Young Adult Ministry Research Project
Project Overview & Goals
Project Start Date: February 2026 Church: Brookville Road Community Church (BRCC) Location: 7480 US-52, New Palestine, IN 46163
Primary Goal
Conduct comprehensive research on young adult demographics, trends, and ministry approaches to inform strategic planning for young adult ministry at Brookville Road Community Church.
Target Demographics
Age Range: 22-32 years old (post-college through early family formation)
Ministry Approach: Integrated young adult ministry serving both singles and young married couples
Life Stages Included:
- Young professionals (early career)
- Recent college graduates
- Single young adults
- Young married couples (with and without children)
- Young families (early parenting stage)
Note: This range emerged from research synthesis. The focus is post-college young adults navigating career, relationships, and identity formation, distinct from both college-age ministry and established family ministry.
Research Objectives
1. Local Community Research
- Understand the demographic composition of New Palestine, IN and surrounding communities
- Identify population sizes, growth trends, and characteristics of young adults in the area
- Analyze geographic layers (immediate area, regional, county-level)
- Determine where young adults live, work, and what draws them to the area
2. Surrounding Communities Research
- Study adjacent towns and cities in southern Hancock County
- Understand the Marion County (Indianapolis) connection and migration patterns
- Identify competition and collaboration opportunities with nearby churches
- Map the broader regional context for ministry
3. National Young Adult Research
- Research national data on 22-32 year old demographic
- Understand generational characteristics (Millennials, Gen Z)
- Identify life stage challenges, spiritual needs, and cultural trends
- Examine socioeconomic factors, education, employment, and family formation patterns
4. National Young Adult Ministry Research
- Study successful young adult ministry models from churches across the country
- Identify best practices, common challenges, and innovative approaches
- Understand what draws young adults to church and what keeps them engaged
- Research programming ideas, community-building strategies, and discipleship models
5. Strategic Analysis and Options
- Analyze ministry model options in BRCC’s specific context
- Examine approaches used by churches of similar size, location, and resources
- Identify strategic considerations for outreach, programming, and community building
- Document common challenges and success factors from research
Research Approach
Methodology
- Demographic Research: US Census data, local statistics, growth projections
- Ministry Research: Published studies, successful church case studies, denominational resources
- Contextual Analysis: Local community insights, regional trends, BRCC’s unique positioning
Documentation Structure
- Each research area documented in separate markdown files
- Executive summaries for quick reference
- Detailed data and sources for deeper analysis
- Cross-references between related topics
Research Documents Created
00-Project-Overview.md- This document, project goals and structure01-BRCC-Church-Profile.md- Information about Brookville Road Community Church02-Local-Demographics.md- New Palestine area and regional demographics03-Demographic-Trends-Analysis.md- Historical trends and future projections04-Growing-Young-Framework.md- Fuller Youth Institute’s research-based framework05-National-Young-Adult-Research.md- National data on Millennials and Gen Z06-Church-Case-Studies.md- Profiles of successful young adult ministries07-Ministry-Models-and-Programming.md- Program models and implementation examples08-Comprehensive-Best-Practices.md- Extensive best practices across four key areas09-Integrated-Ministry-Analysis.md- Analysis of integrated young adult ministry approach10-Suburban-Strategy-Analysis.md- Strategic analysis for suburban ministry context11-Church-Landscape-Analysis.md- Survey of 30+ churches across the service area12-Market-Share-Analysis.md- Addressable population segmentation and market analysisCRITICAL-ANALYSIS.md- Critical evaluation identifying research gaps and areas for further workCRITICAL-RECOMMENDATIONS.md- Areas for further investigation to support implementation
Purpose of This Research
This research provides information to support strategic planning:
- Understand the context: Young adult population size, characteristics, and trends in the area
- Learn from research: Documented approaches from successful churches and ministry research
- Consider options: Various ministry models and their contextual fit factors
- Inform planning: Data and analysis to support strategic decision-making
Key Questions to Answer
About Our Community
- How many young adults (22-32) live in our service area?
- Where do they live? (New Palestine, McCordsville, Cumberland, Greenfield, etc.)
- What are their life stages and needs?
- How is the young adult population growing or changing?
About Young Adults Nationally
- What are the defining characteristics of Millennials and Gen Z?
- What challenges do young adults face in this life stage?
- What are their spiritual needs and questions?
- What draws young adults to church? What drives them away?
About Ministry Models
- What are successful young adult ministry models?
- What programming works well? (small groups, service projects, social events, etc.)
- How do churches reach young adults who aren’t currently attending church?
- What role does online/digital ministry play?
About BRCC Specifically
- What is our current young adult presence?
- What are our strengths and resources for young adult ministry?
- What challenges or obstacles will we face?
- What are appropriate first steps?
Success Criteria
This research project is successful if it:
- Provides accurate data on local demographics and national trends
- Documents proven approaches from successful ministry examples
- Presents strategic options with contextual analysis and considerations
- Enables informed discussion among church leadership and planning team
- Supports decision-making with comprehensive research foundation
Notes and Context
Geographic Context
- BRCC is located in southern Hancock County, IN
- Less than a few miles west is Marion County (Indianapolis metro area)
- Most of BRCC’s congregation lives in this southern Hancock/western Marion County area
- The church is positioned at the intersection of rural small town (New Palestine) and suburban Indianapolis growth
Church Context
- BRCC is a non-denominational church founded in 1981
- Current congregation: 1,000+ people
- Strong family orientation with existing children’s and youth programs
- Mission: “Inspire people to become wholehearted followers of Jesus”
- Vision: “Impact and renew New Palestine and beyond with the transforming message of Jesus Christ”
Cultural Context
- Post-COVID church landscape with changing attendance patterns
- Digital-native generations (Millennials, Gen Z) with different engagement preferences
- Economic pressures on young adults (housing costs, student loans, etc.)
- Growing suburban population in Hancock County area
Research Completed
Foundational Context ✓
- Project goals and church profile established
- Research methodology and documentation structure defined
Demographic Research ✓
- Local demographics: New Palestine and surrounding communities (Doc 02)
- Trend analysis: Historical patterns and future projections (Doc 03)
- Regional context: Hancock County and Marion County analysis
Ministry Framework Research ✓
- Growing Young framework: Research-based approach from Fuller Youth Institute (Doc 04)
- National young adult data: Millennials and Gen Z characteristics (Doc 05)
- Church case studies: Successful ministry examples by church size (Doc 06)
Program and Practice Research ✓
- Ministry models: Five approaches with implementation details (Doc 07)
- Best practices: Comprehensive guide across attraction, programming, formation, community (Doc 08)
Strategic Analysis ✓
- Integrated ministry approach: Analysis for suburban context serving singles and young marrieds (Docs 09-10)
- Critical evaluation: Gaps and areas requiring further investigation (Critical Analysis)
- Investigation framework: Next steps for implementation planning (Critical Recommendations)
Competitive Intelligence ✓
- Church landscape analysis: Survey of 30+ churches in service area (Doc 11)
- Market share analysis: Addressable population segmentation (Doc 12)