boston Refugee Ministry.

 

Our Goals for Community Impact

“It’s a learning process,” says Ruth Wong, BEC Director. “This can be a launch pad—that’s the prayer and the desire. Our end goal is a group of youth asking what steps they can take to help strengthen their community. We hope the youth come to see themselves as change agents, where they can impact the community by coming up with the action steps.”

Practically, through their participation in this year-long experience, the teens are developing bankable skills—in community research, critical thinking, team-building, leadership, and general job readiness. When the youth go into the community to conduct the surveys, they’ll be developing their social connection skills.

“I’ve been impressed with the leadership skills among these youth, “ says Wong.

These young people also have access to what would otherwise be a somewhat closed community to the graduate students. Our teens themselves represent three of the five complexes.  

“I went with some of the girls to visit the community in the summer,” explains Wong. “I went into their buildings with them, and they were saying ‘hi’ to people left and right. We were able to enter the homes of people that they knew. They have a lot of connections!”

““This can be a launch pad—that’s the prayer and the desire.””

— Ruth Wong, BEC Director

While they already know some peers, the youth are also creatively thinking of how to connect with more youth. They’ll reach out to property managers and leverage other community connections. That kind of networking will be new for them.

MYVH sees the youth as developing leaders for the health of the community. They plan to host a closing presentation and celebration event to invite the adults in the community to hear the youth present their findings. Such an event can be a catalyst for more cohesion and collaboration within the community.

Ruth Wong (left)   Ruth is the Director of EGC's Boston Education Collaborative and a founding member of the Melnea Cass Network in Lower Roxbury.

Cherchaela Spellen (right)  Cherchaela is the Lead Facilitator of the Making Youth Voices Heard program. Cherchaela is studying Social Work at Boston College and attends CrossTown Church in Lower Roxbury.

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Barriers to Mental Health Care for Boston-Area Black Residents [Report]

Barriers to Mental Health Care for Boston-Area Black Residents [Report]

by the ARC Team

Does Boston-area mental health care adequately serve Black residents? Community Health Network Area 17 (CHNA 17) invited EGC to partner in addressing this question for six cities near Boston.

CHNA 17’s 2018 report cites seven major barriers to American-born Blacks receiving mental health care as needed. Barriers include:

• a double-stigma associated with mental health issues in the current social climate

• a dearth of Black mental health providers

CAMBRIDGE, MA - Focus group for Cambridge mental health service providers, facilitated by EGC’s Applied Research and Consulting.

SOMERVILLE, MA - Nika Elugardo (left) and Stacie Mickelson (right), former and current Directors, respectively, of EGC’s Applied Research and Consulting co-facilitating a mental health care focus group with Somerville residents.

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Leading By Letting Go: Skills in Courageous Leadership for Healthy Collaborations

Leading By Letting Go: Skills in Courageous Leadership for Healthy Collaborations

By the Woven Team

At Woven, Christian women leaders gather to encourage and consult one another. For this year’s consultation, we focused on igniting local collective-action movements. Morning plenary sessions gave practical tools and best practices for effective collaboration and movement building. In the afternoon, women participated in one of two workshops, where they advised local networks focused on social justice and church unity. This blog celebrates the leadership growth we observed from that gathering.

Godly leadership is not about taking control on behalf of God—it’s about taking the lead in making room for God. Knowing how to make space for the movement of God is especially true in collaborative situations.

When we work for a collaborative mission—without seeking individual accolades—Jesus moves freely. And when Jesus moves freely, God’s design for the Church comes alive.

As the women engaged at Woven, they showed courage and growth in collaborative leadership. Here we celebrate that growth and share it with you for your reflection and action in your spheres of influence.

GROWTH AREAS FOR Christian LEADERSHIP IN COLLABORATIONS

Growth Area #1: Surrendering the Mission Back to God

Once you enter a collaborative situation, prepare to lay down what you think is “the mission” on the altar of trust in God’s wisdom. While God may call you to pick it back up, allow yourself time to hear from God—maybe through others—about God’s assignment and priorities.

Unity is not inviting or bringing people along towards your mission statement. Our own mission statement is not the whole of God’s mission within a collaboration.

“Unity is not inviting or bringing people along towards your mission statement.”

Instead, as we put ourselves into a broader array of work God is doing, we piece together all the missions, like a stained-glass window.  Our mission is just one broken piece of glass that God fits with others. If you’re in a leadership role within the collaboration, prepare to facilitate discovery and clarification of a shared mission.

In past years, we designed the Woven consultation day to invite women to discuss their own leadership challenges and supports. This year we decided to focus on building skills for collaboration. We designed a time that would challenge the women to apply the values described here.

