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PERCEPT
LINK2LEAD
OVERVIEW and APPLICATION
Percept Project Background
In January 2002, the
Congregational Ministries Board of the Presbytery of the James established a
goal to develop a strategic plan identifying the number and location of New
Church Development Missions and Redevelopment Churches in the Presbytery of the
James for the years 2003 to 2015. Toward that end, a Church Development Task
Force was formed comprised of business, city and county planners as well as
representatives from the Congregational Ministries Board, the New Church
Development Committee and the Church Redevelopment and Revitalization
Committee. The task force has been charged with reviewing data on the
communities and churches in the Presbytery and submitting church development
recommendations to the Presbytery in 2003
In support of this Project,
the presbytery has entered into a three-year contract with Percept Group, Inc.
While the task force will use this data, it is also available to all 112
churches in the Presbytery. This information can be beneficial to the church as
it plans for new ministries and mission efforts and evaluates current programs
and growth.
Overview of Percept Program
Percept is an integrated,
on-line, demographic and faith preferences database that can be accessed from
any computer.
The program is comprised of
maps and charts depicting information by zip code. The information available
includes the following:
Current Population and distribution
Projected 5 year population change
Largest lifestyle group
Family Structure
Fastest growing racial/ethnic group
Average age
Average household income
Education
Primary social concerns
Faith Preferences and worship style
You can even compare the programs your church is offering with the desired needs
and wants of the community. There are also assessment tools for church
leadership in change management and leadership styles.
The Percept data base is
derived from an analysis of the US Census, the Warton Econometric Forecasting
Association, Equifax socio-economic data segmentation surveys and faith surveys
conducted by Percept.
The data is updated by
Percept every six to twelve months.
The program is very user
friendly and can be accessed by each church name and or zip code.
Twenty people from your
church can register and have access to this database.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: Who is Percept?
A: Percept is a data base company located
in California who specialize in providing demographic and faith-based data to
churches.
Q: Where do they get
the data?
A: The Percept database is derived from an
analysis of the 2000 Census, the Warton Econometric Forecasting Association,
Equifax socio-economic data segmentation surveys and faith surveys conducted by
Percept.
Q: Does Percept use
1990 or 2000 Census Data?
A: 2000 census data is incorporated into the
Percept Data Base as it becomes available. Much of the data is already from the
2000 census. The reports indicate whether the data is 1990 or 2000.
Q: What reports are
available and what is the cost to the church?
A: The following reports are available to
the church at no cost to the church as the Presbytery of the James
has paid for each church to participate:
“iChange” Assessment Report and Discussion Guide
– this survey can be taken on-line by each registered individual. It is
designed to assess a person’s response to change and their style for managing
change. This tool can be used with church leaders along with the discussion
guide to explore how change is perceived and managed in the church.
“iLeadType” Assessment Report and Discussion
Guide – This survey can be taken
on-line by each registered individual. It is designed to assess characteristics
of an individual’s leadership style. This tool can be used with church leaders
along with the discussion guide to explore leadership themes and styles and
their impact on the church.
10-Questions Workshop and Worksheet
– This resource introduces the 10 areas of demographic information about the
community that is reported in the 10-Facts Report. It is designed to stimulate
discussions about the community and generate interest to learn more.
10- Facts Report –
This report is generated by zip code and
provides 10 facts including Current Population, Projected 5 Year Population
Change, Largest Lifestyle Group, Non-Anglo Population, Fastest Growing
Racial/Ethnic Group, Households With No Faith Involvement, Average Age, Average
Household Income, Single Parent Households, and College Graduates. This data
per zip code is also compared to the US average. Additional information is also
available on each of the 10 facts. Churches may access any zip code in the US.
First View Report
– Each church can down load 20 copies of this report per year at no charge.
(This is tracked by Percept each time a registered user from your church
downloads a report as account numbers are coded to each church)
This report, generated by zip code, provides six pages of graphs, charts and
text on four areas:
People and Place
covers population density, change, distribution and diversity.
Faces of Diversity
covers lifestyles, Racial/Ethnic, generations, family structure and education.
Community
Issues covers concerns stress conditions, and potential resistance to
change.
