Nearly half of the 2,000 churches Dr. Thom Rainer and his researchers studied indicated they offered or required a new members' class. Though the study did not draw dogmatic conclusions, the relationship between assimilation effectiveness and new members' classes is amazing.
His researchers examined the retention level of new members over a two-year period and found that churches requiring people to enter membership through a new members' class have a much higher retention rate than those that do not.
These classes offer an opportunity to delve into myriad topics. The most common topics and the frequency with which they are discussed are listed below:
Source: "Surprising Insights from the Unchurched" Thom S. Rainer, Zondervan, 2001
