Cynthia Woolever and Deborah Bruce
October 4, 2007
Evansville
Grasping what makes congregations strong is more helpful than identifying organizational weaknesses. Based on the results of the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, Cynthia Woolever (left) and Deborah Bruce present new language about what makes a strong congregation. More than 300,000 worshipers around the country shared information on what is life-giving in their congregations. Growing spiritually, meaningful worship, participation, a sense of belonging, caring for children and youth, focusing on the community, sharing faith, welcoming new people, empowering leadership, and looking to the future are the ten strengths found in healthy congregations.
In this daylong workshop, Woolever and Bruce moved participants through a discussion of congregational strengths. Participants learned how to focus on their congregations’ strengths and why focusing on strengths is important. “What is God calling us to be and do as a congregation?” is a central question that workshop participants engaged. They discussed the Ten Strengths of a Healthy Congregation and how to apply this information in your congregation. The Ten Strengths serve as conversation starters for visioning meetings, reflective tools for assessing the strengths and uniqueness of your congregation, and interpretive tools for creating meaning out of the ongoing ministry of your congregation.
Woolever is the director of the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, a major effort that involved more than 350,000 worshipers and 2,000 congregations. Bruce is the project manager and resource designer for the U.S. Congregational Life Survey. Bruce works in the Research Services office of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Woolever has been a practitioner of religious organizational research throughout her career, including teaching positions at Hartford Institute for Religious Research and Midway College in Kentucky. The women co-authored Beyond the Ordinary: 10 Strengths of U.S. Congregations.
