A suburban Minneapolis church provides ample proof that market research and a desire to be customer-driven have a place in religion. According to Terry White, business administrator of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn., these two components have been of great value in the success and growth of his congregation.


"Marketing research has proven invaluable for Wooddale," White said. "It supports the idea that our congregation is our best marketing tool. When people like what's happening here, they bring their friends and neighbors. Then we get more people."

It's obvious people like what's happening at Wooddale Church. Since its move in July, 1984, from the city of Richfield nine miles west to Eden Prairie, the attendance has increased by more than 50%. An average 1,600-1,700 people attend the church's three Sunday morning services, of which 25-30 each Sunday are first-time visitors.

The congregation's size is one factor that has allowed it to build a $4.2 million facility, which represents the first two of four eventual phases. Members not only raise the nearly $1 million needed to cover Wooddale's annual operating budget but also an additional $350,000 each year for missions. Along with the church's physical expansion, there has been an equally impressive implementation and expansion in the number of support groups, classes and church-related functions.

Preliminary work

The seeds of Wooddale's growth in all of these areas can be attributed to some preliminary work done long before any dirt was dug or cement was laid on the plot of land where the church building now stands. It began in 1982 when a nationally-known marketing research company, in consultation with the church's administration, conducted a two-part marketing research study. The study consisted of telephone surveys and focus group sessions, both of which helped to find out what the people in the community were like and how best their needs could be met.

A long screening process went into developing the distinctive Wooddale Church logo. It represents the letter "W" for some people; for others, Christ's outstretched arms, but for most it signifies a butterfly. Because the butterfly undergoes metamorphosis, the symbol is appropriately accompanied by the words, "A place to belong ... A place to become."

Outgrown facilities

The search for a new location began because previous facilities could no longer accommodate a growing congregation. The Rev. Leith Anderson, senior pastor of Wooddale Church, along with the church's administration, looked at vacant schools and community buildings but none was adequate. Search then began for the closest plot of open land where new facilities could be built. A wooded, somewhat isolated plot near a major freeway was located.

Before construction began on the land, Anderson and three lay church leaders traveled to six relocated churches throughout the U.S. to learn about the problems which they encountered in relocating. One mistake all the churches had made was in not purchasing enough land to allow further expansion. Upon returning to the Minneapolis area, Anderson and the lay people urged increasing the site size. It was more than doubled, from 15 acres to 32.

Objectives

The new location provided the church not only with more space but a unique first presence in the area. It also started a whole process of reassessment in an effort for the church's leaders to expand its ministry in meeting the needs of, and reaching more people who were not attending a church. The objectives of the research study were to ask prospective members about:

1. Their awareness of churches in the Minneapolis suburbs of Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Edina and Bloomington.

2. Their perceptions of the maximum distance they were willing to drive to church.

3. Their attitude toward churches and toward various specified church activities.

4. Their perceptions of a church's responsibilities toward its congregation and community.

5. Their reactions to specified names of churches.

Telephone survey

The first phase of the marketing research was a telephone survey conducted in July-August, 1982. The purpose of it was to reach people who didn't attend church and find out how the church could appeal to them.

A total of 360 males and females, ages 21-55, were selected for the study. They were chosen randomly by computer out of the phone book. All lived within a five-mile radius of the Eden Prairie location. The participants varied in their religious affiliations and were grouped into two cells: churched and unchurched. Respondents were considered "churched" if they had attended a service at least two times within the past eight weeks. They were considered "unchurched" if they had attended fewer than that. There were 120 participants in the churched category and 240 in the unchurched segment. Eleven major questions and a number of sub questions covered the objectives of the study. Each interview lasted approximately 20 minutes.

Awareness studied

When asked of their awareness of churches in the area, only 2% of the respondents were able to name Wooddale Church in an unaided question. The highest unaided response was Colonial Church of Edina, with 7% of the respondents naming it. However, when asked if they had heard of Wooddale Church, 49% responded that they had.

The maximum time the respondents were willing to drive one way to get to church was 10-15 minutes. The churched respondents were willing to drive longer. This response proved the importance of being located close to the freeway, thus solidifying the decision to purchase the land in Eden Prairie.

In expressing their attitude toward churches and various church activities, the respondents revealed a need for a variety of support groups. Seventy percent favored a single-parent support group, 71% wanted a divorce recovery group, 71% favored a chemical dependency group and 73% wanted a Bible study group. As a result, all of these groups are now vigorously active, White said.

The respondents perceived the church's responsibilities toward its congregation and community as having to develop a sense of fellowship and evangelism and aid in the personal and spiritual growth of the individual. Respondents also said the church should draw more attention to the Bible.

"We discovered that people have a real need and desire to understand the teachings of the Bible," White said. "So now we have 'Growth Groups,' an assembly of individuals who meet weekly to encourage one another in Bible study."

The interest in learning more about the Bible spurred the development of The Wooddale Lay School of Ministry. This is a program of courses which cover such topics as "Methods of Bible Study," "Discovery," (a study in the basics of Christian faith), personal finance, spiritual gifts, and others. Classes are held once a week for six weeks and are taught by the church staff and lay people.

Probably the most significant change Wooddale made was in its name. Previously it was called "Wooddale Baptist Church." Some of the participants thought the word "Baptist" in the church's name had positive connotations but 56% assigned negative connotations to it. The latter group felt it was too limiting, that one had to be Baptist to attend the church.

