Networking - Field Project

The principle of “Six Degrees of Separation” helps us to see how reachable the community in which we minister can be. It works equally well with family, colleagues and friends.

ACTION

Ask to interview three married couples in your church who have family in the community. Work with them in designing a map of their respective family networks (those who live in your city or town). Also, map any other networks (friends and colleagues) that illustrate additional primary or secondary relationships in their lives. This process can be repeated over and over again with other people.

a.      Include both the husband and wife in your study.

b.      Before the interview, draw up a chart and include for both husband and wife:

                       i.         Each of their parents, if alive,

                    ii.         Each of their children,

                  iii.         Each of their children’s friends and their parents

                  iv.         Each or their siblings, their children and in-laws,

                     v.         Each of the work colleagues with whom they are comfortable conversing,

                  vi.         Each of their friends and neighbors with whom they have cordial contact

This exercise can also be used to help single congregants to discover how much potential influence they have through their friendships, their relationships at work, and their neighbors.

REFLECTION

Based on your findings, what might be the potential for outreach in your congregation? You might do this networking exercise with all the adults in your church. More importantly, do some brainstorming about what you might do to reach these people with the gospel. For example:

• Have parties in the homes of the respective members and have them invite their networks and their friends at church. This idea is not intended as an evangelistic, but as an introduction to relationships with church friends.
• Plan events in neutral venues, like banquets, and invite to them.
• Have an open house for the community.
• Plan a picnic in the park where all the people in the networks of your church are invited.
• Plan interest groups to which people from the networks can be invited.
• Put a softball team, soccer team, or a basketball team together and enter a league. Invite those in the collective networks who play that particular sport to participate.

Networks - Their Value in Strategy

Networks are the invisible webs of relationships that link people together. Simply stated, they are people talking to each other, sharing ideas, information and resources. Traditionally, networks have been oriented to kinship, neighborhood, and friendship ties. In a broader urban context, particularly in complex culture, however, they can forge broad coalitions of people and organizations to accomplish specific tasks which are in the interests of all involved. Some examples of where networking is done are families, mutual friends, conferences, private clubs, social media, travel, parties, meetings, and workshops.

There are different types of networks. Some exist naturally (family, colleagues, or friendships), others are organized formally (prestige clubs, coops, etc.), and yet others are brought together to accomplish one specific task (election campaign).

Ray Bakke points to three kinds of networks: those based on kinship, on geography, and on vocation. To these we can add networks based on common interest and shared information. Each of these can serve as a means of evangelistic outreach.

Kinship / Workplace / Friendship Networks

Friendships perform significant functions in all societies. In any setting, next to family ties, they are often the closest relationships people have. Depending on where you live, your significant network will probably be made up of family, friends or colleagues.

It is reported that after two or three years, the average new Christian will have very few friendships outside the church. Virtually all of their unsaved friends will either have left them or been left behind. Unfortunately, in an effort to build community or out of fear of the world around them, many churches encourage members to form their friendships only inside the congregation. If this happens, those church members will have almost no networks they can use to witness to the lost.

Friendship networks in the lives of new Christians can be important for further evangelism and discipleship formation. Campus Crusade for Christ, for example, has used events in the homes and apartments of new believers for new Christians to witness. A new Christian would invite his or her friends to a party, and toward the end would give his or her testimony. A time for Q&A and an opportunity for deeper and more personal conversation about salvation can also be planned. If one of the friends receives Christ, the process is repeated.

Common-Interest Networks

Other ways to use networks in the church would be to organize small groups, special interest groups that nurture Christians in their particular walks of life, or common need groups of all kinds. All can be utilized to bring others to faith and spiritual maturity. An example of networks in the community would be Christian business associations, where Christians in the market-place gather in a neutral space and invite their non-Christian friends. The program is most often built around issues of interest to people in the business world. Similarly, Christian doctors, nurses, academicians, politicians, construction workers, and other specialists reach out to those in their respective vocations.

