In an era where church leaders face unprecedented challenges, the question of how to effectively measure ministry impact has never been more crucial. And traditional metrics like attendance and giving, while important, tell only part of the story.
In response to this need comes the State of the Church Initiative, a groundbreaking partnership between Barna Group and Gloo. This initiative offers pastors a more comprehensive view of both their congregation’s health and the broader state of the American church. Representing years of research by Barna Group, long trusted for their insights into faith and culture, this framework introduces the 15 Dimensions of Church Thriving, looking at how churches cultivate life within their congregation, how they equip people for ministry outside church walls, and how they strengthen leadership culture and operations.
Moving from the communal to the individual, this comprehensive model also looks at the 7 Dimensions of Human Flourishing, which includes faith, relationships, finances, purpose, health, character, and contentment. The State of the Church Initiative aims to look beyond surface-level metrics to understand the true practical and spiritual impact being made.
To support these efforts, the State of the Church is releasing a year-long State of the Church Event Series. This series helps church leaders keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the big C Church. With new research conducted weekly, the Series tracks growing trends as they align with the church calendar, offering pastors practical next steps on how to understand and utilize this research in their churches.
What makes this event series particularly valuable is this dual focus on individual church health and national trends. While each congregation is unique, understanding broader patterns helps leaders contextualize their specific challenges and opportunities. This data, married with tools for measuring local impact, will help leaders immediately engage following each event.
This year’s State of the Church Event Series features a range of topics designed to engage and equip ministry leaders. Upcoming episodes include “Church Engagement” (premiering March 12th), “The Rising Tide of Knowing Jesus,” “Pastoring in the Age of AI,” and “Next Gen and Mental Health.” Each session brings together research experts and innovative church leaders who are successfully navigating today’s ministry challenges.
For pastors seeking to move from guessing to knowing about their congregation’s health, the State of the Church Event Series offers an unprecedented opportunity to access fresh research and practical measurement tools throughout the year—and it’s completely free to attend.
Join thousands of church leaders who are discovering new ways to measure what matters and lead their congregations toward greater flourishing. Subscribe today.
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