Average visits annually per congregation
5,454 4,695
Magnet Effect ( 20 % of the total ) One way rural churches benefit their communities is by attracting visitors and volunteers to the area . Visitors come from out of town to attend events such as weddings , funerals , family reunions , and cultural offerings , spending money locally on hotels , food and transportation . The average economic value of a congregation ’ s magnet effect was $ 140,738 . The minimum value was $ 7,114 , while the largest was $ 1.3 million ( for a church located in a coastal community ).
The magnet effect accounted for as little as 2 % and as high as 57 % of a church ’ s economic impact . Considering the different types of rural communities , namely rural and mixed rural , the research team hypothesized that the magnet effect would be larger for churches in mixed rural counties , which include many tourist-heavy towns on North Carolina ’ s Outer Banks . Although the dollar amount associated with the magnet effect is higher in mixed rural communities ( along with overall economic impact ), the share of overall economic impact is the same between mixed rural and rural , at 24 % and 25 % respectively .
Weekly visits from church members ( bible study , worship , etc .)
All other visits ( weddings , funerals , events , fairs , programs , etc .)
Collaborations with churches and organizations outside of the community make up a small component of the magnet effect ( 1 %). The vast majority of the magnet effect comes from attracting visitors , and not just for church services .
Churches are a hub of activity throughout the week . For almost every Sunday visit , there is another visit from congregation members and nonmembers alike throughout the week . The 87 churches in our sample had :
• A total number of 474,500 visits annually for church activities such as worship and Bible study ( which are not counted as part of the magnet effect )
• An additional 74,104 visits for reunions , weddings , funerals , arts and crafts events , exhibits and other events , which are all counted as part of the magnet effect
• An additional 182,827 visits to the churches related to special programs , such as a food pantry or youth group , and an additional 151,540 visits related to the use of recreational amenities on site , such as a playground , make up the rest of the annual visits
• Overall , the percent of visits to church sites for reasons other than Sunday worship is 46 %
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