LOUISVILLE (RNS)—Sometimes when a congregation is having trouble, leaders look for the quick fix. By changing the music or moving to the suburbs or adding new programs, they think everything will be OK.

But researchers involved in a large-scale study of U.S. congregations have found there’s no one secret to success.

Strong congregations can be large or small, urban or rural, and there’s no simple formula for what works.

But the researchers agreed that congregations that want to become extraordinary should develop multiple strengths, figuring out what they do best and focusing on those strengths.

The U.S. Congregational Life Survey is the largest profile of worshippers and their congregations ever produced in the United States. The survey included more than 300,000 worshippers from more than 2,200 congregations, taken in April 2001 as part of a broader body of research done in the United States, England, Australia and New Zealand.

The congregations surveyed came from more than 50 faith groups, including nondenominational and Pentecostal congregations, Protestants and Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Jews, Buddhists and Mormons.

Among the most recent findings of the survey, as explained by Cynthia Woolever, director of the U.S. Congregational Life Survey, were:

• Size does not determine a congregation’s success. “Meaningful worship happens in congregations of all sizes,” not just those with the resources to put on what Woolever called “the best show.” In fact, people are more likely to participate actively in small congregations—to attend a Bible study or hold a leadership position, for example—than are those from bigger ones.
  
  
• Conservative and historically black churches did better in several categories compared to mainline Protestants and Catholics. Conservative and historically black congregations were more likely to be places that helped people grow spiritually, where people found worship to be meaningful, where they actively participated and felt a sense of belonging.
  
  
• Mid-sized congregations had the best ratings on caring for children and youth. The study characterized mid-size congregations as those with worship attendance between 100 and 350 people. Catholic parishes scored the lowest in this category, and conservative Protestant churches the highest.
  
  
• Several factors seemed to predict growth. The strongest predictors for whether a congregation would get bigger were if the congregation did a good job caring for children and youth, had high levels of participation in small groups and other activities, and seemed welcoming to new people.

Woolever argues that congregations can’t legitimately use their size (“We’re too small”) or affiliation (“We can’t grow because our denomination is losing members”) as a reason not to be strong and vibrant.

The survey found examples of successful congregations of all sizes, in cities and in rural areas, in many different situations—leading Woolever and her colleagues to conclude “churches just really have to say, ‘What’s going to work for us in our location with the people who are here?’”

Other conclusions from the study include:

• People who attend small congregations are more likely than those from mid-size or larger congregations to say they’re growing spiritually and to feel empowered to use their gifts and talents for leadership. People also report a strong sense of belonging in small congregations. “Small congregations have a lot of strengths,” Woolever said.
  
  
• When focusing on the community—everything from being involved in community service to voting and making charitable contributions—“size doesn’t matter,” but mainline Protestant congregations have the strongest community focus, as do congregations with older worshippers, Woolever said.
  
  
• Small congregations, conservative Protestant churches and historically black congregations have the strongest record of faith-sharing—placing the strongest emphasis on talking to others about their faith, inviting people to worship and reaching those with no connection to a congregation.