I Love Looking at Stats
I have to confess – I love statistics. When I was growing up I was a huge Yankees fan (I grew up in Brooklyn after the Dodgers had left for Los Angeles and before the Mets arrived.) I could tell you the batting average of any player on the team, Whitey Ford’s ERA and the every team’s place in the standings. I still love statistics – I pour over the Diamondbacks and Suns box scores in the newspaper each morning while eating breakfast.
So I was interested in an article that appeared recently in The United Methodist Reporter. It noted, among other things, that although 96% of United Methodist congregations use the hymnal, the use of ethnic, global, praise and contemporary music is increasing. 73% sing praise choruses regularly in worship. The most common style of worship is traditional, with blended second and contemporary third. (In our own little worship survey Blended is in the lead with Contemporary second and Traditional third.) 81% of congregations celebrate Holy Communion monthly while 7% offer it weekly.
Use of global or ethnic music is low. 84% rarely or never sing in other than their primary language. However, most congregations say use of global, ethnic and multilingual songs is important for hospitality, solidarity with the whole Church and for reinforcing our global nature. 78% sing with a piano, 72% with an organ, 17% use a praise band and 14% use prerecorded tapes or CD’s for accompaniment.
As far as use of modern technology, 57% project song lyrics for congregational singing. 42% use a computer and LCD projector while 13% use an overhead projector.
Sometimes statistics can give us a snapshot of a very large and diverse system. Using statistics can help us spot trends and see what others are doing that might help us be more effective. Sometimes, if you’re like me, it’s just fun!
Blessings,
Steve