Every two years, Vineyard Columbus takes a survey of our congregation. Our most recent survey was taken in March 2014. What did we discover about our church?

We are becoming more racially diverse.

Eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is still the most segregated hour in the United States. Only 14 percent of all congregations in America are considered racially diverse, which is generally defined as having at least 20 percent of the congregation being non-majority.

Vineyard Columbus has gone through a massive change in the last 12 years. In 2002, whites constituted 89 percent of VC. Now whites make up 67 percent of our adult population. If we include children, our church is about 63 percent white and 37 percent non-white (blacks and Hispanics are much more likely in our church to live in households with kids than are white attendees).

VC is slightly more diverse than our county (Franklin) which is 70 percent white. VC has higher percentages of African Americans (18 percent) and Africans (4 percent) than Franklin County. Our percentage of Asians mirrors Franklin county (4 percent) and we have a slightly lower percentage of Hispanics (3.6 percent) compared to 5 percent for our county. Our percentage of Hispanics is growing as a result of starting our newest campus, La Viña.

Small group attendance is still heavily skewed toward white attendees, likely because the church traditions of black and Hispanic attendees have not historically revolved around small groups. Small group involvement is still a new and sometimes intimidating step for many non-whites at VC.

Vineyard Columbus is highly educated.

Nearly two-thirds of our adult attendees (64 percent) have at least a college degree with one-fourth (25 percent) possessing a post-graduate degree. We have nearly twice the percentage of college grads as does Franklin County – 64 percent versus 36 percent. Our campuses are especially highly educated. At our Lane Avenue campus, 82 percent have at least a college degree and 35 percent have a post-graduate degree. At Sawmill, 73 percent have at least a college degree and 33 percent have a post-graduate degree. At our East Campus, 70 percent have at least a college degree and 36 percent have a post-graduate degree.

We have a higher percentage of women than men.

Of those attending VC, 57.5 percent are female and only 42.5 percent are male. This compares to the average church in America in which 61 percent of the attendees are female and 39 percent are male. When we overlay our gender data with our marriage data, one statistic jumps off the page: if men divorce or don’t marry they are much less likely to go to church than women. The typical man in our church is much more likely to be married than is the typical woman. Among our single parents, there are three female single parents for every male single parent.

It is a great tragedy that men in American generally don’t participate in church unless they are married because every study confirms this fact: church is good for men! If a man is involved in church they are much more likely to be engaged as husbands and fathers in their family. Church lifts people out of poverty. Church attendees have greater self-esteem, less depression and much higher satisfaction with life. Church involvement is the single most important predictor of marital stability and happiness. Yet, despite the many benefits of church, our most recent survey tells us that women at VC tend to volunteer more than men, they do devotions more often, they invite many more people to church (sadly, 30 percent of the men at VC never invite anyone to accompany them to church) and women are more likely than men to be involved in one of our small groups.

Vineyard Columbus has an increasing number of foreign-born attendees.

We found that 11.4 percent of our attendees were born outside the United States. That is nearly a quarter higher than Franklin County in which 9.2 percent of all residents were born outside the United States.

What else does the survey tell us about Vineyard Columbus?

• We are becoming slightly more married than we were in the past. Fifty-seven percent of our church is married, up from 50 percent in 2004 and 54 percent in 2010. Twenty-eight percent of VC attendees have never married, 12 percent are separated or divorced and 1.5 percent are widows or widowers.

• We are becoming wealthier. This could be because of the end of the recession, but it could also be in part because we have fewer 18-24 year-olds in our most recent survey. Median income at VC for a family is slightly above $60,000. Four years ago, our median income was closer to $50,000. Nearly 40 percent of VC attendees make more than $80,000. The median income in Franklin County is $50,000.

• The frequency of church attendance is going down. Fewer people attend church every week. The typical person at Vineyard Columbus attends two to three times a month.

• Thirty-eight percent of our attendees have committed or recommitted their lives to Jesus Christ at VC. We continue to see many conversions and baptisms at our church.

• Involvement in small groups has slightly increased. About 53 percent of our adult attendees are involved in a small group.

• Slightly more than 28 percent of our adult attendees tithe (give 10 percent or more of their income) and another 17 percent say they give at least 5 percent.

• Over 60 percent of our attendees have devotions at least three times per week and nearly 30 percent say they have devotions every day of the week.

• Fifty-nine percent of our attendees are members.

As we look over the survey data, one thing is really apparent. We have a huge amount of work to do to disciple our own church in giving, in fellowship, in membering, in reaching out (via such simple means as inviting people to church), in serving and in engaging in a daily devotional life. We need to learn how to break down barriers so that non-whites feel more comfortable in attending a small group, and we need to strategize about how to communicate the many benefits of church attendance to the men of our community.

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