Special interest groups go beyond vocational associations. Single parents, young singles, old people, parents whose children are on drugs, women whose husbands are abusive or alcoholics—anyone who needs Christian friends who understand and can help them through their particular trials. Churches need to be sensitive to special needs, and stand by all with love and friendship.

One group has been particularly responsive historically and currently, namely, students. Students are exploring new ideas and so are often more open to hearing the gospel than when they become established in their cultures and careers. Student ministries in high schools and universities have not only won many to Christ but also produced many strong leaders for the church.

Networks for Task Completion

In order to be a servant to its community, the church also needs to network with as many institutions and organizations as possible. Information about needs in the community circulates in existing networks, and if the church is plugged in, and has resources to help, it can offer its assistance. Once viable networks have been established, it is important to encourage church members to get plugged into those organizations.

If we are serious about reconnecting the church and its witness to the community, we must begin planning ministry that happens outside the church building. We must also begin to act on the fact that loving service to others, in any form, is a witness. We need to minister because it is the right thing to do, not because it will fill our church—the sowing and reaping principle. Jesus made this abundantly clear in Matthew 25. Befriending someone who does not yet know Christ is ministry. Listening to a colleague’s personal problems without judging his or her lifestyle is ministry.

Ministry in the complex culture, using its networks, is spreading the gospel message. At the same time, it is one way the Church can reconnect itself to its context, the community in which it serves. The reconnecting church is a church that finds a way to be a servant.

Case Study - Field Project

ACTION:

Attempt to build a relationship with a person who spends his days on the street. It will probably take a few conversations, a lunch or two, and time to be successful. If you are then able, ask permission of this person to record a one-day “life script” (interview only people of the same gender—in this case, him).

If you believe your rapport is good enough, ask if he could describe a typical day in his own words. This is not an appropriate time to press the claims of the Gospel on him. Spend the day (waking hours only) with this person. Observe the person from a distance most of the time. Watch, take notes, or possibly video what you hear and observe. When you have an opportunity (or when he or she can talk freely), enter into conversation. Ask questions about what you have observed. Use journalistic questions to gather as complete a picture of this person’s experiences as possible (who? what? why? where? when? how?). If you have been able to establish good rapport, you might also ask his permission to tape-record his answers to your questions.

Compare what he said with what you have observed.

REFLECTION:

Behind this action is the principle of learning to “walk in someone else’s moccasins.” The comparison of description and observation will give you a more complete understanding of what a homeless person’s life is like.

Do not let the relationship you have been able to forge become another exercise of—“one and done.” Now that you know where to find this person, look up him and invite him to talk over coffee and a donut (or a meal) every once and a while. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as to when and how to introduce him to Jesus.

It is at this point that you can consider asking him (and yourself) how and where the Church might fit into his life and into the lives of others who are in his situation. Ask him about what other churches and social organizations, both religious and secular, are doing to empower his friends.

Based on his answers, look either for gaps in what is being done or ways your church could partner with other groups that are already doing something. It is just one more piece of the puzzle you are putting together to understand where it is the church can build value in the community.

Out of many such conversations, information like this will tend to emerge. If you see a possibility of cooperation, contact those potential partners and make an appointment. Prepare for that meeting using the knowledge gained from your experience. See if there might be some point at which your church might connect with one or more of their programs.

Designing Case Studies

Most people consider case studies to be easier to do than other research. That assumption is not necessarily so. Case studies can be either single or multiple-case designs.

A Single Case

Single cases are usually used to confirm or challenge a theory, or to tell the story of a unique or extreme case.[1] Single-case studies are also ideal for studying unique situations. They can be of individuals or organizations like a local church. Single-cases need to be designed carefully to avoid misrepresentation and to maximize the investigator's access to the evidence. Each individual case study needs to consist of a "whole" study, in which facts are gathered from various sources and conclusions drawn on those facts.

