The 'Wiki Encyclopedia of CityReaching' is collaboratively sponsored by the 'Center For Urban Innovation'... "Producing Innovative Multicultural CityReachers."

CityReaching Research

"You Can't Love a City if You Don't Know a City."  

(Video and 7-part series by @EdStetzer via Christianity Today) 

2022 U.S. Religious Census:  "Nondenominational is Now the Largest Segment of American Protestants".

2020 Micheal Emerson Multicultural Research updated.

2018:  Our churches are 4 times LESS DIVERSE than our neighborhoods. (CT)

https://twitter.com/indychristian/status/1011399738648879107?s=21

2015:  Most religious locations per capita (Indianapolis).  And most Unaffiliated per capita (Seattle). 

Current Research News...http://Cities.Barna.org

• Indianapolis research notes
  

Also: podcast of MAC CityReaching telecon with Dr. Glenn Smith, re 12 Indicators.

Shaping the Future... Discussion re Research & Metrics

"May your love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may be … filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ." [ref]

'Big Questions'... In what ways can objective assessment... help stimulate & accelerate the Great Commission?  Given that current data seems to reflect a largely-ineffective American model for doing 'church'... we now want to help explore and innovate... toward more-biblical models for carrying out the Great Commission. 

• "Should we measure church effectiveness?"
• "How should we measure church effectiveness?"
• Here are some caveats on the topic in general... Dr. Van Rheenen's 'Helix Model' insights.

Research-Techniques Presentation at CCDA 2007, by Heidi Unruh -- (Outstanding!)  (published below with permission)

• Presentation:  "Research in the Service of Christian Community Development" (.ppt)
• Presentation Outline   (or view as MS Word file)
• Presentation Handout  (or view as MS Word file)

What research is currently available which provides meaningful data pertinent to reaching our cities for Christ?

• Barna Research --

• Faith by Cities, 2010
• Now available PER CITY $99 (which includes related State results too)
  

• Special New Report -- but with changed methodology and definition of 'Biblical Worldview'.  Be careful to read Barna's special note near the end of the article.

  "Readers are encouraged to realize that the figures described above regarding a biblical worldview are somewhat different than a similar measure reported by The Barna Group in prior years. The earlier measure included an additional component, which had to do with the source of their worldview. When that measure is included, it typically decreases the percentage of people with a biblical worldview by about half."

• Commentary @IndyChristian

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• 2019 (and 2017 supporting data) Barna Report:  "U.S. Adults see Evangelicals through a Political Lens" (cites 'evangelical' as 6% nationally).
• (2017) "How we got here - a discussion of spiritual and political profiles"
   
• Our former entries here... Especially see their annual "Faith By Market" Study Report... (cost $$$)... purports to show tons of metrics per major metro areas.  Here's at least one Barna report containing the national "4% Biblical Worldview" number which we refer to quite often.  And here's a copy we've archived for posterity.]  And apparently only half of Protestant pastors have a biblical worldview.  Pastor/blogger Mark Roberts addresses this research extensively (in a 2004 blog-post & series).  Here's Focus On The Family's 'Truth Project' aimed at biblical worldview. [albeit not necessarily sharing the same understanding of 'truth' as many others.]  Note: Often researchers vary in their definition of 'evangelical'.  Secular researchers tend to define 'evangelical' as... those who self-identify as 'evangelical' or 'born again'. Such a definition is a broad categorization often referred to as 'notional evangelicals'... vs. the tighter Barna definition based on actual core beliefs.  The Barna definition tends to be more useful, because it more highly correlates to actual transformation and behaviors.

   

• Revolution-In-Jesusland Interview with George Barna in Jan 2008 
• GreatCommissionResearch.Net -- currently housed @WesleySeminary (Marion, IN) - @BobWhitesel
• @EdStetzer weighs in on pastors, authors, researchers... in Christianity Today (Jan.2010).
• Kerby Anderson's Commentary on 'Spiritual Maturity' (re measuring)
• 'Transformational Church'... a review done recently re churches impacting lives & communities.
• Annual "State of the Church At Indianapolis" Report... is a research project we would very much like to do in December 2007 to get a baseline for measuring 2008 impact.
• "Indy 400" = 400 people in the Indianapolis metro area who die each week... 'between sermons'.  Here's the math.  Underlying stats came from the U.S. Census, as displayed at this Indiana.edu site (see Population tab).
• Segregation:   Research article (2015):  "9 Most-Segregated Cities" - And here's a separate mapping research.
• The center is also collecting inputs re some "Big Questions", such as...
• What is the Model Urban Leader? (ie, CityReaching Leader)
• What is the Model Church?
• Is the Church commanded to be Multicultural?
• What might a Model City Plan look like?  Do any cities have a 'cityreaching plan'?    Greater Wichita (Newton) area.  And Indianapolis is starting one.
• What research exists re the 'effectiveness' of a 'neighborhood' church vs. a metro or mega church? 
• Bible Reading is Number One metric for Spiritual Growth (Lifeway) 
• Is there a Christian research clearinghouse which we need to be vitally aware of?
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What research is current available re 'our neighbors'... ie, about people in general, and the communities around them?

