CASE STUDY
Individual Impact ( 16 % of the total ) In addition to programs hosted or run by congregations , clergy or volunteer ministers provide additional guidance and support in oneon-one settings . They provide counseling , make referrals to social agencies , or help individual congregants better connect with their community . Much of this outreach is unseen , given the sensitive nature of the assistance offered . The Halo research documented a wide range of these types of activities , including counseling to suicidal individuals , counseling to strengthen marriages , assisting people experiencing abuse , referring people to drug or alcohol counseling , working with people at-risk of committing crimes or being incarcerated , teaching youth pro-social values such as sharing or volunteering , helping people form new friendships , enabling people to work by caring for senior family members , and in a few instances , helping refugees or others attain citizenship .
Individual and family impact was monetized using values outlined in the “ If you do not count it , it does not count : A pilot study of the valuing of urban congregations .” 19
At an average of $ 116,764 , individual and family impact accounts for 16 % of rural church impact . Some churches had no impact in this area ( minimum is $ 0 ), while the maximum impact was $ 740,662 . The most common touchpoints in this area were working with youth , promoting social connectedness , and making referrals to service agencies .
Additional aspects of individual impact , including helping individuals obtain a new home , start a business , or take part in a workforce development program , were included as part of the research because they are important parts of rural development where churches can play a part , but they were not monetized due to lack of available data .
As mentioned above , individual impact was not monetized in Partners ’ urban study . Although the multipliers associated with each of the various interventions included in this study are very conservative , scholars and practitioners have debated and discussed their inclusion in Halo studies for years . As that conversation has continued , research conducted since Partners ’ urban study of individual congregations as well as cohorts of congregations have monetized individual impact . Furthermore , academics have been assessing Halo — including the monetization of individual impact — in Canada and elsewhere , indicating a greater level of comfort . Therefore , individual impact is included in the valuation of Halo in this study .
19 Cnaan , R . A ., Forrest , R ., Carlsmith , J ., & Karsh , K ., 2013
Community Conveners
Gethsemane United Methodist Church
Communities of faith often function as conveners in their towns and neighborhoods . In some communities , churches and other houses of worship can fill a need for public or town hall space . In the case of Gethsemane United Methodist Church outside Greensboro , North Carolina , the church brings together its community by hosting a weekly Saturday hot dog lunch . What started as a one-time fundraising opportunity to buy a church van in 2005 has become a place for people to gather together in community .
Friends would meet up at the church for lunch . Groups would wander through local yard sales and then come for hot dogs . First responders and others would often come to the church to pick up lunch to bring back . The Greensboro community frequently refers to Gethsemane as “ the hot dog church ,” and the pastor , lay leaders , and members have built relationships through this weekly lunch with many community members .
As people move through the food line , there are opportunities for conversation , community updates , and an experience of the church and the lunch being a safe space for people to gather and be themselves – either around the tables and chairs or around the bookshelves in the library corner of the fellowship hall .
Prior to the pandemic , Gethsemane ’ s members would often wonder , “ if this meal went away , would people miss it ?” The resounding answer to that question has been “ yes .” Throughout 2020 and early 2021 , members of the community would ask “ when are you going to reopen ?”
While the hot dog lunch is not yet back to pre-pandemic functioning , Gethsemane plans to bring the lunch back to full capacity once it is safe to do so . In the interim , hot dogs have been available in a to-go format , though some have chosen to sit outside to eat together .
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