why do people join our parish? why do people stay in our parish? why do people serve in our parish?...

Why do people join our parish?

Why do people stay in our parish?

Why do people serve in our parish?

Why don’t more people join our parish?

Why don’t more people stay in our parish?

Why don’t more people serve in our parish?

Perhaps we are asking the wrong question…

Let’s ask them!

But…how will we know if the answers of a few apply to all…?

How can we measure our

“disciple’s response”

accurately?

Church of st. Gerard majella port jefferson station, new york

We first learned about We first learned about measuringmeasuring

““A Disciple’s Response” A Disciple’s Response”

when…when…

The answers came in this envelope…and we almost threw it away!

The answers came in this envelope…and we almost threw it away!

Our negative reaction to measuring

“A Disciples’s Response

was…

Our negative reaction to measuring

“A Disciples’s Response

was…

“Everything they taught you about building a spiritually healthy, vibrant, growing

congregation was wrong.”

“Everything they taught you about building a spiritually healthy, vibrant, growing

congregation was wrong.”

“OK…only half right.”“OK…only half right.”

Summit on Congregational

Engagement

Summit on Congregational

Engagement

George Gallup Jr.George Gallup Jr.Rev. Al WinsemanRev. Al Winseman

The Gallup Building

Washington, DC

The Gallup Building

Washington, DC

What changed our What changed our minds about minds about

measuringmeasuring

““A Disciple’s A Disciple’s Response”Response”

was…was…

What changed our What changed our minds about minds about

measuringmeasuring

““A Disciple’s A Disciple’s Response”Response”

was…was…

Member Member Engagement:

Engagement: 4 Outcomes

4 Outcomes

Member Member Engagement:

Engagement: 4 Outcomes

4 Outcomes

!!

Gallup measures match our mission!Gallup measures match our mission!

“Isn’t it great!?

It’s all in the Bible!”

“Isn’t it great!?

It’s all in the Bible!”

George Gallup Jr.George Gallup Jr.

MeasuringMeasuring

““A Disciple’s Response”A Disciple’s Response”

has benefitedhas benefited

our parishour parish

by…by…

MeasuringMeasuring

““A Disciple’s Response”A Disciple’s Response”

has benefitedhas benefited

our parishour parish

by…by…

Rev. Al WinsemanRev. Al Winseman

Michael CookMichael Cook

…Allowing us to measure the

visible outcomes of our “disciple’s

response”…

…measuring the unseen causes of

our “disciple’s response.”

“30, 60 100 fold…”

“Good soil, …shallow soil, …….trampled soil…”.

…in relation to…

…Allowing us to measure the

visible outcomes of our “disciple’s

response”…

…measuring the unseen causes of

our “disciple’s response.”

Engaged Parishioners

…in relation to…

Not Engaged Parishioners

Actively Disengaged Parishioners

•Inviting•Giving

•Thanking•Serving

Gallup’s Faith Practice Tools help us to measure…

The Seed God has sewn within us: our Talents

The Soil we prepare: our “disciple’s response.”

+

+

Strengths Finder

Member Engagement Survey

Gallup’s Faith Practice Tools result in:

A more grateful (eucharistic) parish…

A more serving parish, eager to minister…

In 15 years $600,000 in DEBT has become $3,000,000 in SAVINGS

100 people in service has become 600 people in service

Living our Strengths

Disciples respond

at St. Gerard Majella:

to God’s Gifts

Connectedness

Ideation

Learner

Self Assurance

Responsibility

Maximizer

Includer

Communication

Woo

Strategic

Input

Positivity

Futuristic

Individualization

Activator

Arranger

Belief

Empathy

Command

Intellection

Relator

Achiever

Adaptability

Deliberative

Focus

Context

Restorative

Analytical

Developer

Consistency

Harmony

Significance

Competition

Discipline

THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION

• Nearly 70 years, over one million people, thousands of questions about religion and spirituality

• More than one million people, thousandsof questions about successful and effective organizations — schools, workplaces, hospitals, etc.

Copyright © 2004 The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ. All rights reserved.

Gallup Research


Talent

• Talents are naturally recurring patterns of

thought, feeling, or behavior that can be productively applied.

