BLOG: APPLIED RESEARCH OF EMMANUEL GOSPEL CENTER
The Value and Relevance of Community Research
In-depth research helps us go below the surface.
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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.
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The Nature of Community Research
What is community research?
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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
From community-based participatory research to social-network analysis, there are various ways Christians can learn more about the communities they serve.
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
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.
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.
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A frank look at the sources, accuracy, limitations, and weaknesses of some commonly used church statistics in Boston. As convenient and convincing as statistics are, they can be misunderstood, misapplied, and generate misinformation.