Worship Survey Results 2009

Results from our survey on worship matters at SHUMC Through Friday, June 12, we’ve received 27 responses, some on paper and some digitally. What follows is a summary of this “non-scientific” survey: 1) When asked what people liked BEST about SHUMC worship, 35% said “preaching” and 27% chose “contemporary music.” The lowest items receiving responses were the use of the Apostles Creed and Psalter readings. 2) What people who responded liked LEAST was praise music at 43%. Following that top response of “least liked” about our worship were the greeting time at 14%, announcements at 10%, and traditional worship elements also at 10%. 3) People said that organ/piano music was MISSED the most at 28% in our current blended worship style, followed closely by music specials at 24%. 4) People who responded were asked to rank on a 1–4 scale (4 being the highest ranking) the various parts of our CURRENT blended worship. The highest marks were preaching with a 3.5 score and Bible reading at 3.3. Those worship parts receiving the lowest rankings were the greeting time at 2.4, the opening praise music at 2.4 and singing the closing song after the benediction at 2.3. 5) Two items dominated the list of worship pieces most DESIRED. They were drama at 65% and artistic displays at 53% (Clearly, a much more active “Worship Arts” team is desired by our congregation.) 6) Our question on HOLY COMMUNION received quite the variety of responses. Again ranking on the 1–4 point scale, the highest response were people preferring the manner of receiving communion by the congregation moving around the sanctuary in a freeflowing line with a 2.9 score. The lowest

score at 1.8 was the method of having people come to the altar rail in groups, kneeling, receiving communion, and then being dismissed from the altar rail. It also seemed very few had any interest in anything along the lines of weekly communion with scores of 1.3 and 1.6. 7) People who responded about their PREFERED STYLE of worship, greatly preferred a “blended worship that reaches multiple generations” at 64%; adding the responses of those who expressed a preference for the “casual style that caters to families with kids” (8%) resulted in a combined score of 72%. Combining traditional worship (16%) with formality (8%) reached a 24% preference score. 8) People were then asked to choose the one BEST method of doing ministry that reaches our neighbors, and 27% selected culture-friendly worship services. Combining mission projects and community events together produced a score of 35%. Also many people (23%) responded wanting to select more than just one way of focusing our ministry to reach our neighbors and the frequent comments were that we have done that in the past. 9) When asked what we as a church should concentrate our efforts on in STRENGTHENING our church, the biggest response people chose was “whatever gets more people back to church and money in the offering plates” by 26%. An emphasis on using (a) Sunday School and Bible Study, (b) children and youth ministry, or (c) small groups were all near the bottom at 9% each. (Although one might also combine those categories into “group ministries” and come up with a combined scored of 27%.) 10) People responding said YES at a 82% rate that a new effort of following up with people who miss worship is important. NOTE: I used the free software to conduct this survey which has built-in limitations including the inability of electronically sharing the actual results. A subscription, which expands the survey options, is $19.95 a month. –Pastor Glenn