• Talents reflect who you are, not what you

know.



Identification of Strengths/Talents

Gallup’s Clifton StrengthsFinder• Based on over 30 years of research of 2

million individuals• Web-based tool• Identifies 34 main themes of Talent• Top 5 are your Signature Themes• One theme is not more valuable than another



The Power of a Calling

"What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do. The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.“

Mother Teresa of Calcutta


Disciples respond to God’s Gifts step-by-step in faith…

Growing Member Engagement at St. Gerard Majella

•Why do people join their parish?

•Why do people stay in their parish?

•Why do people serve in their parish?

Gallup has 70 years of research to answer these questions…

Gallup’s research shows that only 3 out of 10 people

at Mass every Sunday actually care whether they

are there or not!

Here’s why…


• Membership• Attendance• Giving• These are outcomes, not

causes, of Spiritual Health.


Typically, Congregations Measure Three Thingsin Order to Attempt to Measure Spiritual Health:


Life Satisfaction: Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the way things are

going in my personal life.Serving:

Hours per week given to help and serve othersin my community.

Inviting:

In the last month, I have invited someone to participatein my congregation.

Giving:

Percentage of income and actual dollars given tothe congregation.

Copyright © 1992-1999 The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ. All rights reserved.

Relevant Outcomes:


Giving

Inviting

Serving

LifeSatisfaction

Conventional Wisdom: Focus on the Outcomesin Order to Influence Spiritual Health.

SpiritualHealth



• Outcomes are the result of causes

• Focusing on the causes will influencethe outcomes

Get the order right.


The Reality:


+ =SpiritualCommitment

CongregationalEngagement

SpiritualHealth


Causes of Spiritual Health


There is a difference between:

•Spiritual Commitment (deep and personal) &

•Congregational Engagement (broad and interpersonal)

Gallup Research Result:


• Reflects a personal depth of spirituality

• Individual in nature

• Seen in both attitudes and behaviors


Spiritual Commitment


• My faith is involved in every aspectof my life.

• Because of my faith, I have meaningand purpose in my life.

• My faith gives me an inner peace.

• I am a person who is spiritually committed.


Spiritually Committed Attitudes


• I spend time in worship or prayer every day.

• Because of my faith, I have forgiven people who have hurt me deeply.

• My faith has called me to develop mygiven strengths.

• I will take unpopular stands to defend my faith.

• I speak words of kindness to those in needof encouragement.


Spiritually Committed Behaviors


Spiritual Commitment by the Numbers

• Fully Spiritually Committed: “Strongly Agree” (5) to all nine items

• 14% of adults in the U.S. are Fully Spiritually Committed

• 18% of members

• 5% of non-members


SpiritualCommitment


SpiritualHealth


The Conventional Wisdom


More often than not,

Engagement leads to Commitment.

By focusing your efforts on increasing the Engagement level

of your members, you have abetter chance of increasing their Spiritual

Commitment.


The Reality


SpiritualCommitment

SpiritualHealth


Engagement influences Commitment.

Engagement is more actionable.


Get the Order Right!


Activity Without EngagementLeads to Burnout

• “Filling slots” on committees

• “Duty” and “responsibility”

• “It’s time for the younger members to take their turn.”


Does this

sound

familiar

???


Burned-out members

eventually leave…

psychologically,

emotionally,

spiritually,

and physically.

I tried to engage (my father) in talks about God, the possibility of experiencing God not just now and then, but all the time. He’d shake his head as if I were crazy…”

Darcey Steinke

Darcey Steinke

Engagement drives Spiritual Commitment and the outcomes of Inviting, Giving, Life- Satisfaction, and Serving

Engagement drives Spiritual Commitment and the outcomes of Inviting, Giving, Life- Satisfaction, and Serving

“I came to Grace (Reformed Church, Brooklyn, NY) to worship with people on an elemental level. To experience the kind of care and connection one feels with strangers at the site of an accident or in an emergency room, where pulse and heartbeat mean more than status or wealth or whatever else people use to subdivide themselves.”

