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Christ’s Missionin Norwalk
A report byMonte SahlinSenior ConsultantCenter for Creative MinistryNovember 2009
Goals of this Studyn Understand the status of the
Adventist mission in Norwalkn Profile the spiritual life and vitality of
the Norwalk Churchn Find effective ways to reach the
communityn Provide information for future
planning and problem-solving
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Outlinen Background & trendsn The mission fieldn Congregational surveyn Analysis & recommendations
Backgroundn 1883 – Tent meetings by the blind
evangelist Eugene Briggsn Land purchased & a building put upn Team from Battle Creek Sanitarium
teaches a course on home nursingn 1902 – Church school begins with 11
children and by 1904 it had 20n 1908 – Youth organization started
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Backgroundn 1910 – Pico Rivera church is plantedn 1913 – D. D. Fitch & P. L. Knox hold
meetings in Norwalk and then in Artesia, where a church was planted
n 1932 – Reuben Nightingale conducts public evangelism in Women’s Club
n 1933 – 85% of church members paid tithe during the Depression
Backgroundn 1942 – Church building remodeledn 1958 – Pathfinders build a boatn 1960 – Public evangelism in the
church by Pastor Robert Zamoran 1962 – Health outreach by a team
LLU medical students & facultyn 1964 – C. T. Halburg honored for
serving 50 years as church treasurer
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Backgroundn 1975 – Norwalk’s Ninety Years by Dennis
Kevoian is publishedn 1977 – New church facility dedicatedn 1982 – Our Daily Bread Bakery & Bit O’
Heaven Day Care begin operationsn 1987 – Golden Hills Health Retreat startsn 1988 – John VanDenburgh evangelismn 1993 – City mission center built with a
range of ministries
Membership & Accessions
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1883
1912
1913
1915
1919
1942
1956
1960
1963
1968
1970
1980
1985
1990
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Membership Baptisms
5
Total Yearly Tithe
$488,053
$599,167
$636,237 $690,487
$689,193 $737,238
$747,220
$748,368
$752,286 $770,471
$620,287
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Membership Estimates
Shut-in or away3%
Inactive49%
Attend regularly
48%
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Norwalk as a Mission Fieldn Norwalk is a suburb of Los Angeles with
106,000 residents in 27,000 householdsn One Adventist for 768 people
n USA: 1 to 305n New Guinea: 1 to 25n Zambia: 1 to 22n Jamaica: 1 to 14n Belize: 1 to 10
Who are the people living in this community?
Young Families66%
Young Starters8%
Struggling Hispanic Families
7%
Lifestyle Segments
Red area = 21 other segments with very small
numbers.
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“Large, Young Families”n Mostly people under 40n High numbers of children under 15n Higher percentages of Blue Collar workers, but
primarily workers in service industriesn Above median incomen More involved in religion, especially Mormon,
Nondenominational, Holiness, New Age and Jehovah’s Witnesses groups
n Interested in churches with Church school, Day care, Marriage Enrichment, Youth activities and Family outings and activities
“Reliable Young Starters”n Mostly GenXers in their 30s, two-career couples
without children, most with a college educationn Pay high rents; most not buying a homen Key concerns—Find a satisfying job, Affordable
housing, Finding direction in life, Aging parents, Neighborhood gangs, Parenting skills
n Less interested in religion with above average percentages in Judaism, New Age, Unitarian and Catholic faiths
n Want a church that has Sports, 12-step group, Divorce Recovery, Spiritual retreats, Contemporary music
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“Struggling Hispanic Families”n Large numbers of children and mothersn Large household sizen High percentage without a secondary diploman Very poor, but husbands are workingn Key concerns—Gangs, getting education, day-to-
day financial worries, teen/child problems, affordable housing and finding a good church
n High percentage less involved with faith in the last ten years; above average percentages prefer Jehovah’s Witnesses & Pentecostals
n Would like a church with 12-step groups, sports, family counseling services, participatory music and contemporary music
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2014 is an estimate
Population Growth
93,541
103,348 106,035109,282
1990 2000 2009 2014
Age Groups
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Under 5 Under 18 Age 65 and older
Norwalk National
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Ethnic Profile
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Asian Black Hispanic White
NorwalkNational
Immigrants
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Foreign born Speak anotherlanguage at home
NorwalkNational
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Housing
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Owner-occupied Renter-occupied
NorwalkNational
Education
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Secondary diploma College degree
NorwalkNational
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Married
52%
53%
54%
55%
56%
57%
58%
59%
Men Women
NorwalkNational
Special Needs
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
Disabled Veterans
NorwalkNational
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Median Household Income
$45,841$42,257
$56,601 $52,599
2000 2009
NorwalkNational
Poverty
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
Individuals belowpoverty line
Families belowpoverty line
NorwalkNational
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Cost of Housing
$1,775
$1,427
$297 $402
Median monthlymortgage
Median monthlyrent/lease
NorwalkNational
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
Religious Preferences of Norwalk Residents
Other13%
Evangelical27%
Protestant17%
Catholic20%
No religion23%
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Religious Involvement of Norwalk Residents
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Strongly Involved SomewhatInvolved
Not Involved
Norwalk National
