Start with an issue.
Each month centers on a question facing the Episcopal Church, grounded in the everyday life of its people and congregations.
A listening project for the church
The church has
a pulse.
Let’s listen.
Monthly focus groups with Episcopalians. Honest conversations about the issues facing the church—and what they mean for its future.
Meet Episcopal Pulse ↗Explore the report formatMany voices. A deeper understanding.
Monthly conversationsEpiscopal perspectivesThoughtful analysisShared understanding
Our purpose
Before we decide,
we need to hear.
What do Episcopalians hope for? What worries them? What keeps them connected—and what makes them feel distant?
Episcopal Pulse is a project built to explore those questions through monthly focus groups. Small, guided conversations make room for people to describe their experiences in their own words.
The goal is to bring those voices into the wider conversation about the church, helping leaders and members understand the experiences behind the issues.
How it works
Listen. Make sense.
Share what matters.
One issue at a time. Room for nuance, disagreement, and the things a survey can miss.
Hear people out.
A moderated focus group invites Episcopalians to share experiences, explain their views, and explore where they agree or differ.
Bring the voices forward.
A readable report connects participants’ perspectives with analysis, highlighting recurring themes, tensions, and questions for the church.
What you’ll read
Real voices.
Useful insight.
The planned monthly reports will pair selected participant quotations with clear analysis: what people said, where perspectives diverged, and why it matters.
Think of a window into a conversation—one that helps you ask better questions in your own church.
First reports forthcomingEPISCOPAL PULSEREPORT PREVIEW
What makes a church feel like home?
An example of the kind of question a monthly conversation could explore.
01 THE CONTEXT
A short introduction explains the issue and who took part in the conversation.
02 THE VOICES
Selected quotations let readers hear participants’ experiences, including different points of view.
03 WHAT WE’RE HEARING
Analysis draws out themes, tensions, and implications without treating a small group as the voice of the entire church.
04 QUESTIONS TO CARRY FORWARD
Prompts invite readers to reflect on what the conversation might mean in their own setting.
Illustrative format only. This is not a completed study and contains no participant quotations or research findings.
The questions ahead
What’s on the church’s mind?
Possible topics for future conversations. Each begins with lived experience, rather than a presumed answer.
Belonging & community
What helps people feel known, needed, and connected?
Faith across generations
How do people of different ages experience the church?
Worship & spiritual life
Where are people finding meaning, depth, and renewal?
Change & the church’s future
What do people hope the church will hold onto—and rethink?
A little more context
Good questions.
Clear answers.
Is this a poll of the Episcopal Church?
No. Focus groups explore how people think and why. They can reveal experiences and themes, but they cannot show what percentage of all Episcopalians holds a particular view.
Who are the conversations for?
The conversations are with Episcopalians. The reports are intended for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of life in the church, including members, clergy, and lay leaders.
Will the reports include different perspectives?
The aim is to hear a range of experiences, including disagreement. Each report should explain the group’s context so readers can understand whose voices they are hearing.
How can I participate?
Participant recruitment details and the schedule for the first conversations will be shared here when available. Enrollment is not yet open.
When can I read the first report?
The first reports are forthcoming. This site introduces the project and illustrates the planned report format; no findings have been published here yet.
Episcopal Pulse
A listening church begins
with a conversation.
Come with curiosity. Make room for another perspective. Discover what we can learn when we listen closely.
See how the conversations work ↑