Towards that end, we designed workshops that would require the women to lay aside their expectations and agendas to work together towards a concrete goal, in this case, building movements for social justice and Christian unity. We are grateful to the women for their flexibility.        

Growth Area #2: Letting Go of Control

As you step into a community of people who are thinking differently, prepare to experience a new level of trust in God.

Letting others change your perspective is uncomfortable. But as women who have let go of needing to be the one with all the answers know, this openness is critical to engaging in unity work.

In the social justice workshop, one Woven team member was taking whiteboard notes while a group of women was refining language for a discussion question. She noticed that women were using the word “difference” in unexpected ways. Seeking further clarity, she started asking clarifying questions about what the women meant by “difference” and advocated for a specific definition. In doing so, she confused some people and distracted the group from brainstorming ideas. On later reflection, she realized that she needed to set aside her need for precision in order just to listen and capture what the women were saying.

As you listen, try not to “correct” others' thoughts. Instead, focus on gaining perspective. This different focus sometimes requires laying aside how you think a conversation or activity should go.    

Growth Area #3: Sharing Resources

Sacrificial giving is critical to collaboration. If you offer your resources into God’s hands, you might receive them back from the woman next to you, who is giving up her stuff for you. Or you might be the one giving up things for her benefit.

Everyone in a collaboration needs to come into a sharing posture. One participant describes, “Coming in, I didn't realize I'd be engaged in consultancy.  So I had to shift from ‘What do I get out of this immediately?’ to a ‘How do I serve/give?’ mindset and trust that my purpose for being here will be revealed—maybe even after today.”

“Everyone in a collaboration needs to come into a sharing posture.”

By laying aside her agenda, this woman gave herself as a resource. She decided to share her focus, her listening ear, and her expertise as a gift to the workshop group.

Growth Area #4: Role Shifting

Be prepared that you may need to play a different role than the one you are accustomed to. When entering a collaboration, ask God to remind you what has served you in the past, and what has proved useful others. He’ll guide you to the best ways to lead and collaborate in the present situation.

All the Woven participants are experienced leaders, serving in leadership roles in their homes, churches, and organizations. But in the workshop times, many women saw the need to take a follower posture, playing a supportive role—sometimes even for a topic in which they are accomplished experts.

One woman notes, “I did need to continually remind myself of the different places that people were coming from to have this discussion.” In seeing this diversity, she was able to adjust her participation to what the larger group needed.

Growth Area #5: Admitting Failure & Celebrating Success

“Don’t wait for an “end” to celebrate!”

Collaboration doesn’t happen overnight without setbacks or missteps. Learning together requires honest evaluation and continual reflection. Admitting failure builds trust and transparency—prerequisites for genuine cooperation.

Conversely, celebrating successes as we realize them is foundational. Collaboration is a journey, not a destination. Don’t wait for an “end” to celebrate!

When you observe others sharing themselves generously or with bravery, call it out and praise it. When the group pushes through obstacles or engages in hard conversations, celebrate that dedication together.

Woven participants give day-end feedback surveys, and many also seek out team members to share their input in person. We’re grateful that women let us know what tools worked and which felt bulky or distracting. They shared how we could have fine-tuned our facilitation. We welcome and celebrate this feedback. How could any of us improve without honest evaluation?

We see Woven as successful, not because it is flawless, but because it’s an adaptive space that grows based on feedback. We’re honored to support a space where women can come and share as they are, learning and growing together.

One participant shared, “It is not easy for me to share my opinions/thoughts in other circles because of traditions, etc. I tend to be shy anyway. Woven is a place that I felt welcome to speak up. More than that, Boston needs women working towards transformation in all spheres, and Woven encourages me and others.”

The Woven Team 

(Left to Right) Liza Cagua-Koo, EGC Assistant Director, facilitated the social justice workshop. Jess Mason, EGC Supervising Editor, took notes. Nika Elugardo, EGC Leadership Systems Architect, led a plenary session and facilitated the unity workshop. Stacie Mickelson, EGC Director of Applied Research & Consulting, facilitated the consultation day.

Staying Afloat in Multi-Site Ministry: 4 Key Commitments for Long-Term Health

Staying Afloat in Multi-Site Ministry

4 Key Commitments for Long-Term Health

By the EGC Applied Research & Consulting Team and Vision New England

Multi-site church leadership is risky. Enough funding, attendance, and facilities for a site launch provide a great start. But for a new worship location and community to survive and thrive long-term, more is needed. 

