Church data analytics

[Jonah24]

My church recently has talked about how the secular world does much better than the church regarding 'data analytics': maintaining comprehensive data on individuals and making informed decisions on how to run an organization based on that data. Church leadership also indicated that this is an area that this is an area they want to grow into. Recently, my church has made a more significant effort to capture more data regarding its congregation. At first things were relatively simple, such as needing to enter my birth date in order to join a small group. However, the scope has been broadening recently. For example, I was asked to submit a form noting whether or not I had been baptized in the past (even if it was at another church) and also provide the date that baptism occurred.

I have no problem being public about my faith and the world knowing that I am a Christian. What I do have an issue with is the church collecting large amounts of data about its congregation and asking questions digitally that I typically only share in person with people. I have not had a chance to think yet about whether I want these things in a database. I am also not sure whether or not I want them to be discriminating/filtering options for me based on electronic data I am providing them. For example: church involvement has become more digital recently, especially as my church has moved to electronic small group sign-ups.

Has anyone else experienced this sort of thing at their church or have any thoughts on this issue?

 

[tampasteve]

To be honest, I have been asked if I were baptized, as well as many other personal questions, when I have joined any church as a member. If the church does not have that data on members that were grandfathered in before they started asking then I can see it to be reasonable to ask now.

It is also not uncommon in some churches that practice closed or close communion to be asked by the pastor if you are a member of that denomination (which your home church would have records of baptism, dob, confirmation, etc.) before the service, or to be expected that you will approach the pastor before the service, so as to ensure you can partake of communion.

 

[seeking.IAM]

There is a lot of data analytics useful to a church that could be gathered anonymously through blind surveys. I would also be cautious about putting too much of my identifiable information into anybody's database if I had a chance to control it.

 

[bèlla]

Most data collected is passed on elsewhere or sold for a profit. I'd explore the fine print to determine how it's used and legal culpability. What happens if they break their word?

They don't need your birthday for a small group unless they're sorted by age and that usually works on an honor system. They don't need your anniversary, hobbies or interests. Just because you enjoy something doesn't mean you'll want to do it there.

Companies ask questions along those lines when they want to sell you something and churches are businesses. The information you've mentioned is for demographics. Once they've gathered it they can pitch products to certain groups, target others for outreach, etc.

I went to a neighborhood church a few years ago and gave them my mobile number. They started texting me all the time. I had to make them delete it from their database. I'll never make that mistake again. I'm careful about the things I share. I probably wouldn't give out my address either. I know what it reveals.

Look at your pre-Covid numbers and compare them to the present. Reference attendance and donations and consider the data changes during that period. Look at the annual reports as well. They want the data for a reason. They may not tell you all of it but you can do your homework too.

~bella

 

[PloverWing]

Providing a church with the date of one's baptism is pretty standard, I think, if you're joining the church as a member. But the whole data analytics thing in a church context makes me nervous. The church isn't supposed to be a business that uses marketing to sell a product, even though that's a tempting viewpoint for us capitalistic Americans.

Has the church leadership said what they plan to do with the data they collect?

 

[seeking.IAM]

Once again, data analytics can be very useful to a church for trend analysis without requiring personal information from individual members. Some may find this example interesting from the "Report of Episcopal Congregations and Missions (otherwise known as the Parochial Report)" tracked by each church in my denomination's diocese and reported annually to the diocesan office:

Aggregate annual numbers for each item listed:​

Increases in membership; decreases in membership; # active baptized members; # adult/youth communicants in good standing; # others who are active; average Sunday attendance; average principal worship attendance on a weekday; # Easter Sunday attendance; # marriages conducted; # funerals conducted; # of Holy Eucharists celebrated; # daily offices and other services held; # baptisms; # confirmations; # youth/adults enrolled in education programs; # of pledges; total giving from pledges/plate offerings; amount from investments used for operations; unrestricted bequests used for operations; funds received for capital projects; $ to diocesan assessment; major improvements & capital expenses; total expense for outreach and mission; total cash on hand and investments.​

That is a lot of useful data allowing for trend analysis, none of which requires private congregant information to be collected.

 

[FireDragon76]

Providing a church with the date of one's baptism is pretty standard, I think, if you're joining the church as a member. But the whole data analytics thing in a church context makes me nervous. The church isn't supposed to be a business that uses marketing to sell a product, even though that's a tempting viewpoint for us capitalistic Americans.

Has the church leadership said what they plan to do with the data they collect?

It's also a practice that could be abused, particularly in an atmosphere like many churches that attract authoritarian personalities.