Ethnography
Church growth starts with knowing the heart of your community and understanding how to meet their spiritual, emotional, and practical needs. Ethnography is a qualitative method for collecting data often used in the social and behavioral sciences. By deeply listening and observing, we help churches connect with their people and align their mission with the real needs of their congregation and surrounding community.
Where Many Churches Get Stuck
Churches often wrestle with a disconnect between their intentions and their outcomes.
Leaders may feel uncertain about how to start engaging diverse congregations—struggling to understand the unspoken needs and cultural shifts that influence attendance and involvement. Without clear insights into the dynamics of their congregation and community, efforts to foster growth can fall flat. This leads to frustration, stagnation, and a sense of being out of touch with the very people they aim to love and serve.
In Luke 15, Jesus shares The Parable of the Lost Sheep—the story of a loving shepherd leaving his 99 sheep in search of the one that is lost. Jesus used this parable to help religious leaders grasp the importance of seeking out the one—the lost, the wanderers, the sinners, and the unchurched of this world.
Many church leaders lovingly meet the daily demands of caring for their current congregation, but struggle to establish meaningful connection with "the lost" in their community.
Engagement Group deploys church audience research and ministry ethnography insights to help churches bridge this gap—offering a path to meaningful connection that fosters spiritual growth for the existing congregation while resonating with visitors from the surrounding community. Because every church and community is different, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for truly impactful ministry.
How We Help You
Engagement Group provides ethnographic insights to help churches: seek out the one (the lost sheep) while caring for their uncover hidden barriers, identify opportunities, and create strategies that truly resonate with their congregations.
Seek out the one (the lost sheep—your target audience)
Shepherd and care for The 99 (your current congregation or "anchor" audience)
Uncover hidden barriers and identify opportunities within your local community
Align your communication efforts to galvanize your congregation behind truly impactful ministry tailored to your community
The proven way to take an honest look at your organization, find out what is holding you back, and define your best steps forward.
Church Growth Strategy Through Ethnography
Culture • Social Context • Community Practices & Beliefs
We start the process of understanding church demographics by researching and defining the church's core or "anchor" audience and those the church is called to pursue—the lost sheep in the community, also referred to as the "church target audience." By blending data-driven insights with a compassionate approach, we uncover the stories and needs that fuel lasting growth.
Community + Congregation Analysis
A detailed demographic and psychographic analysis of of the community, its trends, the church’s fit in it, and understanding anchor and target audiences.
Target + Anchor Audience Definitions
We collaborate with your leadership team to define your unique anchor and target audiences
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