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What Kind of Church Member Am I S By Bob Terry


cott Thumma of Hartford Institute for Religion Research and Dave Travis of Leadership Network conducted a study of more than 1,000 churches. Among their findings was an innovative way of grouping those who attend churches into five categories. The research team also shared some observations about how churches relate to these groups of attendees that are worthy of consideration.


The names of the five groups are not that unusual. They are: the core; the committed; moderate members; marginal persons; and infrequent attenders, visitors and spectators. But when the authors begin to describe each group, one may see the differences between them and begin to ask, “What kind of church member am I?”


The core group is the “leadership elite” of the church. These are church attendees with the greatest involvement in the life of the church and the greatest sense of loyalty to the church.


Together, the core group and the


committed group illustrate the oft-repeated truism that


“20 percent of the people do 80 percent of


the work” in any church.


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Loyalty to the church is usually seen to be an expression of a deep commitment to living a Christian life. Core members are those persons who lead the church’s ministries and missions groups. They contribute well over 10 percent of their income to the church and other charities. Many spend 40 hours or more each week in church-related activities. The church is intertwined in the daily life patterns of core members. The core group usually includes staff members, ministry leaders, some extended family members and others with a profound loyalty to the church. Thumma and Davis say that about five per cent of those present on any given Sunday morning fall into the core group category. The committed group also reflects high involvement in church


life. Members of this group may attend several functions each week at the church. They volunteer to serve in church ministries. They tithe. They participate in small groups. They are concerned


(Continued on next page)


. . . an innovative


way of grouping those who attend churches into five categories

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