Hartford Seminary findings

Hat tip to PrettyGoodLutherans for a brief commentary and pointer to the recently-released Hartford Seminarystudy that notes the following:

• The location of a congregation is less important today than 20 years ago
• Helping church members develop relationships with one another is critical. Small groups are an effective means.
• Contemporary worship attracts new members more than traditional forms
• Social justice work is critical to drawing new church members
• Church websites are critical. (Potential members are more likely to check out a congregation first through its website than take the time to visit a worship service.)

I’m going to need to read the report at more length to discern how strong these conclusions are, but the last two in particular excite me!