Stop Guessing. Start Knowing.
Discover how your congregation and community actually perceive your church with data-driven research that reveals exactly where to focus your efforts.
Learn About Research OptionsYou're Making Decisions Based on Assumptions
Leadership thinks the church is known for one thing. Long-time members think it's something else. Newcomers experience something different entirely. And the community? They might not know you exist. Without data, you're flying blind.
How Decisions Usually Get Made
Most churches make communication and strategy decisions based on:
- What leadership hopes is true
- Feedback from the loudest voices (not the majority)
- What other churches are doing
- Gut feelings and anecdotal stories
What Data Lets You Do Instead
When you stop guessing and start measuring, you can:
- See the gap between perception and reality
- Prioritize with confidence instead of guessing
- Build buy-in with evidence, not opinion
- Focus your limited time and budget where it matters most
What if you had actual data?
Research That Reveals the Truth
Our comprehensive research studies give you quantitative and qualitative data about how people actually perceive your church — both inside your walls and in your community. This isn't just a survey. It's a strategic diagnostic tool that shows you where reality matches your hopes and where it doesn’t.
Internal Clarity
See what your people are really experiencing.
- The gap between leadership's vision and people's experience
- What's working and what's getting lost in translation
Community Awareness
Understand how visible and memorable you are outside your walls.
- How (or if) your community knows about you
- How you’re perceived compared to other churches
Strategic Confidence
Make decisions with evidence, not guesswork.
- Where to invest your limited time and resources
- Evidence to build buy-in for necessary changes
Three Research Approaches
What We'll Ask
Congregation Questions
- "In one sentence, how would you describe our church to a friend?"
- "Rate your agreement: I can clearly explain what our church stands for."
- "How do you currently learn about church events and announcements?"
- "I would feel confident inviting an unchurched friend to our church." (1–5 scale)
- "What's one thing we should START doing?"
Community Questions
- "Have you ever heard of [Church Name]?"
- "What words come to mind when you think of this church?"
- "Rate: This church seems welcoming to people like me."
- "What would make you more likely to visit a church?"
- "What are the biggest needs in our community?"
How It Works
Week 1 · Design & Setup
- Kickoff call to align on goals and customize questions
- Survey design and testing
- Recruitment strategy and materials
- IRB-style ethical review (we protect respondent confidentiality)
Weeks 2–3 · Data Collection
- Survey launch with multiple touchpoints
- Monitoring response rates and sending reminders
- Facebook Ads management (for community surveys)
- Focus group scheduling and facilitation
Weeks 4–5 · Analysis
- Data cleaning and coding
- Cross-tabulation analysis (comparing different demographics)
- Thematic analysis of open-ended responses
- Identification of key insights and patterns
Week 6 · Reporting
- Draft comprehensive report with visualizations
- Executive summary for quick reference
- Strategic recommendations tied to findings
- Presentation deck creation
Week 7 · Presentation
- 60–90 minute meeting with your leadership team
- Walk through findings and implications
- Facilitate discussion and action planning
- Answer questions and provide context
The Power of Data-Driven Decisions
Build Consensus
Data removes personal opinion from the equation. When you have evidence, it's easier to get buy-in for changes.
Reduce Risk
Making a major decision (rebrand, building campaign, new initiative)? Research validates your direction or reveals blind spots before you invest.
Measure Progress
Establish a baseline today. Re-survey in 12–24 months to track how perceptions shift as you implement changes.
Is Research Right for Your Church?
This Is Essential If You:
- Are considering a rebrand or major strategic shift.
- Have plateaued or are declining and don't know why.
- Are preparing for a capital campaign.
- Have a new senior pastor who needs to understand the culture.
- See disconnect between leadership vision and congregation experience.
- Want to reach your community but aren't sure how they perceive you.
- Need data to build a case for change with resistant stakeholders.
You Can Probably Skip It If:
- You just need basic communication tweaks and your primary barrier is execution, not insight.
- Your church is very small (under 75 people) and you already know your people very well.
- Budget is extremely tight and you can only afford a single workshop right now.
- You're not willing to act on potential hard truths or make changes based on what the data reveals.
What You Receive
Detailed Data Report (30–40 pages)
Full survey results with charts, graphs, demographic breakdowns, and cross-tab analysis.
Executive Summary (5–10 pages)
Key findings at a glance with major themes and top recommendations.
Strategic Recommendations
Specific, prioritized action items based on what the data reveals.
Presentation Deck
Visual, digestible format for sharing with broader leadership or congregation.
Verbatim Quotes
Themed collections of actual responses to open-ended questions.
Raw Data Export
Anonymized Excel file for your records and future analysis.
Leadership Presentation
60–90 minute facilitated session with Q&A.
90-Day Check-In
Follow-up call to assess progress and adjust recommendations.
Common Questions
How do you get community members to take the survey?
We use targeted Facebook Ads within your geographic radius, offering a small incentive (such as a $5 gift card or prize drawing). This typically generates 200–400 responses.
Will people be honest, especially in focus groups?
Yes. As an outside facilitator, I create a safe space for honesty. People are often more candid with me than with their own staff. All responses are kept confidential.
What if the results are negative or discouraging?
Data is neutral — it simply reveals reality. I present findings with empathy and always connect them to actionable solutions. Most churches find it freeing to finally know what's really happening.
Can we survey just certain groups?
Absolutely. We can target specific demographics, ministry areas, or tenure groups. Customization is part of the design process.
How is this different from the free surveys we could do ourselves?
Professional survey design, recruitment strategy, robust analysis, and strategic interpretation. Most churches struggle with low response rates, poorly worded questions, and don't know what to do with the data. I handle all of that.
Can we share results with our congregation?
Yes, with some guidelines. I help you create a congregational summary that's honest but constructive. Full raw data stays confidential to protect respondents.