US Congregations
www.uscongregations.org

The “US Congregations” website houses information on the U.S. Congregational Life Survey. Anyone expecting to find a storehouse of data on the 300,000 worshipers surveyed in 2001 will be disappointed. But the recently revamped site does connect its visitors with resources aimed at helping congregations and church leaders learn from the survey’s results.

A number of publications are sold on the site, including Beyond the Ordinary: Ten Strengths of U.S. Congregations, which reports on the health and vitality of congregations, and A Field Guild to U.S. Congregations, which presents demographic findings on the characteristics of worshipers and congregations. Both books are helpful primers presenting the research results in ways accessible to church leaders. There are some free, downloadable resources and reports on the site, as well. Several are of special interest to Presbyterians.

How does your congregation measure up? There is information on the site about how a church can administer the U.S. Congregational Life Survey with its own worshipers. The cost is $1 per survey ordered plus a processing fee of $100 to $400, depending on church size. Four to six weeks after completing the survey, the church receives back an eight-page customized portrait of its worshipers and a report showing how it scores on the ten key areas of congregational strength. A leader’s guide and videos are included to help interpret results and spur planning.

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