Multiple Cases

Protocols are essential in a multiple-case study, and desirable in a single-case study. Yin presented the protocol as a major component in asserting the reliability of the case study research. A typical protocol should have the following elements:

• An overview of the case study (objectives, issues, topics being investigated)
• Field procedures (credentials, access to sites, and sources of information)
• Case study questions (specific questions that must be kept in mind during data collection)
• A guide for case study report (outline, format for the narrative)[2]     

Stake identified at least six possible sources of evidence in case studies:

• Documents
• Archival records
• Interviews
• Direct observation
• Participant-observation
• Physical artifacts[3]     

Documents could be letters, memoranda, agendas, administrative documents, newspaper articles, or any document that is germane to the investigation. The documents serve to verify the evidence from other sources. They are communications between parties in the study.

Archival documents can be service records, organizational records, lists of names, survey data, board minutes, and other such records. You have to be careful.  Even if the records are quantitative, they might still not be accurate.

Interviews are one of the most important sources of case study information. Several forms of interviews are possible: Open-ended, Focused, and Structured. An open-ended interview, where respondents are asked to comment about certain events, is essential when the case study is an individual, or when opinion is necessary.

Interviews may also corroborate evidence obtained from other sources. Try to avoid becoming dependent on a single informant, and seek the same data from other sources to verify its authenticity.

Focused interviews are used in situations where respondent are usually answering set questions. They are often used to confirm data collected from another source.

The structured interview or a survey, is used to gather data in cases such as neighborhood studies. We deal with survey in another module.

Direct observation is used when casual data needs to be collected or behavior needs to be recorded. This technique provides additional information for the case study. The reliability is enhanced when you have more than one observer. Direct observation must be done unobtrusively.

In participant-observation the researcher becomes an active participant in the events being studied. This often occurs in studies of neighborhoods or groups. The technique provides some unusual opportunities for collecting data, but could also alter the course of events, which might not be helpful.

Physical artifacts can be tools, instruments, or some other physical evidence that may be collected during the study. The researcher’s perspective may be broadened as a result.

It is important to note that not all sources are relevant for all case studies. Each case will present its own opportunities for data collection.

Analyzing Case Study Evidence

This part of the case study methodology is the least developed and the most difficult. Some researchers have suggested that if the study were more conducive to statistical analysis, it would be easier and more acceptable. However, not all case studies can be reduced to statistics alone. Miles and Huberman suggested analytic techniques like placing the evidence in a matrix of categories, creating flowcharts or data displays, tabulating the frequency of different events, using means, variances and cross tabulations to examine the relationships between variables, and other such techniques to facilitate analysis.[4]

The case study is a valuable method of research, with distinctive characteristics that make it ideal for many types of investigations. It can also be used in combination with other methods. Its reliability should make it more widely used, once its features are better understood by potential researchers.

A common criticism of case study method is its dependency on a single case exploration making it difficult to reach a generalized conclusion. Yin considered case methodology ‘microscopic’ because of the limited sampling cases.

However, setting the parameters and objectives of the research are far more important in case study method than a big sample size. Researchers continue to deploy the case study method particularly in studies of real-life situations governing social issues and problems.

The use of case studies, in a broader way, may require greater interview skills, and be too time-intensive for the kind of research the Church can do. However, the methodology can be of great help if we wish to study individuals in circumstances you wish to understand better, community problems, or even the local church.

If you wish to use your church as a case study, go back to the first days of its existence. Read board meeting minutes and annual reports, interview older church members and newer members, compile the church statistics, and use the other six elements mentioned by Stake. Analyze each facet of the study and compare and contrast them. See if there are any unifying themes that emerge to give you an understanding of the culture of that particular local church. Potentially, it also has many uses in assessing various issues in the church.

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[1] Yin, R. (1993). Applications of Case Study Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing.

[2] Ibid. p. 64.

[3] Stake, R. (1995). The Art of Case Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

[4] Miles, Matthew B., & A. Michael Huberman. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, 2^nd ed. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing, 1994.