Visit Lifeway Research Blog -- Ed Stetzer

• Pew Research -- Blacks, Neighborhoods, Poverty, etc. (11/13/2007) -- Outstanding!
• [Indianapolis Star article re that same report... with local anecdotal comments.]
• American Ethnicity Map -- by each denomination -- Glenmary Research Center

Great Research Links:

• Barna Research
• Ellison Research 
• Lifeway Research and Ed Stetzer blogging re Research -- article re Lifeway & Ligonier Research Project 
• Bible Literacy (Research) Center
• North American Missions Board (NAMB) People-Groups Research
• American Church Project 
• Pew Internet & American Life Project 
• Pew Religious Landscape Survey
• ARDA - Association of Religious Data Archives - recommended by Center for Congregations - especially their Community Profile Builder feature.
• Glenmary Research Center
• GallupPoll.com -- esp. their "Religion & Social Trends set of research.
• SAVI.org -- Social Assets & Vulnerabilities Inventory -- a GIS system for Central Indiana.  (Someday the C4UI like to help train students and local pastors & other leaders how to use the SAVI system.)
• List of great Demographic Research Links... at Savi.org -- Not all are just Indianapolis area.... but thankfully, many are.
• Greater Indianapolis (CityReaching) Mapping-page - wiki-page of links, ideas, etc.
• IUPUI Polis Center -- here's an interesting example
• Indy911calls.com -- secular site of crimes mapped neighborhood by neighborhood.
• Indiana Stats
• Live example for Marion County, Indiana... demographics from Census Bureau.
• See our MAPPING wiki-page.
• SustainableMeasures.com.
• United Way's 'State of Caring' datalinks -- per Heidi Unruh, this may well be THE site for developing community indicators.
• Wikipedia & WikiMapia may be great places to start finding great info re your city or neighborhood.
• Best Places -- for instance, Indianapolis page there -- demographic & quality-of-life info
• City-Data.com -- for instance, Indianapolis page there -- great demographic info there.
• Census Bureau's "National Data Book".
• Sustainable.org's List of U.S. communities developing indicators
• IISD Compendium -- global directory of 'indicator' initiatives.
• DataPlace.org - simple search engine... you can also participate there.  Example:  Start at Indianapolis overview.  Also see GROUPS for collaborating.
• Urban Institute's National Neighborhood Indicators Parnership (NNIP)
• KnowledgePlex.org -- esp. re housing
• Hartford Institute for Religious Research -- Faith Communities Today
• PulpitAndPew.duke.edu
• PewTrusts.org -- may even fund your research
• www.dca.state.ga.us/commind/default.asp -- interactive, esp. helpful for Georgia residents.  And to understand about community indicators.
• SBC/NAMB... 'Center For Missional Research'
• Heritage Foundation -- Research
• Todd Rhoades at Monday Morning Insight blogs about measuring Success vs. Faithfulness.
• Ligonier / Lifeway Research re TheStateofTheology.com -- here's the research pdf. 
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• CityReaching Research Tool ?  (ie, to measure/survey online in Indy... and beyond?)
• Heidi Unruh gave a great workshop re Community Research at CCDA 2007.  Here's an audio from 2006.  More Unruh tags.
• ChristianScorecard.com -- Read 'Scoring for Change'.
• The Layman's Guide to Social Research Methods
• "A Shrinking Divide" (???) -- IndyStar Research
• Steve Freeman & Jim Taylor's cityreaching questionaires.
• "CORRUL"... Rice University, Dr. Michael Emerson & Dr. Michael Lindsay.
•  -- Dr. Emerson is author of a research study & 2 books re the Multicultural Church.  See his article in April 2005 Christianity Today cover story... "All Churches Should Be Multiracial".
• GINI Initiative -- Indianapolis.
• Salt & Light Guidebook (Knoxville) includes a lot of research.  [Recommended by Heidi Unruh.]
• Association of Religion Data Archivers (TheARDA.com) - ht:SKandris
• North American Religion Atlas (ht: SKandris)
• Religious Research Association (some archived abstracts)
• Christian Research Association (Australia)
• Power of Connecting -- NetWiki initiative
• Social Science Research Council -- re methodology
• Wikipedia has now started drilling down to NEIGHBORHOODS.... eg Indianapolis.
• Boston Indicators Project -- "Measuring What We Value"
• Thought:  Do our 'Big Questions' really ask the types of things we'd most want to research?
• EFCA Churches "10 Leading Indicators of Church Health"
• Mark Bates (FMC) Measuring Church Growth
• David Bicksler (FMC) Spiritual Agendas of Measuring Church Growth
• Map: Where megachurches are located in the U.S.
• Bradley Wright -- REVEAL Study.  And another researcher who noted Barna/Sider's flawed (Divorce) meme.
• Barna's NEW numbers re Divorce -- Note IndyChristian's Commentary, following.
• Habits of Highly Effective Evangelistic Pastors/Planters
• U.N.'s Millenium Development Goals (MDG) indicators
• Indiana Youth Institute has great youth-data available upon request.
• Conservative Theological Research -- Scott Shafran (CBMC FB-friend)
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•  Research tags. 
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• (Here in the early going, please feel free to write your questions in here, which beg to be asked & answered.  Or provide answers here... or links to great research already available perhaps.  We do not wish to recreate the wheel... if the information is already in the works.)