The multi-site church movement—wherein a single team manages the operations and shepherding of multiple co-branded churches—hit a major stride in the US just 25 years ago. So multi-sites are not yet old enough to assess their long-term impact on American Christianity. But lead teams are swimming in deep enough waters to have learned some key factors crucial to sustainability.

On November 20, Vision New England brought together 38 current and aspiring multi-site leaders from across New England for a Multi-Site Consultation at LifeSong Church in Sutton, MA. The full-day event provided a space for peers to share insights, successes and failures, and a few dirty little secrets of the multi-site experience.

Based on small group report-backs and participant surveys, Vision New England and EGC’s Applied Research & Consulting team discovered four key insights multi-site leaders repeatedly shared. We believe their insights clarify—both for leaders exploring the multi-site option and for current multi-site staff facing vexing challenges to sustainability—the need for four life-preserving team commitments.

1. Connect with Other Multi-Site Teams

Opportunities are rare to talk openly and honestly about the unique challenges of multi-site ministry. But regular connection to peers in the multi-site experience is make-or-break crucial for team health and practical insights.

Actionable ministry team learning and development happens best with others in the multi-site boat. Other church structures—church plants, missional communities, denominational leadership—are not comparable. The multi-site situation involves logistical challenges not relevant to other leadership experiences.

““What is needed is this—to share both success and shortcomings.””

— participant

Furthermore, spending time with multi-site peers means the conversation won’t shrink away from addressing real-world hazards or the ugly side of multi-site. “Hearing from others and their success and failures” added value in the table discussions.

According to a 2014 Generis report surveying 535 multi-site leaders from around the world, multi-sites also grow faster than single churches or church plants. To stay ahead of the whirlwind, multi-site leaders acknowledge the wisdom of ongoing relationships with others who are currently leading a multi-site or exploring it as an option.

Get Connected with Other Local Multi-Site Leaders

Get Connected with Other Local Multi-Site Leaders

2. Clarify Your Multi-Site Approach & Leadership Structure

Org charts aren’t sexy, and little to no attention is devoted to organizational strategy in seminary training. But a prayerfully and carefully constructed chain of team responsibility and support can mean the difference between a failed experiment and a thriving multi-site community.

“Getting a grasp on different models of multi-site ministry was tremendous," reflected one participant.  Lack of clarity on multi-site approach and leadership structure was the most commonly cited ministry challenge by both current and in-process leaders.

View fullsize

Adapted from Pastor Rex Keener's plenary presentation at the Multi-Site Consultation, November 20, 2017, in Sutton, MA. Click to enlarge.

In plenary session, Pastor Rex Keener clarified that multi-site is not a single organizational approach, but three: franchise, localized, or church-plant style (with multi-site governance). For leaders to thrive, they need to be clear about which multi-site approach they’ve chosen. Asking and agreeing upfront, “What are we going to standardize?” avoids unnecessary community stress.

In Pastor Rex’s experience, asking leaders to adjust, for example, from a more controlled role towards more autonomy is usually not difficult. But asking leaders to adjust mid-stream from more autonomy to less can be painful and demoralizing.

“A prayerfully and carefully constructed chain of team responsibility and support can mean the difference between a failed experiment and a thriving multi-site community.”

In addition, different multi-site approaches require different gifts and skills. Intentionally choosing your church’s approach from the start allows your team to avoid squandering your leaders’ gifts in the wrong role.

For example, sustainable franchise leaders tend to excel in interpersonal skills for partner-, leader-, and community building, whereas effective church plant pastors require strong communication gifts for regular preaching.

But more than any other topic, leaders cited the leadership org chart conversation as the most helpful and impactful part of the day. There Pastor Rex shared multiple, legitimate options for chains of authority and leader support.

View fullsize

Adapted from Pastor Rex Keener's plenary presentation at the Multi-Site Consultation, Nov 20, 2017, in Sutton, MA. Click to enlarge.

For example, in some multi-sites the senior leader directly supervises the campus pastors as well as other key leaders. In other multi-sites, the senior leader supervises another pastor who oversees and supports the campus pastors. Pastor Rex recommended the latter structure especially for churches with more than two sites, because it tends to be more readily scalable—adding a fourth or fifth site will not require a lead team restructure.

3. Go Deeper on Timeline, Location & Real Cost

Participants agreed that not enough conversation has been happening around the logistical challenges of multi-sites.  According to one participant, “The conversation around the way to think through location, timeline, and budgeting were helpful in that they didn’t offer what to think but how to think.”