 

 

Interview City Official - Field Project

ACTION:
Call and schedule an interview with a school official / business leader / mayor / member of the city council / police captain, etc. Pick an official whose job best fits the potential of your congregation to help. Tell the official that you represent a local church that is interested in adding value to the community. Here are several questions that ought to be included in such a conversation / interview. “What is the greatest challenge you face in your capacity?” “What are two of the most important needs you believe I or my church should know?” “What could I or my church do to make your job easier?”

Before you do this gatekeeper interview, make certain that you have a good grasp of your congregation’s resources: finances, facilities, and personnel. It is entirely possible that you may be given something concrete to do. You can also use the first two questions with more than one official.

REFLECTION:

A mayor of a small town in the Midwest told a student who asked these questions: “We run our city with about 35 committees, and we are always looking for people to serve. I will give you a list, and anyone in your church will be welcome to serve where they feel most comfortable. By the way, we are having our City Council on Thursday. Will you offer the invocation?”

A mayor of a city which is part of Greater Los Angeles answered this way: “Yes, I know where your church is located. If memory serves, you have a generous enclosed parking lot behind the church. We could use a place where the young people of you part of town could play in a safe environment between school and five. If you are willing to let us use your place, we will supply all of the equipment, and pay someone to be there during the hours they are there.”

The significant issues surrounding his proposal were, a) that the church would be connecting with its community, b) adding value at a point of need, and c) that because they would be cooperating with the city; they would not need to create a new program to meet the need.

A student scheduled an interview with the Head Selectwoman of a Massachusetts town not far from Providence, RI. When asked what the church could do to help her, she replied: “The place where we need the most help is in caring for the elderly who live at home. Let me put you in contact with the person in charge of that program.”

The student kept that appointment, and volunteered to intern one evening a week for a month in assisting the agency deliver services to the elderly. Using the literature the agency had given him, and what he had experienced, he wrote a paper which he presented to the Church Board, with the encouragement of his pastor, proposing that the Church consider entering a ministry to the elderly in their city.[1]

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[1] Adapted from, Reconnecting the Church: Finding our Place in Complex Culture, by J. Timothy Kauffman, p. 34.

Interview on the Street – Field Project

ACTION:

Conduct a series of interviews and include at least fifteen total strangers on the street. You could look for an assortment of people on any shopping street or busy corner. You could also focus on a particular age group, like Boomers or Millennials. The possibilities are almost endless. The bottom line is where your church is located, and who you are trying to reach. Try to go where people are likely to have a bit of time. For example, if you are ministering to the working poor, a Laundromat might be a good place to start.

It can also make a difference where you conduct the interview. For example, if you wish to know the opinions of the working poor, you might try asking people in Laundromat. Or if you are interested in what the middle-class has to say, try a seating group in a shopping mall.

Here are a few possible questions to ask the people you interview:

·         How long have you lived in the city?

·         Do you like living here?

·         What are the two greatest needs of the people in this community?

·         In your opinion, is there anything the Church could do to meet those needs?

·         If you could change the Church in any way, what would you do?

·         What could the Church change to attract you and your friends to attend,?

If you are sending out one or more teams of two, give them some training before they leave. Here are two possible ways to proceed:

a.      You can choose to do either a random sampling, or search out a particular group of people to interview (people who reflect the demographics of your church, or those whom your church wishes to reach). Then sort the answers to each question and determine: a) what the responses mean for the ministry of your church, and b) whether you wish to do an additional round of interviews to get a more definitive read on what people are thinking. The larger your sample, the more accurate your results will be.

b.      You can choose to interview people at two or more locations and pose the same questions to at least fifteen people in each group. Then you could compare the answers of each group. How were they the same? How were they different? What needs are present in both groups, and which of them might the church be able to address.

REFLECTION:

Reflect on the responses you received, and ask whether the answers offer any new ideas for the church to serve the community. You may decide that you need to ask different questions, or broaden your sample, by including more people.