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
Religious Involvement of Norwalk Residents
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Increased Involvement inLast 10 Years
Decreased Involvement inLast 10 Years
Norwalk National
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
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Top Needs in the Community
n 50% Achieving financial securityn 38% Neighborhood crime & safetyn 37% Maintaining personal healthn 36% Day-to-day financial worriesn 28% Dealing with stressn 26% Finding good schools n 24% Dealing with neighborhood gangs
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
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Needs in the Communityn 22% Dealing with teen/child problemsn 22% Finding time for recreationn 21% Getting health insurancen 20% Obtaining better quality health caren 20% Achieving a fulfilling marriagen 18% Finding friendsn 17% Finding any jobn 17% Finding a satisfying job/careern 16% Finding affordable housingn 16% Developing parenting skills
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
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Needs in the Communityn 15% Planning retirement opportunitiesn 14% Alcohol/drug addictionn 14% Dealing with racial/ethnic prejudicen 13% Problems with schoolsn 13% Caring for aging parentsn 12% Abusive relationshipsn 12% Dealing with social injusticen 12% Finding a good church
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
Low-priority Needs in the Community
n 11% Finding direction in my lifen 11% Finding spiritual teachingn 10% Getting an educationn 9% Obtaining adequate foodn 8% Affordable child caren 4% Dealing with divorce
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
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Church Programs People Want
n 38% Bible study & prayer groupn 38% Family activities & outingsn 34% Youth activitiesn 23% Family & personal counselingn 21% Active retirement programn 20% Doctrinal study groupn 17% Marriage enrichment seminarn 17% Music/art/drama programs
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
Church Programs People Want
n 14% Care for the terminally illn 12% Spiritual retreatsn 10% Parent training classn 9% Day caren 8% Clothing & food for the needyn 7% Sports or campingn 6% Church school (day school)n 5% 12-step group for addictionsn 2% Divorce Recovery program
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
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Church Program Preferences Index
19
3
-3-6
Personaldevelopment
Recreation Social services Spiritualdevelopment
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
How I prefer for churchesto contact me …
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Telemarketing
Door to door
Phone for a visit
Newspaper ads
Cable TV
Radio spots
Direct mail
YesNo
Source: Percept Group, Inc.
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Survey of Congregationn A standard questionnaire was
distributed during worship on two Sabbaths in August 2009.
n A total of 109 usable questionnaires were returned which represents 56% of average attendance on those Sabbaths, a response rate well above professional standards, indicating a reliable sample.
Age groups by generation
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Before Boomers Baby Boom Gen X Millennial
Congregation Community
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Gender
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Men WomenCongregation Community
Annual Household Income
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Under$25,000
$25,000 to$49,999
$50,000 to$74,999
$75,000 to$99,999
$100,000 ormore
Congregation Community
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Level of education
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
No secondarydiploma
Secondarydiploma
College degree Graduatedegree
Congregation Community
Marital status
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Married Never married Divorced Widowed
Congregation Community
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Ethnicity
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Asian Black Hispanic White Others
Congregation Community
Citizenship at birth
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
USA OthersCongregation Community
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Attendance
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
None One out of lastfour weeks or less
Two out of lastfour weeks
Three or four outof last four weeks
Norwalk Church U.S. Adventist Churches
Church Membership
Not5%
Adventist Church member
95%
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Tenure as a Baptized Adventist
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Less than 5 years Five to 10 years 11 to 20 years More than 20years
Norwalk Church U.S. Adventist Churches
Raised by an Adventist parent
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Yes NoNorwalk Church U.S. Adventists
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How much does worship at this church help you with everyday life?
Some25%
Not much13%
Greatly62%
How much have you grown in your faith in the last year?
---------Much growth---------
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Throughthis
church
Throughanothergroup
Throughprivate
activities
Somegrowth
No realgrowth
Norwalk ChurchU.S. Adventists
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Assurance of Salvation
20%
88%
12%
80%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Certain or very certain Not certain
Norwalk Church North American Adventists
*Mission in Metropolis, p 110
Conversations with Coworkers about their Personal or Family Needs or Spiritual Topics
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Almost daily Once a week Once in a while Never
Norwalk Church Metropolitan Adventists*
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Church Involvement
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Has a ministry role Attends SS class Participates in asmall group
Gave Bible studies
Norwalk Church North American Adventists
Has anyone asked you personally to volunteer time in the last year?
