Local Church Surveys

Nearly a dozen districts have begun using the Nazarene Missional Church survey, created by the USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism department. This survey gathers information from those attending a local church, allowing leaders to develop plans based on members' abilities and perceptions. It is intended to be used as churches create action plans for Kingdom ministry.

The Research Center has assisted in compiling the results from participating churches. The churches represent all size groups and are found throughout the United States. Some of the early findings can now be shared.

Spiritual Gifts

A majority of respondents in all surveyed churches know their spiritual gifts. Usually, at least 80% of the people in these Churches of the Nazarene can identify at least one strength God has given them. In over 90% of these churches, the five most commonly reported gifts are encouragement, faith, giving, hospitality, and service.

When people use these gifts within the local church, the body of Christ is built up as God intends. Pastors and laity are challenged to do their best and praised for the efforts they are making. Churches attempt great things for God and report obvious answers to prayer. Churches meet their financial obligations, and a sense of unity and mutual helpfulness is obvious.

However, half of the churches have no more than 36% of the people actively using their God-given abilities within the local church. When people do report that their gifts are used within the church, the gifts of teaching, evangelism, and leadership are more likely to be involved. Of the five most common gifts, only giving seems to be tied to use within the congregation.

Laypeople can be encouraged to use their abilities within the church. As they do, the church should become more effective in discipleship, outreach, and community impact. The gift of hospitality may be especially important in communities where people are reluctant to attend actual church services. Those who are not gifted teachers could open their homes to allow others to minister in the neighborhood.

When the congregation learns to recognize God's leadings, by listening to those with the gift of faith, it is much easier to see the Kingdom at work. And every program of the church, whether designed for small group discipleship, fellowship, or community outreach, needs a corps of behind-the-scenes workers with the gift of service.

Defining a “Successful Church”

The survey does not attempt to define success for local churches. Instead, it is a tool for churches to discover their own strengths and abilities. Based on those findings, each church should set its own standards for success.

Still, questions constantly arise: What factors affect a church's ability to grow larger? What makes a church financially viable? What contributes to a sense of unity within the church fellowship? Some preliminary answers to these questions are emerging.

Surveyed churches that had high numbers of people involved in local church ministry tended to show higher worship attendance growth than other churches. This confirms the principle that higher involvement in the local church leads to greater outreach. But there is another factor that is even more closely tied to growth. The more people who strongly agree that “the experience of holiness is very important in my personal life,” the more likely the local church has experienced an increase in worship attendance since 2002.

Compassionate ministry is an essential part of Kingdom priorities. But churches where “compassionate ministry” is seen as a strength do have difficulties in meeting financial obligations, at least as measured by the percentage paid toward denominational allocations. This is scarcely a reason to back off compassionate ministry. The parable of the sheep and the goats makes our priorities clear. But knowing that compassionate ministry creates an additional strain on finances may help churches plan their spending more carefully.

And the up side to compassionate ministry is that it is closely tied to unity and harmony within the church. Of course, fellowship, ministry to families, and good communication also lead to a unified congregation. But a sense of “joy and laughter” is also helpful.

Again, each church sets its own priorities and defines success as God directs it. Effective Kingdom ministry for a given church often involves obedience in spite of the statistical warnings. Informed faith allows the church to follow God while taking appropriate steps to avoid unintended consequences.

—prepared by Dale E. Jones, Ken Crow, and Rich Houseal