why survey your congregation
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Reasons to deploy -- or not to deploy -- a survey of your church or congregation from Cameron Doolittle, author of church-strategy.com.TRANSCRIPT
Reasons to Survey Your Flock
Cameron Doolittlechurch-strategy.com
Learn. Then Lead.
Reasons Not to Survey1. We don’t lead based on polls.
2. We aren’t going to do something just because the congregation says to.
3. We hear plenty of feedback as it is.
Knowing the State of Your Flock“Be sure to know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.” – Proverbs 27:23
Source: New International Version
As churches grow, it becomes more challenging to understand the pulse of
the church family as a whole.
A survey is a helpful – but not definitive – way to gauge the views, needs, and
beliefs of the whole family at once.
I am interested in serving you with a survey because I believe it will help you
better shepherd the flock God has entrusted to you.
Responding to Survey ResultsLeadership Zone. The leader has work to do in building consensus around the new direction.
If It Ain’t Broke Zone. All agree that things are working well.
Action Zone. All agree it’s time to change. It’s time to set a course of action and go.
Teaching Zone. The leader has work to do in explaining why you choose to do things this way.
Congregation Wants Status Quo
Congregation Wants Change
Leadership Discerns Need for Change
Leadership Discerns Need for Status Quo
God has called you – not surveys – to lead your congregation.
But surveys can serve your leadership by showing you where you already have agreement and where you need to bring your congregants along.
Benefits of Surveying
Understanding Where the Center of Gravity Is.
Seeing Blind Spots.
Ensuring Honest Responses.
Accelerating Information Collection.
Understanding the Center of Gravity.Your congregation is always making suggestions. Which ones are fringe? And which ones represent the actual state of your flock?
Understanding the Center of Gravity.
Seeing Blind Spots.
Ensuring Honest Responses.
Accelerating Information Collection.
“You should say something about the health care bill.”
“You should start a ministry for seniors.”
“At our last church, they had a great children’s choir.”
“Our nursery really needs a renovation.”
Seeing Blind Spots.All kinds of things are happening in the name of your church. Some you see. Some you don’t.
Understanding the Center of Gravity.
Seeing Blind Spots.
Ensuring Honest Responses.
Accelerating Information Collection.
Things Going on Sunday Morning, Illustrative
You: The sermon was good. The worship was good.
“The parking was difficult.”
“The greeter wasn’t helpful.”
“The nursery is always short on volunteers.”
“It was hard to hear.”
“I couldn’t focus. We need a cry room.”
“The kids really don’t like coming.”
Ensuring Honest Responses.Your most helpful congregants may not be giving you the real story. They encourage you and then they disappear.
Understanding the Center of Gravity.
Seeing Blind Spots.
Ensuring Honest Responses.
Accelerating Information Collection.
What You’ll Hear“Great sermon, pastor.”
“The music was great.”
“We love coming here.”
What You May Not Hear “I’m really having trouble connecting in small groups.”
“The bathrooms making changing diapers hard.”
“The associate pastor is not effective as a counselor.”
Accelerating Information Collection.You would love to connect with all of your people. But demands on your time mean that you can really only hear from a small circle, who may not “get” the congregation.
Understanding the Center of Gravity.
Seeing Blind Spots.
Ensuring Honest Responses.
Accelerating Information Collection.
Much of what you know of your people comes from a few (great!) congregants.
Occasionally, it helps to hear from the “many”.
Revisiting the Reasons Not to Survey1. We don’t lead based on polls.
2. We aren’t going to do something just because the congregation says to.
3. We hear plenty of feedback as it is.
The Survey Is a Leadership Tool. A survey won’t supplant leadership. By highlighting areas where the congregation is thinking differently, it will show you where to deploy your leadership.
The Congregation Is One (Important) Data Point, Not the Judge and Jury. Your people will see only the results you choose to share. In many cases, “fringe” groups are asking you to do something with which the bulk of the congregation disagrees.
The People Talking the Most Aren’t Representative. Pastors hear a lot of opinions about what ought to happen… but they often hear from outliers and those who will be discontent regardless.
Ready to Get Started?
Image credits: NehemiahBaptist.com, a1225.wordpress.com, http://www.opensource.idv.tw/conference/file.php/1/pic/webheads.jpg
www.Church-Strategy.com
For $100, we will provide an online survey – and analysis – of your congregation.
For more information, contact me: [email protected]
I am blogging at Church-Strategy.com.