JourneyOnline
Synod Research Officer Bruce Mullan launched a free congregational resource at Synod called Stats have Faces.
The resource was developed by Uniting Communications in consultation with Scott Guyatt (project officer Mission Engagement), Mark Cornford (project officer Christian Formation) and Trinity College Queensland. It assists churches to conduct a self-directed review of their mission strategy by collecting data and exploring their local area.
“We believe that within every congregation God has provided the skills and wisdom to analyse their own situation and the discernment to hear what God is saying to them,” said Bruce.
“We’ve called it Stats have Faces because we are convinced that statistics are an essential tool for learning about our missional context, and because we believe strongly that statistics don’t tell the whole story.”
The Stats have Faces process includes a Bible study, tools to access demographic information about the congregation and local community, an exegetical walk and mapping exercise, and analysis of the data.
“Stats have Faces is not about giving you answers but about helping you to ask the right questions as you discern how God is calling you engage with your local community,” said Bruce.
