Projects

Faith Communities Today

Several members of the Research Forum have taken part in Faith Communities Today, a research and educational program of 42 faith groups and denominations.  Researchers from the faith groups planned a questionnaire together in order to gather comparable data from local churches, synagogues and mosques--altogether involving 95% of all who worship regularly in the U.S.A. The researchers agreed to share basic findings with each other and to release the aggregate data. In addition, the faith groups have developed procedures by which they will encourage congregations to look at themselves in the light of the findings.

Each faith group has named a Key Teacher who will be primarily responsible for follow-up in his or her religious community. For several years the Key Teachers have been developing materials and programs appropriate to their own denomination or groups. The Key Teachers will make presentations in places where congregational life shaped: among denominational leaders--both national and regional--in theological seminaries, and at national and regional events. For more information, see the Faith Communities Today website: http://fact.hartsem.edu