“I came to Grace (Reformed Church, Brooklyn, NY) to worship with people on an elemental level. To experience the kind of care and connection one feels with strangers at the site of an accident or in an emergency room, where pulse and heartbeat mean more than status or wealth or whatever else people use to subdivide themselves.”

Darcey SteinkeDarcey Steinke


Gallup research has discovered that there are 12 items that most effectively measure the

engagement level of the members of your congregation.



• As a member of my congregation, I know what is expected of me.

• In my congregation, my spiritual needs are met.

• In my congregation, I regularly have the opportunity to do what I do best.

• In the last month, I have received recognition or praise from someone in my congregation.

• The spiritual leaders in my congregation seem to care about me as a person.

• There is someone in my congregation who encourages my spiritual development.


The 12 Items of Engagement


• As a member of my congregation, my opinionsseem to count.

• The mission or purpose of my congregation makes me feel my participation is important.

• The other members of my congregation are committed to spiritual growth.

• Aside from family members, I have a best friend inmy congregation.

• In the last six months, someone in my congregation has talked to me about the progress of my spiritual growth.

• In my congregation, I have opportunities to learn and grow.


The 12 Items of Engagement


Opportunities to learn and growProgress in last six months

Best friendMembers committed to spiritual growthMission/Purpose of congregationMy opinions count

Encourages developmentLeaders careRecognition last monthOpportunity to do what I do best

Spiritual needs metI know what is expected

What do I get?

What do I give?

Do I belong?

How can

we

grow?

= Engagement

Spiritual Commitment

Outcomes

Spiritual Health


The Congregational Engagement Hierarchy

13. Easter 2004 – Strengths-In-Action

More than 30 parishioners contributed artistic gifts to the design, construction, and installation of these 12 banners.

12 Items of Congregational Engagement illustrated with parish examples

Engagement Banners in Church

Parish “Precious Blood” TestFront Cover for ME 25 Survey Brochure

Back Cover for ME 25 Survey

“My Opinions Seem to Count”

For each element of Engagement:

•Gallup’s Words

•Plain English

•Description

•National Average Score

•St. Gerard Score

•Parishioners’ Opinions


National CongregationalEngagement Index

• 2001 -2005

• Over 7,000 adults nationwide over a five year period 9 items of Spiritual Commitment

• 12 items of Congregational Engagement

• 4 outcomes



• Engaged – These members are loyal and have a strong psychological connection to the

organization. They are more spiritually committed, more likely to invite friends, family members, and coworkers to congregational events, and give more both financially and in commitment of time. Congregations need to develop more of these individuals.

• Not Engaged– These members may attend regularly, but they are not psychologically connected to

their congregation. Their connection to the congregation is more social than spiritual. They give moderately but not sacrificially, and they may do a minimal amount of volunteering in the community. They are less likely to invite others and more likely to leave.

• Actively Disengaged– These members usually show up only once or twice a year, if at all. They are on the

membership rolls, and can tell you what congregation they belong to — but may not be able to name the pastor, priest, or rabbi. However, they may also be regular in their attendance. If that’s the case, they are physically present but psychologically absent. They are unhappy with their congregation and insist on sharing that unhappiness with just about everyone.


Three Types of Members


What’s wrong with this picture?

29% 54% 17%

EngagedNot

EngagedActively

Disengaged


Good Soil:Good Soil:Engaged Parishioners

Shallow SoilShallow Soil::Not-engaged Parishioners

Trampled Soil:Trampled Soil:Actively Disengaged

Research by The Gallup Organization

Research by The Gallup Organization

Average ofall churches

in USA

29% 54% 17%

Average of all RC Ch.s

in USA

16% 49% 35%

Actual of St. Gerard

Majella

50% 40% 10%

Spiritual

Commitment (deep & personal)

+Congregational

Engagement (broad &

interpersonal )

Spiritual Health

(four Outcomes)

Contact Information:

Cinda Hicks

Faith Practice Associate at 1-402-938-6304 (1-800-288-8592 toll-free)

[email protected]

Joe Cavanaugh Associate Partner The Gallup Faith Practice 1-402-938-6173

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

why do people join our parish? why do people stay in our parish? why do people serve in our parish?...

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