Reasons to deploy -- or not to deploy -- a survey of your church or congregation from Cameron Doolittle, author of church-strategy.com.

1. Reasons to Survey Your FlockCameron Doolittlechurch-strategy.com Learn. Then Lead.

2. Reasons Not to Survey 1. 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.

3. Knowing the State of Your Flock “Be sure to know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.” – Proverbs 27:23 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. Source: New International Version

4. Responding to Survey Results 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. Congregation Wants Status Quo Congregation Wants Change Leadership Discerns Need for Change Leadership Discerns Need for Status Quo

5. Benefits of Surveying Understanding Where the Center of Gravity Is. Seeing Blind Spots. Ensuring Honest Responses. Accelerating Information Collection.

6. 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? “You should start a ministry for seniors.” “Our nursery really needs a renovation.” “You should say something about the health care bill.” “At our last church, they had a great children’s choir.” Understanding the Center of Gravity. Seeing Blind Spots. Ensuring Honest Responses. Accelerating Information Collection.

7. Seeing Blind Spots.All kinds of things are happening in the name of your church. Some you see. Some you don’t. 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 kids really don’t like coming.” “The nursery is always short on volunteers.” “It was hard to hear.” “I couldn’t focus. We need a cry room.” Understanding the Center of Gravity. Seeing Blind Spots. Ensuring Honest Responses. Accelerating Information Collection.

8. Ensuring Honest Responses.Your most helpful congregants may not be giving you the real story. They encourage you and then they disappear. 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.” Understanding the Center of Gravity. Seeing Blind Spots. Ensuring Honest Responses. Accelerating Information Collection.

9. 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. Much of what you know of your people comes from a few (great!) congregants. Occasionally, it helps to hear from the “many”. Understanding the Center of Gravity. Seeing Blind Spots. Ensuring Honest Responses. Accelerating Information Collection.

10. Revisiting the Reasons Not to Survey 1. We don’t lead based on polls. 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. 2. We aren’t going to do something just because the congregation says to. 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. 3. We hear plenty of feedback as it is. 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.

11. Ready to Get Started? www.Church-Strategy.com For $100, we will provide an online survey – and analysis – of your congregation. For more information, contact me: cameron@Church-Strategy.com I am blogging at Church-Strategy.com. Image credits: NehemiahBaptist.com, a1225.wordpress.com, http://www.opensource.idv.tw/conference/file.php/1/pic/webheads.jpg