MissionInsite: Going Deeper beyond Basic Categories

By Tom Bandy Strategic thinkers often want to explore a specific demographic detail for which there is no one single category in the Build a Report process. Recently I was asked to research locations with a high population density for children aged 5-13 in families below poverty. MissionInsite only allows you to do separate OpportunityScans …

How to Use MissionInsite: Customizing Christmas

By Tom Bandy You can use MissionInsite to make this Christmas especially meaningful for distinct lifestyle mosaics that live in your reach. This is particularly useful for urban churches experiencing growing lifestyle diversity that is transforming their surrounding neighborhoods. Centralization is what happens as urbanization moves along major transportation corridors, isolating rural areas, and forcing …

The Challenge to Reach Singles and Starters

By Tom Bandy The single most difficult group for churches of any variety to reach is Group O Singles and Starters. There are six segments included in the group: O50 Full Steam Ahead                      Younger and middle-aged singles gravitating to second-tier cities O51 Digital Savvy                            Young Singles who live digital-driven smaller city lifestyles O52 …

How to Use Opportunity Scan Part 2

By Tom Bandy Congregational Planning Method Most congregational users prefer to skip the initial “What Do You Want to Do” screen to explore a smaller, designated area. You can find the Opportunity Scan tool by clicking the “Demographics” tab on the bottom toolbar of the screen. Then find the Opportunity Scan tool at the bottom …

How to Use Opportunity Scan Part 1

By Tom Bandy Every congregation has free access to MissionInsite. The amount of data may seem overwhelming, and research tools may seem challenging, but with regular practice it soon becomes easy for any staff, board, or committee to gather information pertinent to their area of ministry. Opportunity Scan is a tool that helps you focus …

Technology for Creative Worship

In the last few months, many people online have been posting their videos of the Beyoncé concert. I’m not a Beyoncé superfan, so I haven’t seen her perform on tour, but I’ve been impressed by her show, specifically her use of technology to enhance concert goers’ experience. It’s amazing. Google it for yourself so you …

Making Good Use of PeoplePlot

By Tom Bandy Focusing Outreach Ministry Outreach is important for a church both to transform society and to mature Christian disciples through service. Yet as we wrestle with the business – or “busy-ness” – of outreach, we forget that outreach is about embracing people and not just managing tasks. Church people know that they are …

Pivoting When the Invitation is Rejected

In the Gospel of Luke 14:15-24, Jesus tells the parable of the Great Banquet. A man of great wealth prepares a great banquet, and when it’s ready, he tells his servant to alert those invited. When the servant finds the invited guests, they give several excuses as to why they cannot come to this great …

Making Good Use of PeoplePlot: Start-up Events for September

We are excited to have the Rev. Dr. Tom Bandy share monthly with us on how we can best use MissionInsite to support outreach and evangelism and the development of new faith expressions in local churches. This is his first post on how we can use MissionInsite when planning for September ministry events. Many of …