Congregational Research Tools

Congregations (whether churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, or gurdwaras) are the organizational structures that support the faith lives of millions of Americans. Hartford Institute’s research focuses on better understanding these faith communities and how they are changing. The Institute is also committed to helping religious leaders and congregations better understand themselves with our tools like the church inventory service, our books, courses that teach congregational research, reports from our national studies, or our online instructional guides.

Researching congregations online

With the growing prominence of the internet in our daily lives, researching a congregation has become more accessible than ever. By utilizing these online methods, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of a congregation before stepping into the research or ministry setting, ultimately enhancing your overall experience and insights. While online resources can provide valuable insights, they should complement, not replace, direct observation, participation in services, and interaction with congregational members. Here’s how to effectively navigate online tools for your research.

Initial search

Start your investigation by searching for the congregation itself. Use a reliable search engine like Google or Bing and enter the full name of the congregation in quotation marks for more precise results. Experiment with name variations and search for key individuals, such as the pastor or notable programs.

Congregational website

Check if the congregation has an official website. Evaluate its accessibility—was it easy to find? Take note of its content: what information is provided and what might be missing. Consider what the website communicates about the congregation’s identity, mission, and values, both explicitly and implicitly.

Social media presence

Explore the congregation’s presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X. These platforms often reveal how the congregation engages with its community, promotes events, and shares values. Pay attention to the tone of the posts, member interactions, and the types of content shared.

Online cultural sites and community feedback

Look for reviews on platforms like Google Reviews, Yelp, or Facebook. These can offer insights into the congregation’s reputation, community engagement, and overall atmosphere as perceived by members and visitors. Check the online version of the local newspaper or city guides through mapping services for current events and activities happening in the town. Many towns, cities, Chambers of Commerce, and school boards have websites rich in cultural information, helping you understand the community’s character. Real estate websites often provide detailed descriptions of neighborhoods, offering insights into the local lifestyle.

Connected links

To gain further context, investigate who is linked to the congregation’s website. You can search for links with Google using the query link:{web address}. This can help you identify partnerships, affiliations, and community ties.

Additional research tools

Consider using online church databases and directories specific to religious organizations, such as the Association of Religion Data Archives’ religious group profiles. These platforms can provide contextual and historical information related to the congregation’s demographics and context. To explore the local area, you can use Google Maps to gain insights into local geography, amenities, and community dynamics. You can explore street views to virtually navigate neighborhoods, observe the architecture, and get a feel for the environment. Additionally, Google Maps provides information about nearby businesses, parks, and public transportation options, which can help contextualize the area’s social and cultural landscape. User reviews and photos can further enrich your understanding of the community, allowing you to assess accessibility and the overall vibe before visiting. You might also want to get a perspective on an area’s social service networks and community resources. GuideStar has a database of information on 850,000 nonprofit organizations, ranging from the arts to the environment to community and health services. The National Center for Charitable Statistics site contains fact sheets on revenues and expenses of charitable organizations by state and county.

Virtual tours and online services

If available, attend virtual services or explore video recordings from the congregation’s website or YouTube. This can help you understand the congregation’s worship style, community dynamics, and overall ambiance without being physically present.

Congregational data collection

An important next step is to get the “lay of the land,” or an overview of the general population and the religious ecology through census and other demographic indicators.

Here is a helpful interactive guide to selecting which statistics to use and an introductory-level hypertext statistics book with links to many other resources.

  • You can find many important resources on the US Census Bureau site, such as the economic and community census. The QuickFacts finder or the Explore Data pages are good places to start. Using the latter, you can explore the 2020 census material by a specific address, town, county, or state and then build tables or maps. You might also want to try Data.Gov, a useful repository for many open-access federal government statistics. Much of this information is also downloadable for further analysis.
  • The General Social Survey (GSS) Data homepage allows you to run statistical analyses on many of their national datasets covering a variety of survey topics.
  • The US Religion Census collects data on the number of congregations, members, adherents, and attendees, presenting a nationwide picture. You can play with the data via interactive maps and tables.
  • The Association of Religion Data Archives can help you explore the number and type of local congregations in your study area— the religious ecology. One easy way to do this is to analyze the “Churches and Church Membership” data for the county you are studying. Go to the Association of Religion Data Archive and explore interactive maps of your study area.
  • The landscape mapping project of The Pluralism Project helps you explore the location of non-Christian religious groups.

Denominational overview

Always review the official denominational homepage specific to the congregation you are studying for information about the congregation itself, other area congregations of that denomination, the denomination’s theological position, as well as programs, resources, literature, etc. Many denominational websites also offer information about the regional and local levels of the organization, clergy groups, and other ministries and missions that play a role in the congregation’s life. Likewise, some denominational websites offer demographic profiles of areas or membership data for specific congregations. View our listing of denominational sites.

Further resources on research methods

Beyond the contextual overviews you can gather before visiting a congregation, the web opens up a treasure trove of research and analysis. This digital library not only provides valuable insights but also offers diverse methodologies that can inspire and inform your own research approach. Exploring these resources can transform your inquiry from a simple investigation into a nuanced exploration of cultural and social dynamics.