Time to Start a NEW STREAK! 

Something unusual has happened in the Central Texas Conference. For the first time in 24 months, the local churches of the CTC did not report growth over the previous 12 months. After 23 consecutive months of growth in the CTC, the data reported via VitalSigns showed a less than 1% decline in average worship attendance. Even with the slight decline, there are still some very encouraging datapoints.

  • The conference has 44 percent of churches reporting growth, with the Central District leading the way with 32 churches increasing their average worship attendance.
  • The North and West Districts report overall growth and the decline in the other districts is slight and easily reversible.
  • Churches that have launched and nurtured New Faith Communities continue to show strong growth with median growth of 2 percent overall and boasting that 59 percent of churches with NFCs are reporting growth.

Professions of faith did show a decline from the pace in 2019, which reinforces the need to continue and increase an emphasis on professions of faith as was indicated by the 2019 EZRA “checkout” numbers reported last month.

 

While it’s a tad disappointing when a good streak comes to an end, it doesn’t mean the game is over. The mission and WIG of the Central Texas Conference remains as vital and important as ever. As Bishop Lowry has stated many times, no matter what happens at General Conference – our communities and the people who live in them need vital, vibrant, growing local churches to introduce them to the love and peace and hope of Jesus Christ. The end of our growth streak can mean only thing…it’s time to start a new growth streak!

 

In the Central Texas Conference, we’re committed to our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. In fact, we’re so committed that we set a Wildly Important Goal (WIG) to challenge ourselves to move beyond our comfort-zones. We’ve identified two measurements to help us determine how we’re doing—average worship attendance market share and professions of faith. A church calculates market share by dividing average worship attendance by the number of people in the mission field.

 

AVERAGE WORSHIP ATTENDANCE

A 12-month rolling average of Average Worship Attendance
 

PROFESSIONS OF FAITH

 A Year-to-Date accumulation of total Professions of Faith for 2018
 

 

Highlights

Average Worship Attendance

  • The conference has 44 percent of churches reporting growth, with the Central District leading the way with 32 churches increasing their average worship attendance.
  • The North and West Districts report overall growth and the decline in the other districts is slight and easily reversible.
  • ​Churches that have launched and nurtured New Faith Communities continue to show strong growth with median growth of 2 percent overall and boasting that 59 percent of churches with NFCs are reporting growth.

​Professions of Faith

  • Professions of faith did show a decline from the pace in 2019, which reinforces the need to continue and increase an emphasis on professions of faith as was indicated by the 2019 EZRA “checkout” numbers reported last month.


     

Thank you for reporting your weekly data to VitalSigns*, and thank you for all of your hard work and dedication in meeting our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!!!

*If you or your church is having difficulty of any type in entering weekly worship attendance and professions of faith data into VitalSigns, please call your District Office for assistance.