FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

(and other information)

FAQ’s ABOUT FUMC-LAWRENCE

Q1. What are our membership numbers?
A1. FUMC-Lawrence currently has 1,518 members.

Q2. What is our current debt? How much are we paying in interest each year on that debt?
A2. We owe about $3.5 million on the Celebration Center and west campus development. We paid $252,310 in interest on that debt in 2007.

Q3. What are our worship attendance numbers?
A3. The average total weekly worship attendance at all services in 2007 was 494 people, down 8% from 2006. The average west campus worship attendance increased 19% in 2007, while the downtown service attendance decreased by 9% at 8:30, 22% at 9:50 and 13% at 11:00.

Q4. How many folks joined the church in 2007?
A4. Sixty-seven people joined our congregation in 2007, compared to 75 in 2006.

Q5. What is happening with our congregational giving for operations?
A5. Congregational giving for operations has increased nearly 20% since 2003.

Q6. What was the level of giving to operations of our members in 2007?
A6. Operational pledge levels for 2008 are displayed in the following chart. It is interesting to note that the church received 300 pledges out of an estimated 858 households.

Pledge Range	# in Range	Total Pledged	% of Total Pledged
$10,000 or more	5	63,920	10%
$6000 to $10,000	17	127,340	20%
$3000 to $6000	44	177,884	28%
$2000 to $3000	40	95,984	15%
$1500 to $2000	33	55,900	9%
$1000 to $1500	48	55,958	9%
$500 to $1000	60	43,193	7%
$300 to $500	20	6,922	1%
Less than $300	33	4,804	1%
	300	631,905	100%

Q7. What are the primary religious preferences in Lawrence?
A7. Catholics make up 24.6%, Lutheran make up 18.6%, Methodists make up 11.9%. Four percent claim they are interested, but have no religious preference.

Q8. What percentage of Lawrence’s population is involved in faith activities?
A8. 35% are strongly involved in their faith, 33% are somewhat involved and 31% are not involved. Further, 29% have decreased their faith involvement in the last 10 years and 17% have changed their religious preference.

Q9. What are the top ten considerations when looking for a new church in Lawrence?
A9.

36.8% cite bible discussion and prayer groups
36.3% cite family activities and outings
28.3% cite youth social programs
25.3% cite active retirement programs
23.4% cite adult theological discussions
22.2% cite personal or family counseling
20.3% cite cultural programs, such as music, drama and/or art
18.2% cite marriage enrichment
12.3% cite care for the terminally ill
11.0% cite spiritual retreats

Q10. What type of church do folks in the Lawrence community prefer?
A10. 24.1% want a church involved in the community, 15.7% want a church focused on personal spiritual development, 37.3% want a focus on local mission, and 6.3% want a focus on global mission.

Q11. What are the worship-style preferences of Lawrence citizens?
A11. 26.2% want worship to be emotionally uplifting, while 13.6% prefer an intellectually challenging worship service. 23.0% prefer a traditional or formal service, 28.8% prefer something contemporary or informal.

Q12. What are the worship music preferences of Lawrence citizens?
A12. 25.5% prefer traditional music, compared to 24.8% who prefer contemporary. 20.5% prefer music performed by others, 26.0% prefer to participate in the music.

Q13. What are the primary spiritual concerns in the Lawrence community?
A13. 29.7% are concerned about dealing with stress, 19.1% identified finding companionship, 14.9% finding life direction and 11.2% with spiritual teaching.

Q14. What are some of the key values or beliefs in the Lawrence community?
A14.

• 83.0% believe there is a God;
• 87.2% believe it is important to preserve the traditional family structure;
• 82.4% believe the environment has become a national crisis;
• 93.4% believe public education is essential to America’s future;
• 50.4% believe the government should be the primary provider of human welfare services;
• 77.5% believe churches should help form and support moral values;

60.1% believe churches should provide more human services.

Q15. What are the primary family concerns in the Lawrence community?
A15. Problems with children and teens were identified most often at 20.3%, followed by alcohol and drug abuse at 15.5%, aging parent care at 13.0%, abusive relationships at 10.0% and divorce at 5.6%.

Q16. What are the primary individual concerns for people in the Lawrence community?
A16. Personal health maintenance leads the list at 44.8%, followed by financial worries at 30.3% and health insurance at 28.6%.

Q17. What are the hopes and dreams of people in the Lawrence community?
A17. Long-term financial security was cited by 55.1% of those surveyed, followed by time for recreation/leisure (28.3%), achieving a fulfilling marriage (25.4%) and parenting skills (17.7%).