How Are We Doing?

I recently read an article describing a survey conducted by the Barna Group on what people experience at church.  Naturally, the survey results made me wonder how people perceive their experience at Heartland Church.

So, here are a few questions I would like you to think about.  If you have a minute, I would love to hear from you on this.  You can leave a comment on this blog, send me a note on Facebook, or send me an e-mail at john.crews@theheartlandchurch.com.  

Here are the questions.  And, don't confine your answers to what happens on Sundays.  Instead, think about the totality of your experience (e.g., Connect Groups, Classes, etc.)

1.  Do you feel connected to God at HC?
2.  Have you experienced "transformation" while at HC?
3.  Do you often gain any new insights or understandings about your faith while at HC?
4.  Do you feel cared for at HC?
5.  Do you believe that HC puts an emphasis on helping people in financial need?

And now for a summary of some of the survey results:

Connecting with God
About two-thirds of the people surveyed reported having had “a real and personal connection” with God while at church. That doesn't seem all that bad -- although it does mean that one-third of the people surveyed had never felt God's presence at church. 

Experiencing Transformation
According to the survey, only about one-third of the respondents who had been to a church reported that their lives had been changed "greatly" by attending.  Another 25% said that their lives had been changed "somewhat" by attending church and, sadly, the other 25% said that attending church hadn't changed their lives at all.

Gaining New Insights
When asked about their last church visit, three out of five church attenders (61%) could not identify any significant new insight or understanding related to their faith. Hmmm?!  Are pastors not teaching or are people not listening?

Feeling Cared For
According tot he survey, nearly seven out of 10 respondents said that at church they feel like “part of a group of people who are united in their beliefs and who take care of each other in practical ways.”  Another 23% said that they did not feel connected in any real way with others in their churches.

Helping the Poor

Forty percent of those surveyed said that caring for the poor was emphasized "a lot", while 33% that caring for the poor was emphasized somewhat.