All local churches of The New Mexico Conference can now enjoy access to exciting

All local churches of The New Mexico Conference can now enjoy access to exciting, up-to-date demographic information and other study resources regarding their church area, as a result of our conference client relationship with Percept, Inc. The information is available online or through your conference authorized administrator in the Conference Office. All information is current and is regularly updated about every 6 months....

What is demographic information?
Demographic information is a collection of specific data about a specific geographic area and the people who populate it. Percept has gathered together information such as population and projected growth, trends of major ethnic racial groups and generational groups, diversity of an area, level of stress in the area, types of family structures present, levels of education for adults, household concerns, involvement levels and religious activities, church music, worship preferences, and preferred programs and services. A snapshot, or "First View," of a congregation's zip code is one kind of result. (There are several other in-depth studies which are also available, at varying prices.)

Why is this important in our ministry planning?
Only by studying your community and understanding what is happening and what trends are projected to be for your community, can you expect to effectively plan your ministry of sharing the Gospel with people around you. The dynamics of a community can change from month to year. Most of us do not even realize the extent of such changes.

How do I access this information for my church zipcode?
    You need to be able to access the Internet. You will also need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the information (a link is available at the site whereby you can download the Reader to your computer without charge). Then-


    -Click on the logo-link just above, or type into your browser address:   http://www.link2lead.com.
    -Once there, click on "Registration" and give the appropriate information. You will be given your
            own user password, and can re-visit the site whenever you like.
    -Click on the "My Community" tab at the top of the screen.
    -Click on "Select Zip Code" in the box along the left hand side of the screen.
    -Enter the zip code you wish to study. (You are not limited to viewing only one... return and
            view others around your local area)
    -Click on "First View Report" in the box along the left hand side of the screen.
    -Right-click on "Download" First View Report, and a 6-page report can be downloaded to a
           file on your own computer .

NEW!! FirstView Custom polygon Maker, County boundaries report:
This powerful tool allows you to order a 6 page informational custom demographic study of an area of interest to your church, by drawing your
own polygon boundaries, or for designated counties! Draw it up, send the request in, and shortly you receive an email like this:
"The file you have requested is now available for viewing. To view the file, simply click the highlighted link" and see what you end up with,
in a matter of minutes.
Directions on the site make this easy and quick to use! You are no longer limited to just getting 'canned' FirstViews.
And it's absolutely free to you and up to 20 from your church to access whenever you need it.

NEW!! ACTIVE VIEWER! This tool gives you a powerful mapped view of the Conference or your area, showing icons of all churches in the area. By clicking
on an icon, you bring up a 10-facts overview of that church's demographics, or a FirstView file! More information at your
very fingertips!

NEW...NOW AVAILABLE!! "Member View" Check it out!!
This feature will allow you to see the locations of all households in your membership on a map, with analysis of distance/drive time/ and more!

NEW!! NOW AVAILABLE!! DRAW YOUR OWN BOUNDARIES & ORDER M.A.P. (Ministry Area Profile study)... Now you can have even more choices and interaction in gathering exactly the
information you are seeking for the specific area of concern! Check it out! Call Cheryl in
the Conference Office for more details...she can order it for you at no cost!

Take advantage of other
valuable resource tools at the Link2Lead site!

Once you
have the information in hand, explore the site. There are several great
resource tools there for you and your church planning teams. Studying
your community
and keeping up with current trends and projections is crucial for
your congregation's continuing ministry of sharing the Gospel with the people
around you.
We encourage each congregation in the N.M. Conference to
use the demographic resources available to you; they are free,
as a part of our Conference
client-status with Percept, Inc.

Local Church Staff Leadership Development helps Local Church Committee Leaders Develpmnt. help

New each month on the LinktoLead site, Quick Insight combines information from Percept's nationwide household survey, "Ethos," and includes ideas for ministry. This information is designed for use with discussion groups such as Adult Sunday School classes. It can also be used as a bulletin insert and included in newsletters.

Also new each month, Xlibris provides monthly reviews of books addressing issues critical to leadership in the church today. The review encourages discussion with your leadership team. These are books that can facilitate ecumenical discussions, as well.

The iChange and iLeadType surveys are designed to assess a person's response to change, and characteristics of their leadership style. A discussion guide is included with each survey to assist in facilitating conversations around the themes. This is a great idea for use in Administrative Council, leadership group discussions! EXCELLENT RESOURCES.
Try it-- you may be surprised at what it reveals. Use the Local Church Staff and Committee Leadership helps above at red button links)!

So, you think you already know your community?... what is true about the people in your area of ministry? ...What changes are projected to take place during the next 5 years? ...What are some faith facts you can learn about the area? The answers to these questions and dozens of others are located in the 10-Facts Series. They may surprise you!!
Use the 10-Questions Workshop & Worksheet to introduce the 10-Facts Series to leaders in your church.

Enter your zipcode (or one of the zipcodes nearby!), draw your own boundary area, designate a county, and Percept's "Link2Lead FirstView" will give you a 6-page snapshot view of what that ministry area looks like. You'll get population figures and a projected population for 2009, growth trends of major ethnic/racial groups, generational groups, the diversity trends of the area, the stress level types, family structures present, educational levels, and more. Data from the "Ethos" study will also indicate household concerns, involvement levels and religious activity preferences, as well as preferences in worship, music, etc. It's a great way to begin to assess your church's ministry plan to a community which you may discover is much different than what you perceived it to be!
And, don't forget to download the First View Workshop, so that you and others will have a better idea of how to use and interpret this valuable resource.

Visit and explore our Percept resource page often!
New and exciting things will continue to be added from time to time. Make it a point to check out Link2Lead often. Visit the Percept web site for general information about other resources which may be available.
If you need further help in utilizing any of the links explained here, or interpreting your information- contact Cheryl Hicks, your Percept conference administrator, in the Conference office, 800-678-8786 or 505-255-8786.

Check it out today!