Focus Groups Help Congregation Improve Its New Member Ministry

An Episcopal congregation used focus groups to improve its ministry to new members. The author worked with the New Member Ministry Team to design and implement the project. Findings showed that people come from different "church experience" backgrounds and may need customized approaches to...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Scannell, Alice Updike (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Sage Publications 2003
In: Review of religious research
Year: 2003, Volume: 45, Issue: 1, Pages: 68-77
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic

MARC

LEADER 00000naa a22000002 4500
001 1822414873
003 DE-627
005 20221115052723.0
007 cr uuu---uuuuu
008 221115s2003 xx |||||o 00| ||eng c
024 7 |a 10.2307/3512501  |2 doi 
035 |a (DE-627)1822414873 
035 |a (DE-599)KXP1822414873 
040 |a DE-627  |b ger  |c DE-627  |e rda 
041 |a eng 
084 |a 0  |2 ssgn 
100 1 |a Scannell, Alice Updike  |e VerfasserIn  |4 aut 
245 1 0 |a Focus Groups Help Congregation Improve Its New Member Ministry 
264 1 |c 2003 
336 |a Text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent 
337 |a Computermedien  |b c  |2 rdamedia 
338 |a Online-Ressource  |b cr  |2 rdacarrier 
520 |a An Episcopal congregation used focus groups to improve its ministry to new members. The author worked with the New Member Ministry Team to design and implement the project. Findings showed that people come from different "church experience" backgrounds and may need customized approaches to being welcomed and assimilated into the life of a new congregation. Those who assimilate most easily are people who have been, as adults, members of another congregation. Potential new members are alert for messages of "welcome" and "not welcome" in their first visits. "Not welcome" messages include difficulty finding places in the building, not knowing what words to say in worship when responses are not printed, and being ignored at the coffee hour. People have different expectations when they seek a church, ranging from opportunities for spiritual growth and service as individuals or families to finding a community with inspiring worship and shared values. Focus groups are especially useful when the research questions seek to capture insights, perceptions, explanations or comparison of experiences. Findings resulted in the improvement of intentional hospitality and the assimilation of new members into congregational life. 
773 0 8 |i Enthalten in  |t Review of religious research  |d London : Sage Publications, 1959  |g 45(2003), 1, Seite 68-77  |h Online-Ressource  |w (DE-627)362776326  |w (DE-600)2100833-4  |w (DE-576)257192638  |x 2211-4866  |7 nnns 
773 1 8 |g volume:45  |g year:2003  |g number:1  |g pages:68-77 
776 |i Erscheint auch als  |n Druckausgabe  |w (DE-627)1645500535  |k Non-Electronic 
856 4 0 |u https://doi.org/10.2307/3512501  |x Resolving-System  |z lizenzpflichtig  |3 Volltext 
856 4 0 |u https://www.jstor.org/stable/3512501  |x Verlag  |z lizenzpflichtig  |3 Volltext 
935 |a mteo 
951 |a AR 
ELC |a 1 
ITA |a 1  |t 1 
LOK |0 000 xxxxxcx a22 zn 4500 
LOK |0 001 4211058258 
LOK |0 003 DE-627 
LOK |0 004 1822414873 
LOK |0 005 20221115052723 
LOK |0 008 221115||||||||||||||||ger||||||| 
LOK |0 035   |a (DE-Tue135)IxTheo#2022-09-29#8C8FD61BE3CD16DB12ECC183CDED20D0EF23AECF 
LOK |0 040   |a DE-Tue135  |c DE-627  |d DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 092   |o n 
LOK |0 852   |a DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 852 1  |9 00 
LOK |0 935   |a ixzs  |a ixrk  |a zota 
ORI |a SA-MARC-ixtheoa001.raw 
REL |a 1 
SUB |a REL