Many churches had taken the Congregational Vitality Survey, The CAT, or the LEAD Congregational Assessment in the last few years. They come to us not knowing what to do with that information. Leaders ask if they should be making strategic plans, or reworking their mission statement, or aligning their ministries. They ask for help making sense of the data. What is good information? What do we take action on? Where do we go from here?
Quantitative data alone is not enough! It’s not enough to create change, shift culture, create a vision, move a congregation in to alignment of mission. Survey data is important because it tells us some things about areas of strength, challenge, future needs etc. But surveys can't bring people together to hear how God is at work. Quantitative data doesn’t facilitate conversations with neighbors in need, or show us how we might work together in courageous collaboration, or help move faithful people from a place comfort to a place of missional zeal.
Don’t get me wrong. Surveys are helpful and are always one of our first steps in helping a congregation or ministry understand itself. But we don’t leave you there. We engage in deep relational listening to the whole congregation and teach you how to engage your community in the same. We find ways to engage the whole congregation in dreaming and planning. The idea is that mission moves your ministry to the place that God calls you. It takes a good guide to help you navigate these changing waters. We got your back.
So, you took the survey. Now what?
Four Things to Do Post Survey
- Ask yourselves why did we want to take a survey? What were we trying to find out? What is our sense about what needs to change? Is knowing the data enough for us?
- Understand that data alone isn’t enough. Data doesn’t bring about revelation, vision, or transformation. It is just information about where you are now. It was a good start. Now what?
- Discern if your leadership and congregation is up for learning about what is next and where God might be calling you. What is at stake if you do and what’s at risk if you don’t?
- Call us, a trusted partner, who does not have an agenda for your ministry. As navigators and guides, we work with you to listen carefully to all the voices, facilitate a process to provide clarity about where are being called to go and how to get there: all of you, moving together in mission. That is our Purpose Mapping Process. Give us a call or request contact. Let’s chat about life after the survey. 651- 289-3207 | info@thejoshua-group.com