No41% Yes
59%
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Evaluation of Sermons
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Addressing social problems
Encouraging witnessing
Stimulating thought
Relevance to everyday life
Encouraging spiritual growth
Bible content
Do very well Fairly well Not at all
Perceptions ofNorwalk Adventist Church
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Members are excited about the future
New people are easily assimilated
Activities strengthen personal relationships
Has a clear sense of mission
This church is grace-oriented
This church is warm & friendly
Programs are well organized
Describes very well Not sure Describes poorly or not at all
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Strong sense of belongingto Norwalk Adventist Church
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Yes andgrowing
Yes, butthe same
Yes, butless so
No, but Iam new
No, wishI did
No, thatis OK
Norwalk Church U.S. Adventists
Involvement in making important decisions
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Givenopportunity &
oftenparticipate
Givenopportunity &occasionallyparticipate
Givenopportunity, but did notparticipate
Not givenopportunity,
but that is OK
Not givenopportunity &
unhappy
Norwalk Church U.S. Adventists
32
Overall Evaluation
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Small groups
Community service
Church board
Evangelism
Help for individuals
Children's ministries
Youth group
Worship
Pastor's leadership
Parking
Excellent Uncertain Poor
*Personal contact by relatives, work associates,
acquaintances
Observed to be Most Effective Methods to Bring in New Members
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Door-to-door contacts
Community health
Media ministries
Small groups
Youth/children's ministry
Bible studies
Public evangelism
Friendship Evangelism*
U.S. Adventists Norwalk Church
33
*Personal contact by relatives, work associates,
acquaintances
2 - Observed to be Most Effective Methods to Bring in New Members
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Other
Family life seminar
Music concerts
Literature
Revelation Seminars
Community service
Friendship Evangelism*
U.S. Adventists Norwalk Church
How Far is Your Home from the Congregation You Attend?
20%24%
33%
55%
9%
35%
23%
Same ZipCode
SameTown
SameCounty
DifferentCounty
Norwalk Church U.S. Adventists
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Visibility of the Adventist Churchin this Metropolitan Area
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Very well known andoften visible
Somewhat known andoccasionally visible
Not very well known andnever visible
Norwalk Church Midwest East coast
n 90% of Norwalk Church members who filled out a survey questionnaire are willing to get personally involved in some kind of community outreach.
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Community Ministries: Willing to get Personally Involved – Pt 1
18%
18%
18%
18%
20%
22%
22%
25%
Stress management class
12-step groups
Family counseling
After-school tutoring
Thrift store
Disaster Response team
Health screening events
Health education classes
Community Ministries: Willing to get Personally Involved – Pt 2
13%
13%
14%
15%
15%
15%
17%
17%
Medical clinic
Youth drop-in center
Job-finding program
Parenting classes
Homeless shelter
Weight loss program
Diabetes support group
Job training classes
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What major needs in the community should the church address?
Don't know11%
Internal concerns of the church
7%
Religious needs32%
Youth needs9%Health
education9%
Poverty, jobs, community
services32%
The three most important goals for Norwalk Church – Pt 1
27%
30%
32%
42%
43%
49%
Church growth
Increase knowledge of the Bible
Deepen prayer life
Stronger commitment to Christ
Encourage spiritual growth
Worship God
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The three most important goals for Norwalk Church – Pt 2
6%
6%
7%
13%
16%
18%
Raise level of financial giving
Transform the local community
Understand community needs
More people involved in ministry
Increase unity in diversity
Equip members for evangelism
Theory of Congregational Life Span from Research
Plateau for 25-40 years
Early Growth First 25-40
years
Slow decline over 50years
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Analysisn Research has shown that growth in
Adventist churches comes from:n Community involvementn Rich spiritualityn Intentionality (goals, planning)n A positive atmosphere in congregationn Activities for the unchurched on
Sabbath
An Adventist Missional Paradigm
“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’”
• The Ministry of Healing, page 143
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Recommendationsn Conduct a Vision for Mission
workshop with a representative group of church members to revitalize the mission of the Norwalk Church.
n Start a Connections Ministry using the Connections curriculum on spiritual gifts and ministry, including a Ministry Development Committee.
More Recommendationsn Present a series of sermons on the
ministry of the laity and conclude with a “ministry fair” at which members have opportunity to get involved in a new menu of ministries.
n Appoint a task force to study the structure and organizational procedures of the Norwalk Church; Are they still appropriate to a church of this size?
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More Recommendationsn Appoint an appropriate group to study the
feasibility of presenting community programs at the Deli, a kind of “café church” in the evenings.
n Have an appropriate professional do a program evaluation of the City Mission Center and its programs, including interviews with a number of key civic leaders.
To Contact Monte Sahlinn [email protected] (800) 272-4664
n © 2009, Center for Creative Ministry
