When a church
wants to know what people are thinking, what do they do? Often, they create a
congregational survey. Whether they’re contemplating changes in worship or
programming, or calling a new minister, the preferred method is the survey questionnaire.
What I often
hear, though, is that the results are less than hoped for. The most
common complaint is that younger people and those newer to the church don’t
fill them out. “We want to know what the others think. How can we get them to
complete the survey?" is a question I have heard over and over again.
Here are some
thoughts about creating better congregational surveys.
Inside-Outside
Most church
surveys are put together by “insiders” – by people who are actively involved
and familiar with how the church works. This can be unintentionally reflected in the way the survey
questions are asked. For instance, a question like “Do you prefer traditional
or contemporary music?” presupposes that people are familiar enough with the
church that they know what those words mean. Someone who is new or who doesn’t
attend very often may have no idea how to answer that question, and so conclude
that this survey isn’t really for them.
If you want to hear from people other than your active membership (which includes most younger people), create your questions with them in mind.
Short and Sweet
Many
congregational surveys are simply way too long. I saw one recently that had
over 100 questions. The people who will be motivated to complete such a survey
are those who are already committed to the church. Typically, that
means people who are over 60, who attend regularly, and who have been members
for ten years or more. A young couple, juggling work and family, may look at it
and say, “I don’t have time for that.”
In general,
it is more effective to have several short, clearly focused surveys than one
long “omnibus” questionnaire.
Also, consider how the survey is delivered. Is it printed on paper and handed out after church? Then it's likely that only older people will complete it. If you want
younger and newer folks to respond, your survey needs to be available online using a program such as Survey Monkey. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about,
you’d better ask your grandkids.)
What’s the Angle?
People,
especially younger people, are becoming increasingly suspicious and cynical
about those who want to ask their opinions. They assume it’s in order to try to
“sell” them something. The church is not exempt from that suspicion.
“How can we
provide more things for younger people if they won’t tell us what they want?”
sounds like a well-meaning and sincere question if you're on the inside of the church. But to
an “outsider,” it sounds like you’re more interested in shoring up the church
and its programs than in hearing their opinions. So, they’ll pass.
What’s It For?
Many survey
questions are prepared with little or no thought given to how the information
gleaned from them will be used. For example, questions such as, “Would you like to
have a church service at a time other than Sunday morning?” or “Would you like
to replace the pews with chairs?” are good questions, only if you’re prepared
to deal with the responses.
People tend
to not be in favour of things that they aren’t familiar with, so your typical
survey respondent will be more likely to say no to both of those questions. And
people who might like to see those changes may believe that it doesn’t matter
what they say because nothing is likely to change.
But in any case, if you have no intention of starting a new service or getting rid of your pews, don't ask for people's opinions about it.
Never put a
question into a survey unless you have a clear idea of what you plan to do with
the responses.
Talk To Me
Written
surveys provide a certain kind of information. But they should always be
augmented by face-to-face contact – personal interviews, focus groups,
intentional conversations. Checking a box on a survey won’t
necessarily give you a clear idea of what people are thinking.
Once you’ve
tabulated the results of your survey, follow up with individual and group
conversations. This will give you a richer, “thicker” picture of what people in
the church are thinking than the survey alone.
And remember:
If you want to hear from people other than “insiders” – those active, long-time
members – you need to be intentional about seeking out their contributions. The onus is not on them to answer your survey, it's on you to make it worth their while to give you their thoughts.
Congregational
surveys can be helpful sources of information, if they are easily understood, have
a clear point, are not too long and are complemented with face-to-face
conversations. It’s always a good idea
to test out the questionnaire before you distribute it, remembering to get
input from people outside the inner circle of the church. And, even if it costs
a little bit of money, advice from someone with marketing experience can help
you design a more effective survey.