The financial realities of multi-sites were of particular interest. The most impactful topic of the day was, as one leader put it, “the budget stuff—NO ONE has written a book about that yet!” Published estimates for the first-year cost of launching a multi-site vary wildly. Participants in the room shared estimates ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. In the Generis survey of 535 multi-site churches, first-year estimates ranged from $46,000 to $1.4 million.  

“Not enough conversation has been happening around the logistical challenges of multi-sites.”

The budget discussion raised a number of factors responsible for the wide range of estimates, including: the number of staff; the combined attendance at all sites; whether the site is buying, leasing, or renting property; and the leadership structure.

The leaders broadly appreciated the time devoted to this level of logistical detail, and expressed a desire for more opportunities for such practical deep dives.

4. Prepare to Face Hard Realities

The idea of launching a multi-site in some ways can feel to a church community like a reward for a job well done. When a church community multiplies beyond its capacity, it must expand or risk crowding people out—Yay, growth!

“Going multi-site fixes nothing, it only multiplies everything.”

— from Multisite Church Pitfalls, D'Angelo and Stigile

But leaders can hold an unconscious assumption that multi-site ministry will “just flow”—that the “repeat performance” will be easier than the sweat and spiritual labor that went into the original. Similarly, churches struggling to address the needs of a community bursting at the seams may assume that the multi-site launch will bring relief for overworked ministers.

The reality can often be the opposite of these assumptions, and churches considering a multi-site need to enter such a commitment with eyes wide open. D’Angelo and Stigile warn,

Multi-site creates more problems than it solves—it multiplies exactly who you are today, nothing more, nothing less. It’s not only the good that grows, it has a way of expanding everything in your church…Going multi-site fixes nothing, it only multiplies everything.

For example, despite its efficiencies multi-sites require substantially more—not less— leadership development. Multi-sites boast a higher average level of lay participation that individual churches. Wise lead teams plan to exercise intensive leadership development as a given duty, and prepare for even higher levels of leadership skill and maturity themselves.

Pastor Rex candidly shared the pain with which his church learned the need to restructure their lead team. As the senior pastor, he had been overseeing each campus pastor directly. But he was spread too thin and ministry quality visibly suffered.

His church has now taken the hard transition to a model where he supervises another leader who oversees the campus pastors. This mid-stream shift has involved significant growing pains. Pastor Rex hoped with his radical candor to spare other church communities of this kind of potentially avoidable team stress.

As a reality check for those exploring multi-site, or those bewildered by their multi-site experience, consider how the participants in this conference honestly describe multi-site leadership:

““More is not necessarily better, just different.” ”

— a current multi-site leader

““A difficult road, if you choose it.””

— a leader exploring multi-site

““Think about your systems and structures and make sure you are ready for the challenges.””

— a current multi-site leader

Experienced leaders agree that leading a multi-site is not trivial—it’s a hard upward calling. But take heart—leaders also shared measured words of wisdom and hope:

““No one has done this perfectly. Keep working on a solution that fits your situation.” ”

— a current multi-site leader

““Take it slow.” ”

— a leader exploring multi-site

Vision New England unifies, encourages, and equips the diverse Body of Christ in New England for intentional evangelism. VNE recently convened the Multisite Consultation to create an opportunity for peer fellowship, support, and shared insights among multi-site church teams in New England. Bob Atherton, VNE's Vice President of Member Services, would be happy to connect you with other local multi-site leaders.

Get Connected with Other Local Multi-Site Leaders

Get Connected with Other Local Multi-Site Leaders

White Evangelicals’ Candid Talk About Race: 6 Takeaways

White Evangelicals’ Candid Talk About Race: 6 Takeaways

by Megan Lietz

[Last month I posted A Word to White Evangelicals: Now Is The Time To Engage Issues of Race, a call to action for beginning a journey toward respectful and responsible engagement with issues of race. As an action step, I invited white evangelicals to join me for small group conversation on race. The gathering took place April 1, 2017 at EGC. Here’s what we learned together from the experience.]

With little more than a few key questions and a spark of hope, I wasn’t sure how this first conversation would go. Under a surprise April snowstorm, I wasn’t even sure who would show up. But I sensed that God was in this. Having done my part, I was trusting God to do his.

One by one, eight white evangelical Christians filtered in. Men and women of different ages, life experiences, and church backgrounds came to the table with varied levels of awareness about race-related concerns. Against cultural headwinds of complacency and fear, these eight were ready for an open conversation about race.

Stepping Into the River

To frame our time together, I invited each person in the group to use the image of a river to depict their journey toward racial reconciliation. It was my hope that by recalling our experiences together, we could help one another imagine pathways ahead and find the support to move forward.

