1997 Parish Survey

The Self Study committee of St. Paul's has prepared this survey to help us learn how you, the members of St. Paul's Parish, think and feel about our parish. This information is vitally important as we prepare a descriptive Profile of St. Paul's. The Profile, after it is approved by the Vestry and the Bishop, will be used as a guideline for the selection of a new rector for St. Paul's. It will also be sent to priests interested in being considered to be our new rector to help them learn more about us our opinions, worship, programs, history, community, and our hopes and dreams for the future. Your honest input is essential to the accuracy of the profile. YOU ARE WELCOME TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY ANONYMOUSLY. We hope that each member of the parish who is 14 years older or older will take the time to complete the survey. It is your opportunity to let us know what is important to you, what you don't like, and what you wish for at St. Paul's.

Please return your completed survey to us in the enclosed envelope or place it in the envelopes marked "SURVEY" in the McNary Center and the church vestibule. On Sunday, September 15, the Committee is sponsoring a parish Pancake Breakfast from 9 to 11 o'clock in the McNary Center. The only "price" of admission is a completed survey or your word that you have returned it. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 IS THE DEADLINE FOR RETURNS. (Surveys received after that date will not be included in the results.)

If you need any assistance or wish to discuss any questions, please feel free to contact any member of the Committee. We thank you for your time, effort, and assistance.

I. PARISH PROGRAMS ASSESSMENT----GENERAL:

1. Please qualify the following statements to fit your experience of St. Paul's with one of the following:

2. What about St. Paul's is MOST important to you?

3.Do you have a sense of hope and excitement about St. Paul's future?

4. Please check the 3 elements of worship that are most important to you

5. Please check the 5 programs, organizations, and activities at St. Paul's that are most important to you.

6. Do you feel comfortable bringing new people to church related activities?

7. Are there enough programs for all ages in our parish?

8. Should St. Paul's have activities that target particular age or interest groups?

If yes, what age group(s) or interest group(s)?

9. There should be a support group at St. Paul's for:

10. Please list any other activities you would like to see at St. Paul's.

11. Should there be more opportunities for parishioners who attend different services to interact?

If yes, when? generally, between services, parish dinners

12. A coffee hour after the main service is important year round.

13. Would you like to participate in a parish retreat?

Where?

14. Would you like St. Paul's to offer more services during the week?

What services?

What day(s) and time(s) would you like to attend these services?

15. When church Holy Days fall during the week (e.g., - Ash Wednesday, Ascension Day, All Saints Day, etc.), at what time(s) would you like services to be held?

16. At what time(s) would you like to attend church on Sunday?

II. PARISH PROGRAM ASSESSMENT---EDUCATION AND YOUTH

1. Are you interested in attending Adult Christian Education at St. Paul's?

If so, what days and times would be best for you?

What would you be interested in studying?

2. Do your children attend Sunday School at St. Paul's?

If yes, are you satisfied with our Christian Education Program?

If no, why not? not tabulated

3. Do you feel the Christian education program at St. Paul's meets the needs of the children of our parish?

4. Would you like to see field trips scheduled for children who attend Christian education at St. Paul's?

If yes, would you attend as a chaperone?

5. Would you participate in a "parents of young children" group?

6. Should there be an organized youth group at St. Paul's?

If yes, should the youth group be primarily recreational?

Should the youth group be primarily spiritual and educational?

7. Should there a teenage representative on the Vestry of St. Paul's?

III. GROWTH AND THE FUTURE OF ST. PAUL'S

1. Are you satisfied with the overall direction and status of St. Paul's Church?

2. Should St. Paul's develop specific goals for our future?

3. Should St. Paul's develop a formal plan to accomplish its goals?

4. Some possible kinds of parish development are listed below. Which is MOST important to you for St. Paul's?

5. Do you feel St. Paul's has satisfactory ways of dealing with controversy within the parish?

6. Do you feel well informed about current issues in the Episcopal Church - locally, nationally, internationally?

7. Are there areas of parish life in which you would like to see changes in emphasis or direction, or programs you would like to see develop?

Please comment:

IV. RECTOR ATTRIBUTES:

REMEMBER, YOU ARE NOT DESCRIBING YOUR FORMER OR CURRENT RECTOR !
Of the following skills or attributes, indicate the FIVE you consider most important for our new rector to possess.

3. From the list below, please indicate SIX specialties which you feel are MOST IMPORTANT in a new rector. Choose SIX, ranking them in importance. "1" being most important.

TO EVALUATE THESE ANSWERS, THE ANSWER MARKED "1"WAS ASSIGNED 6 POINTS,2 ASSIGNED 5, THROUGH 6 ASSIGNED 1, SO THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT SPECIALTY RECEIVED THE MOST POINTS. THE NUMBER OF POINTS FOR EACH SPECIALTY WAS THEN ADDED UP; THE RESULTS ARE BELOW.

