Measuring congregational wellbeing

As an increasing number of members is leaving the church, church development debates focus on organizational downsizing, regional cooperation and new expressions of church. A perspective on the quality of the life of the church is often neglected.

Therefore, the IMK is developing an instrument to measure the quality of the life of a congregation based on empirical methods and theological concepts.
Conceptually, the instrument is based on wellbeing theories. In other academic disciplines, the concept of wellbeing has increasingly gained importance as an alternative to previous measurements of growth, development and progress. Wellbeing is also a promising concept for church congregations. The analysis of congregational wellbeing or: “what does it mean for our congregation to be well?” will give important insights for church leadership. Therefore, the IMK is focusing its research on what wellbeing encompasses in the context of the church, how it can be measured and its implications for church leadership.