As people shared parts of their journey, we heard six unique stories. One man’s engagement with race issues began in the 1960s through his observation of racial discrimination at his university and his subsequent positive reaction toward the leadership of the Black Power movement. This got him thinking and eventually led him to visit a black church. One woman began to seriously think about race only weeks before our gathering because of an eye-opening grad school course.

We then used our river-journeys to reflect together on three simple questions: With regard to our engagement in issues of race...

1. Where are we?

2. Where do we want to be?

3. What can we do to move forward?

Takeaways

As group members began to share their experiences wrestling with issues of race and culture, they did so with relief at the opportunity to speak openly. With a life-giving mix of humility and excitement, the group gave voice to the following shared insights.

1. We Remember A Time Before We Were Aware

Each white evangelical in the room remembered a time in their life before they were aware of the magnitude and significance of racial disparities today. As one participant put it, “I didn’t realize there was an issue. It is hard to know there are racial problems when living in racially homogeneous communities.”

Confronting basic, hard realities shifted their perspective, evidenced by comments such as these from various participants:

• People of color are not treated the same as white people.

• Ethnic injustice was an issue even in biblical times.

• People make assumptions about people’s experiences and needs based on the color of their skin.

• When people just go with the flow, they are unconsciously agreeing with what is going on.

2. We Have Personal Work To Do

The group broadly agreed on the need for white people to engage in personal learning and engage issues of race more effectively. One participant shared, “There are racist systems (that need to be addressed), but I also need to do a lot of [self-]work.”

Another, who became aware of the profound impact race has on people’s lives more recently, added, “Lack of knowledge keeps me from entering the conversation. I’m still learning, so I’m insecure.” A third participant asserted that white people need to do their learning and self-work both before and during their engagement across racial lines.

3. Story Sharing is Key

Many insights affirmed the power of story sharing to bring awareness and practical guidance. It is a helpful step for us to reflect on our own stories and be willing to be honest and vulnerable. It is essential to become good listeners, giving careful attention to the stories of our brothers and sisters of color. Some of our comments were:

• White evangelicals have many things to learn from communities who look different from them.

• We should share our own stories about our journey toward racial justice with our fellow white evangelicals.

• We should take the posture not of “rescuers,” but of mutual learners.

• Sharing our own story can impact others.

• Engaging with white people and people of color who are both ahead of and behind us in the journey can be useful in understanding the self-work we need to do.

4. We Need More Skills to Do Hard Conversations Well

The group identified an obstacle in their work around race: limited skill for hard conversations. They attributed the problem to a lack of good models, especially within the white evangelical community, for listening, dialogue, and engaging conflict.

One participant said that white evangelicals are not good at engaging conflict. He went on to explain that, in his experience, people often announce their opinions in ways that shut down conversations rather than invite genuine dialogue. “When people are not listening and are argumentative, it’s difficult to have the conversations that propel people forward in their journey [toward racial reconciliation].”

5. We Need Brave Spaces

When discussing what these leaders would look for in a healthy conversation, they used words like “open,” “humble,” “honest” and “authentic.”

One participant observed, “Lack of [such spaces] keeps us locked in coasting mode or in the status quo.” Brave spaces to engage in uncomfortable conversation are needed for growth.

6. Growth Requires Ongoing Community

These white evangelicals were seeking brave spaces not just for conversation, but to walk with one another in community. One participant declared his need for a “community of inquirers… that address the current social tensions.”

Another added that single events, while helpful in sparking interest and fostering growth, are less effective in supporting lasting transformation. “We need continuity…There needs to be a group who is doing this work over a length of time.”

Pilot Cohort

With a shared longing to experience new ways of listening, dialoguing, and learning in community, the group committed to experiment together as a cohort for a time. The group agreed to use two upcoming meetings to discuss Debby Irving’s book Waking Up White. We will also attend a lecture with the author.

Through this pilot cohort in EGC’s new Race & Christian Community initiative, we aim to:

• Create a space where the group can try, fail, learn, and grow.

• Practice dialogue that nurtures respectful and responsible engagement around issues of race.

Take Action

Are you a white evangelical Christian interested in a similar, future cohort?

Do you have advice or resources that could help our cohort function more effectively?

Do you want to speak into the development of the Race & Christian Community initiative at EGC?

Please connect with us! We invite the insights of the community and are excited to see where the Lord may lead.

Connect

Thank you for reaching out to to the Race & Christian Community team! Please tell me a little about your interest. I look forward to connecting with you. — Megan

Megan Lietz, M.Div., STM, helps white evangelicals engage respectfully and responsibly with issues of race. She is a Research Associate with EGC's Race & Christian Communities ministry.