Marketing and research into demographics is big money in advertising. Everyone is trying to put people in the correct hole in order find out how to market the right “stuff” (be it body wash, cable tv, or diapers young and old) so companies can make more money. Figuring out who people are, where they go, what they like, who has the most disposable income, and who is most likely to spend that disposal income is what keeps some executives up at night.
 
I was reading through some very broad categories this week and thought it would be fun if I threw them out for you to see where you would fall. These are not like most research companies who want you to buy their phone or bubble gum, I picked these because they reflect people who would read this blog (some times that could be less than 10 people).
 
These categories come from Barna.org
 
Here is one about age…are you:

Millennials: Born between 1984 and 2002
Gen-Xers: Born between 1965 and 1983
Boomers: Born between 1946 and 1964
Elders: Born between 1945 or earlier

 
In thinking about the above categories remember your childhood and what things brought you the most joy. Did you have cell phones, have to wear a helmet when you road your bike, was your mom spanking you in the middle of the street not only acceptable but normal?
 
In regard to faith are you:

Practicing Christian: Those who attend a religious service at least once a month, who say their faith is very important in their lives and self-identify as a Christian.
Born again: Have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and believe that, when they die, they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior.
Evangelical: Made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in their life today and believe that, when they die, they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, plus seven other conditions. These conditions include saying their faith is very important in their life today; believing they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians; believing that Satan exists; believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; asserting that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; believing that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works; and describing God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today. Being classified as an evangelical is not dependent upon church attendance or the denominational affiliation of the church attended.
Non-evangelical born again Christians: meet the born again criteria but not all of the seven other criteria to be classified as an evangelical Christian.
Other faith: identify with a non-Christian faith, or identify as a Christian but report beliefs not aligned with historic, orthodox Christianity.
Notional Christians: identify as Christian, but do not meet the born again criteria.
No faith/skeptic: identify as agnostic or atheist, or as having no faith.

How about church attendance:

Very active: attended a church service in the past seven days, not including a special event such as a wedding or a funeral.
Semi-active: attended a service within the past month (but not within the past week).
Less active: attended a service within the past six months (but not within the past month).

 
There are literally thousands of categories and sub-categories that others break people into (or we do depending on circumstance). After you figure where you fall on these categories ask yourself if that is where you want to remain. In what areas do you want to grow? What categories aren’t listed above that you would list for yourself? 
 
I know this blog isn’t what you would normally except on a church site, but I guess that puts us in a category all of our own.