Survey Says Churches Need to Offer Education for Real-Life Changes
A newly released study has found that within church education, classes for new members were the only type offered by a majority of the surveyed Protestant churches nationwide.
A newly released study has found that within church education, classes for new members were the only type offered by a majority of the surveyed Protestant churches nationwide.
Conducted by Ellison Research in Phoenix, Ariz., the survey explored the types of classes that churches offer at least once a year in an ongoing commitment, according to LifeWay Resources.
Results showed that the number of different classes offered correlates with the size of the congregation, with larger churches offering more education. Churches with an average attendance of fewer than 100 people offer classes on 3.5 different topics whereas churches with 200 people or more offer 7.9.
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Among the church classes, education for new members was the most common, appearing in 60 percent of the Protestant churches. Other classes included the basics of Christianity, 47 percent; how to study the Bible, 43 percent; evangelism or outreach training, 39 percent; and spiritual growth or spiritual renewal, 37 percent.
"Churches are focusing on the basics: what is Christianity, what is necessary for church membership, how to study the Bible," said Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, according to a released statement. "When they go deeper, they tend to focus on basic Christian practices: prayer, evangelism and spiritual growth. These are all critical, but churches also need to recognize why many people come through their doors in the first place. Often they’re seeking real-life answers to marriage problems, issues at work, raising children or financial worries."
First Baptist Church of GlenArden in Landover, Md., with a congregation of over 7,000 members, offers a wide variety of classes from evangelism and finance to education on leadership. One of the most frequently offered classes at GlenArden include a foundational principle class which targets new members.
Smaller sized congregations of less than 100 people, such as Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church in Washington, only offer Bible study classes as the small number of members limit the variety of education that can be offered.
Along with differences paralleled to church size, denominational or theological perspective also account for the different types of education offered. Mainline denomination churches are more likely than those from evangelical denominations to offer education on how to study the Bible, denominational basics, and grief recovery, according to LifeWay. Evangelical churches, meanwhile, are more likely than mainline churches to offer education on evangelism or outreach training, marriage enrichment, financial management and parenting or child development.
Noting that churches are not offering regular education on topics that could apply to people's daily lives, Seller said, "The more a church can move the congregation’s involvement from a 'religious' experience to living out their faith on a daily basis, the more that church can effect a real change in people’s lives and in their communities."
The study does not include topics that are the focus of a sermon series or that are offered on an irregular basis.
