District Report

Fiji District

Membership and Attendance

Fiji District	Districts in This Area

Generally, Churches of the Nazarene grow each year in membership. Attendance tended to remain constant during the 1980s, with a slight growth during the 1990s. Prior to 1979, few churches reported attendance figures, so no trend has been noted.

The "Typical Church" of this size is also graphed on these pages. It represents the average size of all active churches in this category. A smooth membership and attendance pattern is evident on this graph. Apparently, times of change need to be followed by times of absorbing newcomers and preparing for new advances.

In order for a church to show sustained growth over a multi-year period, it must have enough people involved in both outreach and incorporation to do both jobs well. And the church must have a good match with its community. That is, the ministries performed and the worship styles used will attract some people more than others. If the people in the community are attracted by the church's program, growth is more likely.

If a church has shown consistent decline over many years, factors other than outreach efforts may be involved. Neighboorhood changes may also be important. Is the community itself declining? Or has the community become a different cultural group? Perhaps the church needs training in how to best reach its community; it may need to adapt its methods to a new culture. A church made up of older adults who have lived in the area for years may have difficulty attracting new families who have just moved in. An Anglo church in an Asian or Spanish community may have difficulty with language as well as cultural differences.

Major dips in attendance and membership sometimes indicate sponsorship of new churches. Records at Headquarters are incomplete on church sponsorship, but local records can verify such events.

Financial Reports

Fiji District	Districts in This Area

Church finances tend to increase each year. Special building fund drives are the major reason for unusual single-year gains followed by single-year losses. Consistent losses are indicative of problems for a local church.

Per capita giving is a measure of commitment level in a church. The computation is based on dividing total money raised by the average attendance each Sunday. It is influenced by income levels, the affluence of the neighborhood, and employment patterns among church constituents, as well as commitment levels.

Giving within the Church of the Nazarene is typically higher than in most other denominations. A drop in per capita giving, like a drop in total giving, may reflect a previous financial drive is now over. A steady decline may be a sign of community change or an indication of a spiritual problem within the congregation itself.

Church Expenditures

Fiji District	Districts in This Area

These graphs indicate how the church spent its money during the latest available year, compared to the typical church in its size category.

Each church has its own pattern of expenditures. A church that has little debt can obviously spend a larger proportion of its funds on outreach programs or staff. Churches recently undergoing major renovations must concentrate a larger proportion of their funds on buildings or indebtedness. Still, a comparison to average expenditures by churches in this category may help the church to see its programs in perspective.

NOTE: 10% Giving is calculated as a percentage of other expenditures, not of total expenditures. Therefore, giving 9.09% of all expenditures to General Budget and Approved Specials qualifies as a 10% church. For a further clarification of this ratio, see the Pastor's Annual Report: Financial Chart, Lines W through Z.

SOURCE: General Secretary's Annual Reports, compiled by the Research Center, Church of the Nazarene