By Gabry Tyson
A recent study conducted by Eventbrite and Scott Thumma, research director of Hartford Institute for Religion Research, found that religious special events have major benefits for the livelihood of the religious organization as well as the religious individual.
The report was based off of a 2010 survey from Faith Communities Today that found the more “member-oriented and mission-focused” the special event, the higher the interest and engagement.
Thumma and Eventbrite’s report surveyed 1,007 individuals across the country to understand how and why people gather and the motivation, trends and desires behind religious special events.
Eventbrite spokesperson Amanda Livingood said after noticing a 50 percent increase in religious events on the site in the past year, they wanted to understand what was motivating people to attend what they refer to as the religious ’special event.’
“Our intention and hope is that the trends uncovered in this report will help religious organizations better understand, connect with and grow their community,” Livingood said in an email.
The report found that religious special events are beneficial to religious attendees for four main reasons. These events:
- Foster a deeper community connection
- Increase commitment to faith
- Allow for easier evangelizing
- Appeal to younger audiences
In addition, the survey reported a strong correlation between event attendance and religious involvement. Individuals that attended more special events were more likely to attend worship services, small group discussions, personal Scripture reading and prayer and placed an increased importance on faith in their lives.
The Spokane Buddhist Temple isn’t new to the idea of religious special events. The temple hosts a plethora of gatherings from monthly movie nights and annual summer picnics to introductory workshops, guest speakers and their yearly Obon Festival and fundraiser.
Mari Haworth, treasurer on the board of directors for the Spokane Buddhist Temple, said she “definitely” notices an increase in Sunday service attendance after major events.
“Often the first time someone comes to the temple is through a fundraiser. They find something that speaks to them and they come back for a service on Sunday,” Haworth said.
Haworth said she believes people are searching for somewhere to fit in and the festival and open houses held at the temple help some people find what they are looking for.
“A lot of people are searching for a spiritual home and are not finding [it] in the places they have grown up and are out looking for something new,” she said.
Of the people surveyed, 74 percent said they feel more connected with their faith community by attending special events.
Karrie Brown, one of the co-chairs for Temple Beth Shalom’s Kosher Dinner, said volunteering and attending the dinner strengthens both the TBS community and the greater Spokane community.
“I think [religious special events] are important for both in-reach and outreach. We feel like [the kosher dinner] builds our bonds as a congregation and makes it stronger. Almost everyone that’s a member participates and volunteers their time in some way. This brings us together on behalf of a common goal to provide an enriching event for the external community that we are also a part of,” Brown said.
The survey also found that 69 percent of respondents said attending special events strengthened their faith. Nicholas Damascus of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church said these events are an extension of the Christian faith and serve to do just that.
“The theme of Christianity is to descend out, to expose the good news and to teach the good news and to share that good news with people,” Damascus said when asked why these events are important.
Every year, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church holds a Greek Dinner Festival. Damascus said this festival acts as a bond between the members and creates a stronger sense of community that can’t be accomplished through Sunday services alone.
“If I haven’t been to your home and you haven’t been to mine how can we call that community? We should live in the church and tend to the world, live in the church all week long and tend together on Sundays,” he said in regards to the importance of the festival.
The report also offers ways religious organizations can ensure success in their next events. These recommendations include: diversifying outreach methods, catering to younger audiences, remaining cost and family-friendly and variety of events.
“Our research shows that even across diverse religions and varying levels of faith, there’s strong evidence that religious organizations can add immense value to their members’ lives through special events,” the report reads. “One thing is clear: people are hungry to gather outside of their typical place of worship to connect with their communities and simultaneously strengthen their faith.”
