Methodology & sources
About Our Data
Research and benchmarks are one desk within the broader thisweek.church publication. When that desk uses data, it draws from publicly available research and, where explicitly disclosed, anonymized aggregate patterns from eligible churches using preachly.io.
As the preachly.io church network grows, eligible aggregate patterns from participating churches may inform future reporting here. We only publish platform-derived claims when the underlying sample is large enough to be useful, anonymized, and described with a clear methodology.
Today, most benchmarks are grounded in the cited public research shown on each page. Platform data is not presented as representative of the American church unless the sample and limits are explicitly disclosed.
What we publish
- —Worship song trends: sourced from CCLI, Spotify, and preachly.io service-planning data
- —Sermon topics: aggregated from preachly.io service orders and RSS feeds from the 100 largest churches in America
- —Giving benchmarks: sourced from Pushpay annual reports, Generosity by Design, and preachly.io-connected church data
- —Attendance trends: sourced from FACT surveys, Barna Research, and preachly.io reporting churches
- —Digital engagement: sourced from preachly.io platform data, Mailchimp nonprofit benchmarks, and Church Communications Group research
Our commitment
Every benchmark includes its source. Every range reflects real variance across church sizes. Every page shows when it was last updated. We don't publish data we can't back up.
thisweek.church is an editorial brand working in partnership with preachly.io. The partnership helps us turn recurring questions from church leaders into permanent, searchable resources—and gives churches a practical technology path when a guide needs to become action.