163	Youth Worker and Leader: the ability to inspire youth and incorporate them into the full life and ministry of the church
244	Teacher: The ability to help persons of all ages understand and live the Christian faith.
51	Christian Education Leader: the ability to lead in the design and implementation of comprehensive programs of Christian education.
58	Home Visitor: The ability to visit with and minister to church members in their homes.
97	Crisis Minister: The ability to respond to people at significant points in their lives
192	Counselor: The ability to listen with empathy and provide appropriate comfort and counsel to people at difficult periods in their lives
82	Administrative Leader: The ability to manage the affairs of the congregation and diocese.
56	Evangelism Leader: The ability to train and lead others to present Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in such ways that people are led to Him as Savior and follow Him as Lord in the fellowship of His Church.
45	Ecumenical Leader: The ability to initiate and participate in inter-denominational events, including those jointly sponsored with other churches.
58	Social Ministry Leader: The ability to educate and encourage involvement within the congregation around social issues
57	Outreach Leader: The ability to educate and encourage a response to those in need.
32	Community Leader: The ability through personal involvement to organize and participate in community groups such as drug prevention, fair housing, and school issues.
68	Stewardship Leader: The ability to lead in the development and use of individual and congregational resources
144	Theologian: The ability to communicate a disciplined understanding of biblical and historical revelation and the presence of God in our world today
323	Preacher: The ability to preach with clarity and to make the Gospel relevant to people in their everyday lives.
66	Liturgical Leader: The ability to plan and conduct liturgical services of public worship
156	Spiritual Guide and Leader: The ability to lead and train others in the formation and development of a spiritual discipline.

V. SPIRITUAL GIFTS of the RECTOR:

REMEMBER, YOU ARE NOT DESCRIBING YOUR FORMER OR CURRENT RECTOR !

A spiritual gift is a special ability given by the Holy Spirit to an individual for the building up of the body of Christ's church. From the list of spiritual gifts below, please mark SIX specialties which you feel are MOST IMPORTANT in the new rector, ranking them in importance, with "1" being most important.
THESE WERE EVALUATED AS EXPLAINED IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION.

VII. ADDITIONAL ISSUES ABOUT OUR NEW RECTOR

At some point later in this interim period, there will be a congregational meeting concerning additional issues in the choice of a new rector. Among the items to be discussed at that meeting will be the following matters concerning candidates for our new rector. You will have an opportunity at that meeting to discuss these issues further. We are interested in knowing your thoughts now.

 {"+" = positive feelings/comments, "-" = negative feelings/comments}.

1. How would you feel about a homosexual rector at St. Paul's?

2. How would you feel about a divorced rector at St. Paul's?

3. How would you feel about a female rector at St. Paul's?

4. How would you feel about a non-Caucasian rector at St. Paul's?

VIII. PERSONAL VIEWS ON SENSITIVE ISSUES

Please tell us your thoughts about the following sensitive issues. All replies will be confidential. If there is not enough room, please feel free to add additional pages.

 {"+" = positive feelings/comments, "-" = negative feelings/comments}.

1. How do you feel about euthanasia?

2. How do you feel about abortion?

3. How do you feel about the death penalty?

YOUR PERSONAL VIEWS ABOUT LIFE AND RELIGION

1. Has being a member of St. Paul's helped your growth in faith? How?

2. What do you feel we should be doing as a parish?

3. What is the purpose of human life?

4. What gives your life meaning? What makes life worth living for you?

5. Please describe the beliefs and values that are most important in guiding your life.

6. Have you had experiences that have shaken or affirmed your sense of meaning in life?
     Please describe them.

7. What does death mean to you? What happens to us when we die?

8. What symbols or rituals are most important to you?

X. PERSONAL INFORMATION ---DEMOGRAPHICS:

1. Your age:

2. Gender:

3. Status:

4. Highest Level of Education:

5. Primary Occupation:

6. Which of our services do you regularly attend?

7. Approximately how many Sundays per year do you attend services?

8. If you attend regularly, why do YOU go to church? If not, why not?

9. How many years have you attended Saint Paul's Church?

10. How many years have you been a participant in the Episcopal Church?

11. Are you a member of a parish organization?

12. Would you like to be a member of a parish organization?

13. What skills do you have that you would like to volunteer to benefit St. Paul's parish?
       (such as carpentry, typing, writing, historical research, public relations, anything)

Please call the parish office (758-6271) and let us know about your skills.

14. Do you have now or will you soon have a home computer?

15. Do you now or will you soon have access to the Internet?

16. Would you be interested in a St. Paul's Home Page on the World Wide Web, which would feature such items as the Sunday bulletin, the weekly sermon, and upcoming events?

17. NUMBER of persons in Household:

18. Do You Pledge Annually?