ARDA Training Opportunity

Every WPLP cohort has experienced at least one presentation from The Association of Religion Data Archives. 

ARDA has tools for researchers and journalists, but it also has an entire Congregational Resource Center.  Here you can create maps containing important data about social conditions in any area you serve, everything from economic data to family composition or housing stock. 

You can also see data about the twenty-five largest denominations in the US, helpfully gathered into a landing page for each group.  

And best of all, everything on the ARDA website is totally free—it does not even require registration. 

The ARDA is now headquartered at IUPUI in partnership with the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture.  Starting in the fall of 2021, ARDA will host three cohorts of pastors, non-profit executives, and civic leaders from throughout Indiana in seminars designed to help them use the ARDA site, more effectively, both through familiarizing them with the site but also providing training in reading and understanding data. This is our way of truly “bringing” ARDA to Indiana.

Participants will become familiar with all the data ARDA has to offer. Their input will also have some impact on the redesign of the ARDA site which is occurring over the next two years.

Participants will visit the new ARDA training center on the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis for four, 4-hour, seminars, over the course of two years (once every 6 months). They will receive $2000 stipends for participating in the four seminars. Lunch will, of course, be provided.

If you know of pastors, leaders of faith-based service organizations, or civic officials who might be interested in learning more about using data to understand and improve the role of congregations in civic life, please contact Art Farnsley at afarnsle@iupui.edu. 

We are especially interested in bringing free information resources to underserved communities.  Absolutely no prior experience in using online data tools is necessary.