{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.church-congregation","code":"thing-q2638480","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q2638480/","name":"church congregation","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"research-draft","version":"0.2.0-wave.4","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"","entryKind":"","plane":"","domain":["SOC.ORG"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A local community of Christians who gather regularly for worship, often in a particular church building, known in different traditions as a parish, congregation or local church, and governed according to its denomination s polity, whether episcopal, presbyterian or congregational, with examples the registry aliases name such as Evangelical Lutheran congregations, Seventh-day Adventist congregations, Episcopal Church congregations and self-governing ecclesiastical entities; the alias curacy names the office or post of a curate rather than a congregation, and kirch could not be verified, possibly a variant of kirk. The model presents Christian traditions respectfully.","purpose":"Let an agent explain church congregations, relay structures, polities, membership and activities from church and religious studies sources with attribution, describe the named congregation types and flag misfiled or unverified aliases, and distinguish congregations from church buildings, denominations, parishes as territorial units and religious orders.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Local worshipping community","Denominational polity","Membership","Varied names"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What a church congregation is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is a church congregation, and how does it differ from buildings, denominations, territorial parishes and religious orders?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about joining, governance, history or a safeguarding concern needing appropriate authorities?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"types","name":"Types","description":"Named types.","findings":[{"id":"types-finding","name":"Types","description":"Types.","questions":[{"text":"What are Lutheran, Adventist and Episcopal congregations and self-governing ecclesiastical entities, and why are curacy and kirch different?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific type?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"polity","name":"Polity","description":"Church government.","layers":[{"id":"types","name":"Types","description":"Polity types.","findings":[{"id":"types-finding","name":"Types","description":"Types.","questions":[{"text":"How do episcopal, presbyterian and congregational polities govern congregations?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"membership","name":"Membership","description":"Membership.","findings":[{"id":"membership-finding","name":"Membership","description":"Membership.","questions":[{"text":"How do denominations define congregational membership?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"life","name":"Life","description":"Congregational life.","layers":[{"id":"worship","name":"Worship","description":"Worship and activities.","findings":[{"id":"worship-finding","name":"Worship","description":"Worship.","questions":[{"text":"What activities do congregations typically hold?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Christian worship?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"safeguarding","name":"Safeguarding","description":"Safeguarding.","findings":[{"id":"safeguarding-finding","name":"Safeguarding","description":"Safeguarding.","questions":[{"text":"What safeguarding policies do churches adopt, and how are concerns reported?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits safeguarding?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Trends.","layers":[{"id":"trends","name":"Trends","description":"Attendance trends.","findings":[{"id":"trends-finding","name":"Trends","description":"Trends.","questions":[{"text":"What do surveys show about congregational attendance trends, with sources attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation neutral and attributed?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"kirk","name":"Kirk","description":"Scots kirk.","findings":[{"id":"kirk-finding","name":"Kirk","description":"Kirk.","questions":[{"text":"What does kirk mean in Scotland?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Church of Scotland?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["explain structures and polities","relay activities","describe named congregation types","flag misfiled aliases"],"mustNot":["A local community of Christians who gather regularly for worship, often in a particular church building, known in different traditions as a parish, congregation or local church, and governed according to its denomination s polity, whether episcopal, presbyterian or congregational, with examples the registry aliases name such as Evangelical Lutheran congregations, Seventh-day Adventist congregations, Episcopal Church congregations and self-governing ecclesiastical entities; the alias curacy names the office or post of a curate rather than a congregation, and kirch could not be verified, possibly a variant of kirk."],"requiresHuman":["People gathered for worship in churches, halls or homes."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Safeguarding policies","Missing safeguarding concerns"],"affectedParties":[]},"owners":{"steward":"","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"congregation","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"Christian denomination","type":"related"},{"target":"church (building)","type":"related"},{"target":"curate","type":"related","note":"misfiled alias"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":[]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":["polity types: episcopal, presbyterian, congregational list","curacy: office of a curate note - misfiled alias","registry parents: congregation, Christian organization note"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Local community of Christian worshippers","Kirch, Evangelical-Lutheran congregation, curacy, Seventh-day Adventist congregation, self-governing ecclesiastical entity, Episcopal Church congregation","Church buildings are places; denominations are wider bodies; parishes can be territorial units; religious orders are communities under vows","People gathered for worship in churches, halls or homes."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain structures and polities","relay activities","describe named congregation types","flag misfiled aliases"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Disrespectful or partisan framing","Misfiled curacy alias","Missing safeguarding concerns"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Denominational constitutions and canon law","Charity and religious organisation laws","Safeguarding policies"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Local Christian worship and community.","parishes","congregational churches","Lutheran and Reformed congregations","Adventist and free church congregations","house churches"]}},"sources":[],"openQuestions":["The registry alias curacy should be moved to curate, and kirch should be reviewed","How should denominational sources be linked?","Should polity types be separate entries?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q2638480/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q2638480/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T22:05:38Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"derived","ethics":"derived","owners":"missing","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"missing","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"missing"},"notes":{"agentConduct":"Affordances listed as what may be done; prohibitions collected from the text.","interaction.properties":"Plane SOC: no invented physical properties.","sources":"Written from model knowledge without web access; claims are unverified."},"score":0.75}}