I believe that those who have a real concern for communicating the gospel to the people God has sent them to will find great value in research that explores and exposes cultural and religious trends. So, of course, I want to share a few things with you that are worth noting.

The ARDA Archives have been updated
I've blogged about The Association of Religion Data Archives before (some great stuff there). Well, the website has recently been updated with several new improvements and features.

ARDA's GIS Maps now have an improved interface that is much easier to use. It provides one-button access to a report for the displayed error and changing areas is as easy as enter a zip code and clicking a button. Try it out at here.

Our U.S. Congregational Membership feature now includes advanced reports. View membership reports for any selection of counties, metro areas or states that you want! Our advanced state reports provide quick links for maps of census divisions. Try it out here.

ARDA's National Profiles have been updated. The Adherents page for each country and region has been updated to include agnostics. The Socio-Economic page includes education measures such as the adult literacy rate and gross enrollment rate.

Check out the Census 2000 Foreign-Born Population Map Series by Selected Countries of Birth

These state level maps show percent distributions and some detailed socio-economic characteristics from Census 2000 for the foreign-born population in the United States and Puerto Rico for selected countries of birth, such as Mexico, China, the Philippines, India and El Salvador. Comparative maps for the native and total foreign-born populations are also provided. The socioeconomic characteristics include poverty rate, public assistance income, labor force participation rate, language ability and year of entry for noncitizens. Internet address. (Check it out)

Getting Current: Recent Demographic Trends in Metropolitan America
The Brookings Institution has released some helpful stats in their March 2009 report on recent demographic trends across the United States. It's a 28 page report that breaks down trends concerning migration, immigration, aging, educational attainment, and poverty in the United States. The report reveals:

Migration across states and metro areas has slowed considerably in the past two years due to the housing crisis and looming recession.

Racial and ethnic minorities are driving the nation's population growth and increasing diversity among its younger residents.

The next decade promises massive growth of the senior population, especially in suburbs unaccustomed to housing older people.

Even before the onset of the current recession, poverty rose during the 2000s, and spread rapidly to suburban locations.

There's a lot more. Download the report here (PDF)

On Saturday, I spoke and participated in a panel at The Washington Post in D.C. to a conference of the Religion Newswriters Association. I was impressed with their organization. They clearly desire to understand the people they cover in their stories.

They graciously invited me to address the issue of religious research, addressing the question: What do we need to know when we evaluate religious research?

The panel included Roger Finke (from the ARDA and Penn State) and Dan Cox from Public Opinion Research. Each of us spoke for twenty minutes and then particiated in a Q&A session.

Here are the written notes I used when sharing with them.

The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) is a helpful resource for, well... data and research on religion. For those interested in such research the ARDA website is a place to spend a few hours.

Last night, I was on their site preparing for an upcoming meeting. Roger Finke, ARDA director, and I will be leading a panel this September at the Religion Newswriters Association on "Surveying Surveys." The description:

Reporters are bombarded with purported poll and survey results on religious belief and practice. But how do we know which studies are trustworthy and how to interpret what they say? We look at sound and faulty data and help you find ways to tell which is which. Moderated by Jacqui Salmon, The Washington Post.

The ARDA is one of the best sites for people who are interested in religious research (which, if you read this blog, should include you!)

You might want to take a look at the "Generation Next" survey which features,

...an oversample of members of "Generation Next" (young adults ages 18-25), this Pew survey examines this generation's outlook, lifestyle, and politics. Respondents were asked to compare their own generation to others in several areas including opportunities, challenges, and lifestyle choices. Other topics covered include technology usage, news consumption, political attitudes and behavior, and personal aspirations. Religion variables include religious affiliation, church attendance, and the importance of spirituality.

The survey includes answers to questions like:

What ONE WORD OR PHRASE best describes your generation?

Now thinking about your generation compared with young adults 20 years ago, for each of the things I mention please tell me if you think your generation does more of it, less of it, OR about the same amount as young adults 20 years ago did: Binge drinking.

From what you have seen, would you say it is easy, hard, or probably impossible to have a good marriage today?

This is a very interesting survey from 2006. You can look over the Generation Next data here.

You can also check out the The Faith Communities Today (FACT) survey. This was coordinated by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at the Hartford Seminary and included forty-one faith groups and denominations (including NAMB, my former employer).

Get the breakdown of responses to questions like:

How well does each of the following statements describe your congregation? Our congregation is spiritually vital and alive.

How well does each of the following statements describe your congregation? Our congregation is working for social justice.

How well does each of the following statements describe your congregation? Our congregation is trying to increase its racial/ethnic diversity.

Check it out here.

All that to say... it is worth a visit.

One of the standard tools for those of us who work in church and culture research is the Association of Religion Data Archives.

They recently announced some upgraded functionalities:

THE ARDA INTRODUCES NEW LOOK AND NEW FEATURES

The Association of Religion Data Archives is excited to announce a new look and many new features. Two of the most significant new features are GIS U.S. Maps and the Learning Center.

Partnering with Social Explorer (www.socialexplorer.com), the ARDA now provides a U.S. Maps tool that allows for interactive mapping of demographic data by census tracts and religious adherence data by counties. All of the GIS maps allow for zooming, moving, and searching across locations and let you create customized demographic and religious reports.

You will also find an expanded Learning Center. The Learning Center contains many new Learning Modules for classroom use and now includes a Dictionary of Religious and Statistical Terms. The new Center also offers multiple interactive tools, including the Compare Yourself Survey that allows students and others to compare themselves to the U.S. population on a variety of religious indicators. A more complete overview of the many new features and upgrades is provided below.

Learning Center...includes downloadable Learning Modules, a Glossary of Religious and Statistical Terms, and multiple interactive tools.

GIS Mapping...using tools developed by Social Explorer, GIS maps allow you to visually see the social, economic, demographic, and religious landscape of neighborhoods, cities, states, regions, and the entire United States.

Multi-Country Comparisons...easily select up to seven nations to receive a comparison of their social, demographic, economic, and religious characteristics.

Compare Yourself Survey ... allows individuals' to see how their answers compare to other Americans taking a national survey.

Denominational QuickStats...centralized location for information on U.S. denominations. Includes information on mergers and schisms, membership data, changes over time, and distribution across the country.

New Data ... data and other information were updated in our National Profiles and our U.S. Denominations feature.

New Design ...The homepage now provides easy access to some of the most popular resources on the ARDA site. Using drop-down menus, the new homepage now allows for faster access to the ARDA's various content and tools.

The Association of Religion Data Archives
Authoritative Information Made Accessible
www.theARDA.com