This graph from David Snapper's D.Min. dissertation plots increase or decrease in size for every Christian Reformed congregation reporting statistics for 1985 and 1995. The horizontal axis shows 1985 size in families (avg. 4 members per family). The vertical axis shows the change between 1985 and 1995.
This chart does not include congregations which disbanded, left the denominations, or merged with another congregation (unless one of the merged congregations retained its name). Neither does it include churches started since 1985.
Dave writes, "This chart graphically represents the change in congregational membership size of CRCUSA from 1985 to 1995. It was created as follows. First, the database was queried to report the 1985 membership size all CRCUSA congregations. Second, the database was queried to report the 1995 membership size of all CRCUSA congregations. The difference between 1995 and 1985 was found for each congregation. The difference, of course, represents the change in membership size of each congregation.
"The graph is a composite of that process. First, every congregation was pegged on the horizontal axis at its 1985 member family size. Since some congregations grew and some decreased in size, the "0" zero on the Y axis was raised halfway up the left side.
"So a church that was 150 families in 1985 is found at the 150 mark on the X axis. But where is its spot on the chart? Move directly upward from the 150 point. Each icon below the zero line indicates a church that decreased in size. Each icon above the zero line shows a church that increased in size.
"Depending on how clear your graph is reproduced, you may count about 5 congregation that were 150 families in 1985. They are all the congregations on the 150 line - top to bottom. The ones at the top were the onces which grew. The ones at the bottom were the ones which declined in size. As you can see, one congregation lost 80 member families in that time period. Another lost 60. In 1985 their new sizes were 70 and 90 families, respectively.
"The most interesting way to use this chart, I think, is to count the number of churches above and below zero in a given size range. For example, How many churches above 150 families in 1985 were able to add 50 families by 1995? How many of church above 150 families in 1985 lost 50 or more families by 1995?"
Page ©1996 by ; chart ©1995 by David Snapper; used by permission.
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