The D’ART Collective is an online educational curriculum that teaches Christians, Pastors, and Ministry Leaders how to harness the power of technology and the appeal of the arts to reach our youth, the religiously unaffiliated, and those who have become numb and disconnected from their faith.

Hampton, Virginia – October 4, 2022 – It’s an important moment in time for the Christian Church. After the new millennium saw steep declines in attendance and engagement, a new Barna study shows an uptick for the first time in over two decades, especially among younger generations. The pandemic made Sunday morning church sermons more accessible to tech-driven Millenials and Gen Z through the more widely adopted use of live-streaming, but now the question is, are pastors and church leaders equipped to keep them coming back?

Another Barna study released in early 2020, just days before the pandemic took hold, shows the number of practicing Christians dropped by half since 2000. However, in the two years since, Millennials reporting weekly church attendance increased from 21 percent to 39 percent, Gen X saw an 8 percent increase to 32 percent, while the Baby Boomer generation saw a decrease from 31 percent to 25 percent. When you break down the boost from the younger populations, Barna also noticed another trend: the increase can largely be attributed to non-white Millenials. In the past year alone, weekly church attendance in this demographic has jumped from 18 percent to 45 percent with many opting to do a mix of in-person and virtual church service.

“It’s encouraging data, if you know how to use it,” Rev. Dr. Debra Haggins said, and it’s why she’s made it her mission to help Christian Churches across the country reach these demographics through her new online courses called the D’ART Collective. “The goal of the D’ART Collective is to catalyze a spark of life within each participant to re-energize and restructure ministries and provide practical ways people can interact with their local church again, or for the first time,” Dr. Haggins said.

She has seen first-hand the frustration among church leaders as their congregations declined and they struggled for years to find solutions. “Right now, we have this window of opportunity,” Dr. Haggins explained. “Churches need to leverage it while they can.”

The D’ART Collective uniquely integrates the arts and technology to provide 21st-century answers to these timeless church questions. The creative and compelling curriculum unfolds through six unique pathways focused on what matters most in shaping an engaged congregation and community. They include:

Six unique pathways

• Theology: Laying the groundwork for the nature, purpose, and function of the church.
• Identity: Distinguishing the characteristics, form, and role of your congregation.
• Community: Engaging, influencing, and serving the people that surround you.
• Process: Delving into the administration and execution of church activity.
• Program: Constructing specific ministries and campaigns that forge relationships and foster growth.
• Implementation: Exploring the earmarks of a thriving congregation.

The D’ART Collective is now available for congregations that are ready to learn how to re-engage with their communities in this new era. “The pandemic has revealed a blind spot and it’s up to church leaders to adapt,” Dr. Haggins said. “These courses provide all the tools they need.”

For questions or to coordinate an interview with Dr. Haggins, please contact our Public Relations Director at the information listed below.

Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Wharton Curtis, LLC.
412-815-7514
[email protected]

To learn more or purchase the courses, please visit The Dart Collective Pathways.