"People weren't even giving the church a chance with the word 'Baptist' in the name, White said. "If it's perceived as a negative, a barrier, let's remove it and enable the church to meet the needs of the people."

The consensus from the focus groups revealed that the name "Wooddale Baptist Church" was unappealing and too traditional. Many names that didn't have a denominational label, such as "Church of the Way,'' were too general and were identified with religious cults. "Church of Our Savior" was the name most favored by the respondents but "Wooddale Church" was also popular. The word "Wooddale" had the highest name recognition of all the names mentioned so it was retained. The word "church" was also retained because it was more positively perceived than similar words such as "chapel," "community'' or "fellowship. "

Added White, "The name 'Wooddale' has a nice rural feel to it and is very appropriate for the wooded area surrounding the church."

The concluding information gathered in the study was demographic data. Said White, "The congregation is a homogeneous group. They are young, in their early 40s, relatively well-educated and have young families. They are the junior executive types.''

Focus groups

The second part of the study, which was conducted after the telephone survey was completed and reviewed, involved two focus group sessions. There were 12 participants in each group, all of whom were involved in the telephone survey and who were " unchurched." The questions that were asked of the participants were different from the ones asked in the telephone survey.

The primary issues addressed were what the participants liked and disliked about church, why they go or don't go to church, and what they feel the church should be doing for them. Various church advertisements were also passed around to get the participants' reaction to them. Said Pastor Anderson, who was one of the observers of the focus group sessions, "We learned that the focus group participants, and probably most people, don't read church ads. One reason may be because these ads usually appear in a special church section of the newspaper which is usually only read by churched people. Another reason may be because the ads don't promise to fulfill a need which a prospective attender is looking for in a church.''

Continued Anderson, "Do you know where Mt. Olivet (one of the largest Lutheran churches in the country located in Minneapolis), advertises? In the TV section of the paper where they're more apt to reach people who aren't church-goers. Now, they know their audience."

When Wooddale advertises in the newspaper, they run special events ads or special interest ads. One special interest ad Wooddale has used is one in which readers are given opportunity to submit suggestions for the "Sermons You-Want-To-Hear" program. The poll is conducted either by telephone or newspaper to find out what subjects people most like addressed in Sunday sermons. Several suggestions are chosen and presented in a four-week special series. This yearly project represents one way Wooddale conducts informal but on-going marketing research.

The Wooddale advertisements have a way of appealing to and attracting unchurched people. Despite this, they only create visibility and familiarity, said Anderson. It's the people involved in the church who make the difference.

"The major marketing instrument of any church is its people. We get people to come to Wooddale primarily because other people invite them."

Attracting new members through invitation sounds easier than it really is. According to Anderson, getting members is more difficult today than ever before because people are choosing churches much like they are choosing consumer products.

"People don't buy something just because they're brand loyal but because a particular need they have is being met by that product. People choose churches today based on that same principle. They don't attend a church just because their mother and father went there. They attend a church if they perceive their needs are being met there."


ARTICLE SIDEBAR

Attendance tracking part of church’s internal research

Wooddale Church of suburban Minneapolis conducts internal marketing research by keeping tabs on visitors to find out what their needs are and then striving to meet those needs. This encourages visitors to get involved in the church and to come back again and again, said Ken Travilla, associate pastor of pastoral care at Wooddale.

Pastor Travilla, who is also in charge of membership, said attendance data is collected from visitors and members who fill out a registration card each Sunday. The index-shaped card asks for the individual's name and address, if they are a member or a first-time visitor, if a regular attender or a visitor, demographic data such as year in school, whether single or single parent and the age category they fit into. There is also a list of boxes to check with items stating different ways Wooddale can help the registrant such as "Becoming a Christian" and "Church Mailings." The date and time of service attended are also requested.

Volunteers sort the cards after the Sunday services and note the first-time visitors and repeat visitors. First-time visitor names go into a computer. Names of members, visitors and regular registrants are also computerized.

On Monday's, a letter goes out from Pastor Anderson to all first-time visitors and those visitors who have not yet been contacted with a letter. Pastor Travilla follows up with a phone call within the following two days to thank them for attending and to ask them how they found out about the church. To get them further acquainted and more comfortable with the church, Pastor Travilla suggests a contact person in one of several teen or adult groups. The contact person then invites the visitor to attend group meetings and is in charge of introducing him to other members and greets him at future services.

If visitors attend services at least three times within a two-month period, their status changes to "Regular Attender." Their name and address are then put in the weekly "News and Needs" Sunday evening bulletin. Anderson sends a second letter and Pastor Travilla calls again to thank them for coming back to Wooddale and to ask if they have connected with anyone in the group. They are then invited to attend the "Regular Attender" social get-together. Three months later a volunteer calls and asks if they have settled into any of the classes at the church.

Their attendance continues to be monitored each week and they must attend a Sunday service at least once a month to stay off the absentee list. If they don't attend at least once a month, a member of the discipleship board will call to inquire if there is a need which isn't being met or to answer any questions. According to Pastor Travilla attendance tracking is effective in drawing prospective members to the church and in fulfilling expectations concerning the responsibilities the church has toward its members.

The back of the registration card invites registrants to write comments, prayer requests, praise and news. This information goes into the "News and Needs" bulletin. It provides yet another way for the Wooddale administration to research its members.