TN114 How to prepare a church profile

First published on this website in February 2019 and last updated in February 2023

Synopsis

These notes give advice on how to write a church profile, a document that should provide an accurate and perceptive overview of your church especially when seeking a new Minister.

The recommendation is to think in terms of six sections:

1. The HEART of the church: an overview of membership and priorities
2. INFORMATION about the church’s life: a wide range of factual detail
3. The AREA: its features, schooling and how served by other churches
4. A fair ASSESSMENT of your church: health, strengths and weaknesses
5. The FUTURE: vision, prayer and plans
6. The PERSON PROFILE for the new Minister

The Notes offer and explain four aims when writing:  To be

• interesting
• honest
• visual
• definite.

There are then detailed checklists of what to include. These cover the six sections and follow the four guidelines. There is specific advice on preparing the person profile.

These notes were updated in February 2023 with some amendments to the layout and minor changes to the text.