Barna and Gloo Announce State of the Church Initiative

Church-wide initiative will equip ministry leaders with research and common metrics to better measure human flourishing and church thriving

BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 2, 2024 -- Gloo, the leading technology platform dedicated to connecting the faith ecosystem, and Barna Group, a visionary research and resource company, announced a new initiative called State of the Church 2025. The initiative seeks to equip ministry leaders and their communities with regular research findings and measurement tools to better advance human flourishing and church thriving.

"State of the Church 2025 is a new vision, a new way of thinking about the oldest work that we could be called to — building Jesus' work in the world," said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. "As we listen to church leaders and analyze the data, it's clear that leaders need new methods and resources to advance their mission. That's why we're excited to share regular research, stories, and measurement tools that help Christian leaders understand the current social and spiritual trends in the Church and in their own contexts."

The initiative will include monthly research releases, success stories from the faith community, and practical content. It will also include the "State of Your Church," a suite of tools — including assessments and dashboards to help network leaders and local church leaders see the state of their own church.

"The big C Church has gone too long without a common way to measure what really matters," said Scott Beck, CEO of Gloo. "Using a common set of metrics like human flourishing and church thriving helps church leaders and their people know and be known — so that every person can become all they were born to be."

About the measures:

• Human Flourishing: Work from Barna Group and Harvard University points to seven dimensions of flourishing that provide a holistic view of well-being and quality of life. These areas include finances, physical and mental health, vocation and purpose, relationships, contentment, and spiritual formation.
• Church Thriving: Decades of research from Barna Group surface 15 unique areas that provide a framework for understanding the health of ministries. These include dimensions such as prayer culture, trusted leadership, and resource stability, to name a few.

The State of the Church was first launched in 2020, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, and was primarily focused on research. Gloo and Barna pivoted quickly to serve the needs of church leaders by providing tools to help them stay close to the needs of their people while navigating the changing landscape.

"Our goal, then and now, with this research and these common metrics, is to help leaders be even more effective at knowing and discipling their people so that the Church can thrive in our complex and fast-changing culture," said Kinnaman.

The initiative kicks off with early research releases and a free church toolkit in October, followed by regular research drops, new content, tools, and two major events in January and March of 2025.

Key Highlights From State of the Church

• Monthly research based on key themes released throughout the year
• Surveys and assessments based on common metrics
• Results dashboards, insights and next steps to help leaders know and serve their people
• Personalized results and next steps for congregants
• Monthly stories from the faith community on what's working
• Practical application content

"The initiative tools — whether it's the research, the assessments and dashboards, or the content — are all designed to be used within the context of relationships, because that's where people grow best," said Beck. "But no single organization could support these growth journeys on their own. That's why partners from across the faith community have come together to provide help to church leaders and their people in the form of content, resources, services and more. It's really a Church-wide initiative."

Learn more at stateofthechurch.com.

Originally published on PR Newswire October 2, 2024

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Gloo is the trusted tech platform that releases the collective might of the faith ecosystem. Gloo connects ministry leaders to resources, people, insights, and funding so their people and communities flourish and their organizations thrive. Gloo does this with the highest standards of trust and scalable economic models. Gloo serves over 75,000 churches and more than 1,000 resource partners. 

Barna is a leading research organization focused on the intersection of faith and culture. Since 1984, Barna has conducted more than two million interviews over the course of thousands of studies and has become a go-to source for insights about religion, leadership, vocation and generations. Barna is an independent, privately-held, nonpartisan organization based in Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas.