The Congregational Vitality Survey is a simple 36 question survey tool to gain input from both leaders and participants on how they see key areas for both vitality and sustainability. Questions use a 3-point scale to ask people to assess their understanding of 36 key issues in congregational life and mission. It also helps show how leaders see the ministry in comparison to how regular participants see it - a great help in seeing how perceptions and communication are happening.

The main value in using this tool is not the numeric answers produced as each question in scored. Although those numbers will be very insightful, the biggest gains will happen when these results are used to frame a discussion to see why people see what they see and said what they said. Each congregation will receive a report and also some key insights for  discussing them from their synod's Director for Evangelical Mission (DEM) or another key staff person.

The benefits of insights are not for their own ends. Rather, the survey results and the ensuing dialog are to foster meaningful actions. So, each ministry will be able to develop contextually appropriate plans to move forward in their own settings. By knowing what key issues are and discussing what the root cause are as well, effective plans for ministry adjustments can be developed and implemented. The real goal of this survey is not information but informed action!