One of the key services that UBA provides to churches throughout the greater Houston area but especially to its member churches is contextual understanding about the city in which we live. UBA staff do this through research, demographics, conducting church surveys, or interpreting outside data points. 

We regularly get asked questions like these:

• “Are the data current?” 

• “How does this directly affect my church?”

• “What about the intangible things, like family life, that aren’t on the census?” 

I’m happy to report there is a new answer to these questions. UBA has been asked to be one of the pilot associations for a brand new national research project that has direct implications for you and your church. 

STATE OF THE CHURCH 2020

Barna (you know their research) and Gloo (the brains behind big-data projects) have partnered together to deploy Barna's State of the Church 2020. This ground-breaking initiative combines years of research and new technology to uncover powerful solutions for every church and pastor. As Barna captures the national story on the State of the Church, Gloo is serving as a trusted technology partner—powering the FREE Barna ChurchPulse survey and equipping Church leaders to deploy it to their people.

Deploying the anonymous 5-minute Pulse assessment in your church allows you to leverage insights into:

• The flourishing of your people

• The thriving of your church

• Your church in the context of national norms

• Best practices for successful ministry

Participating in the ChurchPulse assessment will equip you to:

• See Clearly. Barna’s trusted research findings help you understand the Church’s opportunities and challenges in its future.

• Lead Confidently. Take the guesswork out of your ministry and align your church around strategic next steps with data-informed insights.

• Engage Effectively. Look beyond traditional metrics to know how to respond to the culture’s perceptions of the Church.

• Measure what matters—together. 

We want to help you fulfill your mission as a Church—knowing your heart is to shepherd your people toward real growth to see real transformation in your church and your community.

THE POWER IS IN THE DETAILS

I know what you’re thinking. “It’s a survey- who cares?” But here are a few things that make it different. 

1. It’s free and anonymous. You don’t need to pay for the survey or the results, and your people don’t need to worry about submitting personal data that can be traced back to them or leaked. 

2. Access to your church’s data builds over time. Unlike other surveys, you don’t have to wait until every survey is completed before beginning to see results. Once 25% of your attenders have filled out their ChurchPulse assessment, you will have access to an online dashboard that will continue to update as more surveys come in. 

3. Your people are asked questions about themselves and about the church. This isn’t strictly a church health survey or a personal satisfaction survey. Building on the REVEAL research done by Barna, this attempts to find out people’s perceptions of themselves in areas like career, family, and spiritual health, while at the same time asking how the church is thriving in areas like worship, community, and leadership.  

4. Results are aggregated across UBA. This isn’t a report card, but it is a snapshot of where the needs are in our city. If multiple churches across UBA identify the same needs, we can work together at devising solutions that work for all of us. This will be a tool for greater collaboration to aid our mission of accomplishing the Great Commission in our city. 

SIGNING UP

Because UBA is an “Alpha Network” (early adopter) you need to send me an email to tell me that your church is going to participate. I will reply with all the information that you need and once you register, a Barna/Gloo team member will be notified to follow up with you within 24 hours.

UBA knows that you want to shepherd your people toward being fully mature disciples of Jesus, discipling others into the faith and sent out to accomplish Great Commission tasks. We are committed to working together to see the gospel go forth. This is yet another way that we can demonstrate that we are truly better when we work together. Won’t you join us?

#BetterTogether

Josh Ellis is Executive Director of Union Baptist Association. He has a PhD in Leadership Studies and has served on the UBA staff since 2005. With both practical and scholarly knowledge, he leads the association into innovative collaboration for the sake of strategic gospel advancement.