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Tools for Community Study

By Ronald J. Sider, Philip N. Olson, and Heidi Rolland Unruh

Methods you can use to get to know your community in preparation for ministry:

Census data and other published reports: The census (available on the Internet, http://www.census.gov) provides a wealth of demographic information and tracks changing trends. Other kinds of studies of your community may also be available from a local university, school board, chamber of commerce, or another church.

Maps: Get or make a detailed map of your community. Fill in symbols for the key components of community life: owner-occupied, rental, and abandoned buildings, businesses, schools, nonprofit institutions, government agencies (post office, police station, welfare office), youth-oriented places and hang-out spots, churches, etc. Color-code the symbols to indicate which represent key assets, needs, and potential partners.

Surveys: Use written or oral questionnaires and ask residents to identify local needs, issues, and assets. Surveys are best conducted door-to-door by church members. If church members are not from the community, try to pair each member on the survey team with a local resident who knows the people in the neighborhood.

Interviews: Interview leaders and insiders in the community (elected officials, business leaders, other pastors, long-time residents). Ask about their experiences and perceptions of the community, as well as their perceptions of your church. Ask how churches could contribute to the community’s well-being.

Community informant panel: Invite a selection of experts on the community — school principal, city council representative, police officer, business leader, and neighborhood association representative — to meet at the church. Have each person give a brief presentation on the community and answer questions. Include church members who live or work in the community, particularly in service positions such as health-care providers or teachers.

Focus groups: Gather a group of community residents to share their insights. Groups can either reflect the diversity of the community or share a common key characteristic (such as seniors, or parents of teenagers). Start by asking broad questions about people’s opinions and observations of community life. As your ministry vision narrows, focus groups can also target specific questions (such as what kinds of ministries for seniors are needed, or why residents think so many local teens are becoming pregnant).

Observation: Conduct visual surveys by foot and by car ("windshield surveys"). Shop, eat, and take public transportation in the community; visit public spaces like parks, libraries, and welfare offices; attend public events such as a Little League game or a town meeting; volunteer for local nonprofits.

—Adapted from Ronald J. Sider, Philip N. Olson, and Heidi Rolland Unruh, Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community With Good News and Good Works(Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), 263.