Church Health Benchmarks and Trends

Joe Park, CEO of Horizons Stewardship, recently had the opportunity to sit down with Tony Morgan from The Unstuck Group to review and discuss the findings from their latest Unstuck Church Report. This edition focused on staffing and structure.  

Below is Joe’s summary of the report's findings and how leaders can apply its insights into their ministry strategy. 

Study Highlights: Insights into Church Health 

The Unstuck Church Report for August 2024 provides insights into trends and benchmarks in churches based on data collected from 387 churches. The report highlights various aspects of church operations, including attendance, engagement, staffing, and finances, comparing growing and declining churches. 

Summary of Key Findings from Survey Data 

 Based on the survey data, here is a summary of key findings: 

• Data Collection Scope: The study surveyed 387 churches from July 1 to July 26, 2024. These churches varied in size, with an average weekly attendance of 1,056. 

• Attendance Growth: Weekly attendance saw a remarkable 17% increase, with 40,000 new faith commitments recorded over the past year. 

• Online Engagement: Digital worship views (online and on-demand) soared to 65 online worshipers for every 100 in-person worshipers continuing an upward trend that is here to stay among thriving churches.
  

• Volunteer Engagement: While adult and student involvement grew to 52%, volunteer numbers dipped slightly to 38%. 

• Church Dynamics: Growing churches tend to feature modern worship styles, heightened online activity, and increased conversions. In contrast, churches experiencing decline have larger governing bodies, more committees, and higher staff costs. 

• Ministry Outreach: Churches reported a 9% growth in new contacts and a 19% increase in faith commitments, with home groups being the primary means of connecting outside regular services. 

• Staffing and Finances: Staffing levels have stabilized at one staff member per 60 attendees, with 49% of the budget allocated to staffing, aligning with recommended ranges. 

• Financial Health: Offering income experienced a 7.4% uptick, and most churches now have over six months' worth of cash reserves, indicative of strong financial health. 

• Lifecycle Stages: The study categorized churches by their lifecycle stages: 38% are maintaining, 21% are strategically growing, and others are either launching or on life support. 

These findings paint a dynamic picture of the current state of churches, highlighting significant growth in attendance, engagement, and financial stability, while also pinpointing potential areas for improvement. 

Recommended Next Steps for Church Leaders 

Based on the summary of the Unstuck Church Report for August 2024, here are some recommended next steps for church leaders, especially related to financial matters: 

4 Practical Ideas for Church Leaders 

• Invest in Digital Engagement: Invest in high-quality video production for your digital services. Regularly update your online content to keep it fresh and engaging. Don’t forget to include your online congregation or worshippers in your discipleship strategy. Make it easy for them to participate and grow in their practice of generosity. 

• Design Interactive Online Experiences: Incorporate interactive elements such as live Q&A sessions, online prayer meetings, virtual small groups, and online giving to foster a sense of community, connection, and commitment. 

• Celebrate and Promote Volunteers: Create programs to recognize and appreciate volunteers. Highlight their contributions during services and on social media. Volunteers are statistically likely to also be givers as their ministry keeps them connected and part of the mission-delivery engine of your church. 

• Create Flexible Volunteering Options: Don’t just settle for volunteers who are willing to commit to traditional roles. Offer diverse volunteer opportunities that cater to different schedules and skill sets, especially if you are growing a virtual congregation. This could include short-term projects, remote tasks, or family-friendly activities. 

• Make Generosity Part of Your Discipleship Pathway: Explore how to raise awareness and visibility of generosity in the design of your discipleship pathway. Look for opportunities to invite your community to begin or grow in their practice of generosity through the life of the church. 

• Provide Financial and Generosity Learning Experiences: Provide financial literacy training for your congregation to encourage generous giving and wise financial management. 

• Develop an Integrated Funding Strategy: For churches in the 'maintaining' or 'strategically growing' stages, develop long-term strategic plans focusing on sustainable growth and community impact. This is especially important as many churches see a substantial amount of money coming from older households. This could put a congregation’s financial stability at risk. 

• Measure Effectiveness, Impact, and Giving: Churches need to understand what’s working and what’s not to make sure they are using available resources to create the biggest impact. In addition, measuring the giving habits of your congregation will help you know how to help people take the next step in their generosity journey. 

By implementing these practical ideas, church leaders can build on the positive trends identified in the study, address existing challenges, and create a thriving, engaged community. 

You can access the final version of this report in our free online resource library Giving365.com

Horizons Stewardship believes that church health is critical to creating a culture of generosity. If you’re ready to take your ministry funding capacity to the next level, we’d love the opportunity to connect.