Biblical basis for CityReaching research...    [To be developed....   let's build a number of biblical reference-links... Here are some initial thoughts... "taking serious assessment of oneself"... "test everything and hold onto that which is good"... Nehemiah surveyed the needs... Jesus looked over the city, knowing the needs, knowing some would reject his provision, and wept... Paul absolutely was planning and assessing what he needed to be doing next.  Proverbs... "Know the condition of your flocks, for a crown is not secure for all generations."  Paul's comments to pastors/elders of what to do re their flock.  The office of deacons arose from assessment and reporting of the needs caused by segregation in the early Church.  And importantly, look at the compelling assessment of the 7 churches in Revelation -- are they not also implied commands for ALL of us to take stock and ensure we're not guilty of those assessments?  Especially look at Thyratyria... using a time-based metric for change... ie, they're doing better over time.  Btw, a simple story that all Sunday school children know... little David assessed the need to take out the giant, and he remember God's promises to the Israelites -- he seemingly didn't even pray, he just went, picked up what he believed to be an optimal amount of stones for his slingshot... and went and did the job.  What other biblical references can you think of re 'assessment'... or 'investigating the needs or solutions'???]

Per Bill Hybels & Greg Hawkins (REVEAL) Video... "Facts are our friends."

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Some impromtu notes during Mission America Coalition's teleconference call with researcher/author Michael Lindsay (Oct 2007)...

Dr. Lindsay's bio at Rice University

His new book:   "Faith in the Halls of Power"

His other books, and by similar authors & topics.

• WSJ Review article
• Michael's YouTube video
• Gallup Guidebook
• Social Explorer (.com) 
• Not all research is equal... check "Response Rate"... should be at least in the 40-70% range.
• Get diverse inputs, in a focus group.  [Maybe even ask... Are there others who would be vitally interested in these sorts of things?]
• book differentiates 'populist' evangelicals (outspoken) vs. 'cosmopolitan' evangelicals (low-key, 'authentic lifestyle').
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• Q:  "How Are We Doing?"  (best metric?) say annual snapshots of impact?
• Q:  "Share some special insights re 'new media' as it's accelerated change in the RESEARCH world."

Some cityreachers expressing interest in further research:

• Bill Chastain, Dallas
• Timothy Conner, Wichita
• Wayne Crooks, San Antonio
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Some stray notes during Pastor Hudson's lecture re Research Methods of "New Media for Urban Change".

• Free information sources provides a lot of useful info.  However, generally not acceptable for official research papers.
• Cheap information may be too 'expensive' to use -- there's no replacement for effective quality.
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• Informational Cascades? 
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• Consider 'The Star' or Inquirer, etc.   ...vs. the Indianapolis Star.
• Consider the author, the potential 'agenda'...
• Btw, Google News effectively filters sources.
• But there's no replacement for reviewing the underlying data and credentials.
• Is your source a blog, politically-motivated company or government source?
• But the converse is also true sometimes... some bloggers tend to be fact-checkers and expose poor research or misuse of facts.... lying with percentages, for instance.
• Does your research consider the methodology that may be impacted by various cultures.
• Peer review of researchers?  Christian researchers?
• But New Media (bloggers) if astute, may be able to help change the world by challenging assumptions, and by fact-checking.
• Hybels statement re good communicator needs to be responsible for truth!  Likewise, us as 'new media'.
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• Erv's questions...  What is that (ie, describe it further so I'm clear on what you're saying)?  Where did you get that? (ie, how authoritative?)  Why do you personally believe that's true?  What if you're wrong?
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