With this experience as background, some questions come to mind.

How do people cope with the large numbers of people they do not know?

How is it possible to negotiate life in the city and remain focused?

How does the issue of coping with “Same—Other” affect the church particularly in complex culture?

Using Interviews

Interviews provide in-depth information about a particular research issue or question. While quantitative research methods gather a small amount of information from many subjects, interviews gather a broad range of information from a few subjects.

A good interview is the art and science of exploring the subjective knowledge, opinions, and beliefs of an individual. The knowledge, opinions, and beliefs of that person are considered a "system." The purpose of the interview is to explore that system as it relates to the focus of our interview.

We look at how all the statements made by the interviewee are inter-related. What are the contradictions or consistencies? What is the "big picture" of what the interviewee is trying to say – and how does each statement from the interviewee relate to this big picture? The interview is a "holistic" research method: all the bits of data from the interviewee provide you this "big picture" that transcends any one single bit of data.

A structured interview consists of a list of specific questions. The interviewer does not deviate from the list or inject any extra remarks into the interview process. The interviewer may encourage the interviewee to clarify vague statements or to further elaborate on brief comments. The structured interview is mostly a "question and answer" session.

The Content versus the Process of the Interview
The "content" of the interview is WHAT the interviewee says. This is the easiest component of the interview to study, and tends to be what the novice focusses on. The most accurate way to record the content of the interview is by using a tape recorder (you will need to get permission).
The "process" of the interview is a much more elusive but powerful component of the interview. It involves reading between the lines of what the interviewee says. It involves noticing HOW he or she talks and behaves during the interview. HOW the interviewee responds will give you more insights into the content of what he or she says. Your observations of the interview process may confirm, enrich, and sometimes even contradict the content of what the person says.

Think of the structured interview as a standardized situation to which interviewees are exposed. The questions you ask everyone may be exactly the same, but everyone will react to the interview situation differently. These differences can be very informative! They reveal the "process." They will tell you much about the big picture of each interview session.

To explore the interview process, consider these sorts of questions:

·      When does the interviewee sound confident or uncertain, confused or clear, convincing or doubtful, rational or illogical, etc?

·      Does the interviewee ever contradict himself or herself?

·      At what points does the interviewee show enthusiasm and emotion? What kind of emotion?

·      What is the interviewee's body language? When does it change?

·      How does the interviewee speak: slow or fast, soft or loud, clear or mumbled, with simple or elaborate language, etc.?

·      Does the interviewee's appearance provide any insights?

One very important source of information about the process of the interview is how you personally react to the person. Ask yourself these questions:
·      What thoughts and feelings are stirred up in you: irritation, excitement, boredom, anger, inspiration, affection, jealousy, confusion, etc?

·      How did you behave during the interview?

·      Can you pinpoint when your thoughts, feelings, or behaviors change in reaction to the interviewee?

  ·      Do you react differently to different interviewees? What might these differences tell you about the interviewee's response to the interview (and what do they tell you about yourself)?
Understanding the "process" of the interview is difficult. Getting good at it takes experience. Tape recording of the interview is helpful, but also be sure to jot down ideas immediately after the session – especially ideas about your personal reactions to the interview.
In addition to interviewing people on the street, one can also interview in many different situations and for a variety of purposes. It can be used in the church to bring clarity to issues or to catch a vision of the people for the future.
In each case, it is essential to have a plan: 1) the needed information, 2) the questions that need to be asked, 3) who will be questioned, 4) when and where it will happen, 5) whether it an attempt to record it will be made, and 6) assure people of their anonymity. These are only some of the elements of a plan.
Remember Rick Warren and Bill Hybels both did extensive door-to-door interviewing in their neighborhoods before they had their first service. Robert Schuler once said, “Find a need and fill it.”
Who are the people you want to interview?
What would you like to ask them?
Where and when you might meet these people?