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 a specific target for communication or outreach. You can identify the precise neighborhoods with highest population density for any demographic datapoint. You can then define the streets or geographical boundaries to purchase mailing addresses with little wastage, locate small groups, focus fundraising and more.
Since ministry is about relationships and not just information, churches that have completed PeoplePlot can also identify those participating households that live within the boundaries of the search area and are likely to be most empathic with their neighbors. Churches can coach them to personally connect with the public you have in mind and on your heart.
Regional Planning Method
When you initially sign in to MissionInsite, you will see a screen asking, “What Do You Want to Do?” from which you can select Opportunity Scan. I find this is most useful for regional planners who want to study a large pre-defined area (district, city, county, zip code, etc.). In this example, my goal is to research potential locations for an outreach tutoring ministry for disadvantaged elementary age children in the city of Baltimore.
- Select “Create Opportunity Scan” from the initial “What Would You Like to Do” menu.
- Select “Predefined Boundaries”.
- Select “Cities”.
- Default state is “DC”. Instead, select “MD”.
- Select “Baltimore”.
- Click “Next” for the screen listing variables.
- Select “Mosaic”.
- Scroll down the list of lifestyle mosaics. Choose “R67 – Aspirational Fusion – Passionate Parents”.
- Click “Next” for list of scanning variables. Keep default setting “Census Blockgroups”.
- Click “Next” to preview the search area (in this example it is the city of Baltimore).
- Click “Finish”. The darkest shading on the colored map indicates highest population density.
- Now overlay PeoplePlot onto the map to see where UMC households are located.
Note the sliding scale to adjust highlighted population density. You can increase numbers to focus research. Then click on the “Eye” icon. From the popup menu, I have chosen the highest value. This eliminates other hues of color to clearly focus neighborhoods of highest population density for this datapoint. Now you can see which churches are in the immediate area, and how many UMC households might be available to support outreach with volunteers.
When you click “Finish” you will also receive a table that lists population density per census blockgroup (the smallest unit of research possible). This allows you to go into even more detail examining specific neighborhoods.
We will continue with Part 2 on Opportunity Scans next week!