Staying Current as a Church Consultant

by | Jun 26, 2023 | Church Consultant

Church Consultant - Staying Current

Keeping up with events that impact the Church is vital to the role of the Church Consultant. I have compiled a list of 20 websites you might find helpful in searching for useful statistics about the Church. Note that the statistics’ quality and updates might vary depending on the website’s specific focus.

  1. Pew Research Center – Religion and Public Life: http://www.pewforum.org/
  2. The Association of Religion Data Archives: http://www.thearda.com/
  3. Christian Research Institute: https://www.equip.org/
  4. National Council of Churches Yearbook: https://www.yearbookofchurches.org/
  5. World Christian Database: http://www.worldchristiandatabase.org/ (Subscription required)
  6. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary – Center for the Study of Global Christianity: http://www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/research/index.cfm
  7. Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion: http://www.baylorisr.org/
  8. Hartford Institute for Religion Research: http://hirr.hartsem.edu/
  9. Barna Group: https://www.barna.com/
  10. Lifeway Research: https://lifewayresearch.com/
  11. Christian Century: https://www.christiancentury.org/
  12. Religious News Service: https://religionnews.com/
  13. Christian Post: https://www.christianpost.com/
  14. Christianity Today: https://www.christianitytoday.com/
  15. Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability: https://www.ecfa.org/
  16. World Council of Churches: https://www.oikoumene.org/
  17. Protestant Church in the Netherlands – Statistics: https://www.protestantsekerk.nl/thema/statistiek/
  18. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (for ecumenical statistics): http://www.usccb.org/
  19. The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture: https://raac.iupui.edu/
  20. Religion Unplugged: https://www.religionunplugged.com/

Please note that validating and cross-checking any data found on these websites is crucial. Furthermore, it is vital to understand the context, methodology, and biases that may have been involved in the data collection and interpretation. Also, some of the listed sources may provide general data on Christianity or religious institutions, which could include data on wide variety of churches.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.