Results from our survey
8 was the method of having people
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 free-
flowing line with a 2.9 score. The lowest
score at 1.
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