This survey was done during the worship hour on April 9th by 87 people who were in church.
It should be stressed that the information gathered from this survey is simply the opinions of those who filled it out.
It raises questions rather than gives us answers and
should be the starting point for further discussion on these issues.
It should also be noted that this survey was taken during a time when the church is in transition.
There will be a congregational forum scheduled later in the fall to talk about the findings of the survey.
Participation
67% of those responding said they attend worship every week,
and another 25% said they attend two or three times a month.
Only 5% said they had been coming for less than a year,
while 19% said they have attended for more than 20 years.
73% said they are involved in some kind of group activities here.
Community
Not surprisingly, 81% of respondents said they contribute to charitable organizations outside the congregation, and 52% said they are involved in social service or advocacy groups.
A majority of respondents chose an emphasis on social justice and diversity as two of their three most valued aspects of the congregation.
Sense of Belonging
45% say their strong sense of belonging is growing,
while 29% say they have a strong sense of belonging that has not changed in the last year.
34% participate more now than they did 2 years ago,
while the participation of 42% has remained the same.
17% say they participate less.
Faith
36% of respondents said their faith had grown much in the past year,
either through this congregation or some other means.
52% experienced some growth in their faith.
61% said their spiritual needs are being met here.
Meaningful Worship
44% usually or always experience God's presence during worship.
54% usually or always experience joy.
10% usually or always experience boredom.
47% usually or always feel a sense of fulfilling their obligation.
Youth
54% are satisfied with what is offered for children and youth.
72% of those who have children living at home said their children also worship here.
Sharing Faith
12% feel at ease talking about their faith and seek opportunities to do so. 53% mostly feel at ease and talk about their faith when it comes up. 16% find faith hard to talk about, while 15% do not talk about it, believing their life and actions are sufficient.
85% of respondents said they have invited someone to this church with them, 45% of them in the past year.
Leadership
68% say the congregation's leaders have encouraged them to use their gifts and skills to some or a great extent.
70% say their ideal leadership style in a pastor is someone who inspires people to take action.
The top three main roles respondents say they think their ideal pastor should carry out are:
Conducting worship - 70%
Visiting, counseling, and helping people - 49%
Teaching people about the faith - 40%
Music
Respondents were asked to choose two styles of music they most prefer. The top 4 are:
Traditional hymns - 60%
Music from a variety of cultures - 38%
Classical music or chorales - 26%
African-American gospel music - 20%
Looking to the Future
44% say the congregation has a clear vision, goals, or direction for its ministry and mission and are partly or strongly committed to those. 35% believe there are ideas but no clear vision.
60% agree or strongly agree that they are excited about our congregation's future.
55% believe we are always ready to try something new.
Regarding the future directions of the congregation,
40% say we are currently deciding on new directions
18% say our future is unclear or doubtful
10% say we are currently moving in new directions
10% say we need to rethink where we are heading
7% say we need to go back to the way we did things in the past