Faith
Preferences cover faith receptivity, church style, church program
preference, and religious
preference and financial support potential.
There is also a Workshop Guide that accompanies this report.
Ministry Match Report.
This resource compares how the programs of your
church match up to
the interests of people living in your
community.
Quick Insight
– Monthly information on demographics, church growth, leadership, and change.
This resource provides ideas for ministry and can be used as a discussion tool
for Sunday School Classes or as information for newsletters and bulletins.
EXlibris
– monthly review of books on church leadership, change and planning. This
resource
can facilitate discussion among church leadership and provide educational
opportunities as well.
Q: Are there additional
reports that are available?
A: Yes, there are two
more extensive reports that churches may choose to order if they are
undertaking a major new initiative. For most churches, however the
complimentary resources listed above are quite sufficient for a church’s
planning needs.
One more extensive report is the Ministry Area Profile (MAP). This
report contains demographic information on a specifically designated geographic
area with identified boundaries not restricted to a zip code. This report
provides the same areas of demographic information as the First View Report and
the 10Facts Report. The cost for the optional report is $150.00 if
ordered through POJ, or $175.00 if the church orders directly from the Link2lead
web site.
A
second, more extensive report is Context. This resource is designed for
churches that want to undertake a planning process to develop specific goals and
objectives. The report provides community data on a specific geographic area as
well as information on the congregation itself. The latter is compiled through
a survey in which the congregation participates. The Context Report focuses on
major gaps between the community, the congregation and the programs and
ministries offered. This report is also accompanied by a planning process guide
called ReVision, which leads church members through 18 – 22 weeks of
Biblical reflections ending with a retreat. This optional report is
available for $395.00 plus data entry fees when ordered through the Link2lead
web site.
Q: How do we log on?
A: Type
www.link2lead.com into your web browser. To register for the first time,
select the REGISTER button on the left menu and follow the instructions. Once
you register, you will be sent, via e-mail, your church’s user ID number and an
individual password that will allow you to log on in the future.
Q: How often can we
log on to link2lead?
A: You can log on as
often as you would like. The data is available 24/7. It is recommended that
you
save the reports to a file so that you don’t have to work on line all the time.
Also remember each church can download up to 20 copies of the First
View Reports per year. This is another good reason to copy reports to your
hard drive or disc.
Q: How long will this
information be available to the churches?
A: The contract
between the Presbytery and Percept is for three years (until July 2005))
Q: How many people
from each church can use this?
A: The contract allows
for 20 people from each church to register with Percept.
Q: Can a church change
who has access?
A: Yes. Users can be deleted. Just e-mail
Percept through the “My link2lead” portion of the Link2lead program and ask to
be removed as a user for your church. A new person can then be registered (up
to 20 users per church).
Q: What kind of computer
programs are needed?
A: You must have
Internet access to log on and you must have a current e-mail address. You will
also
need a browser (Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0
and higher) The charts and graphs must be read with Adobe Acrobat Version 4.0 or
higher (PDF files). Optional equipment is a color printer to print out
materials.
Q: The First View
Reports identify demographic groups by categories. Where do we find the
definitions of these groups?
A: The narrative portion of the report
provides some basic idea of the scope of the groups. There is also a book that
give detailed definitions of these groups. You can either purchase it or down
load it for free through the “My World” section of link2lead program of Percept.
Q: Whom do we contact if we have a problem?
A: The resource person at Percept is
Courtney Johnson. She can be reached at
cjohnson@perceptnet.com or
1-800-442-6277 x-205. Her office hours are 9:00am – 5:00pm, Pacific Time.
Courtney is the best person to contact if you have technical questions. There
is a direct link to percept e-mail through the “My Link2lead” portion of the
program.
Nancy Dawson, Associate for Church Development is the Percept Administrator for
the Presbytery of the James and can also be contacted if there are questions.
She can be reached at
nbdawson@juno.com or 804-262-8331 or 888-568-2449.
HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE
The resources available
through the Percept Link2lead program can be used for:
Church mission and ministry planning
Assessing community demographics and projected changes
Identifying community needs, interests and trends
Comparing the community with the church membership
Comparing church programs with those desired by the community
Church leadership education and training in the areas of leadership styles,
mission and
program planning, and change management.
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