Congregational Readiness Assessment

Congregational Readiness Assessment

Is your congregation ready for the challenging journey of transformation? This assessment will evaluate your faith community's current state and capacity for change. It will assess leadership, resources, adaptability, and spiritual resilience to provide insights into strengths and areas for growth. The results will guide your congregation in developing a strategic plan for transformation. Participate in this essential assessment to move towards a more vibrant, impactful, and future-oriented faith community.
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Congregation's Name
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1. Spiritual Vitality

The core of your congregation is its spiritual vitality. It reflects the shared faith journey in depth. This section encourages you to delve into how your spiritual practices, theological discussions, and sense of sacred connection influence your community. Think about how your congregation maintains its spiritual well-being, tackles spiritual challenges, and creates an environment for robust faith growth. It leads everyone through both clear and uncertain times.
1. On a scale of 1-10, how regularly do members of your congregation engage in personal and communal prayer, meditation, or other spiritual practices?

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1 is Never, 10 is Always
2. Your congregation encourages and facilitates deep theological discussions and explorations.

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1 is Never, 10 is Always
Please provide examples:
3. Rate the sense of spiritual connectedness and support among your congregation members.

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1 is Disconnected, 10 is Connected
2. Local Community Engagement

Local Community Engagement assesses how involved and connected your congregation is with the broader community. It shows the extent and impact of your outreach, service, and partnership efforts. This section prompts you to think about how effective your external relationships are, how well your outreach initiatives align with your congregational values, and how you contribute to the social fabric of your surrounding area. Evaluate how well your congregation extends its mission beyond its walls and interacts with the wider world.
1. Rate the nature and extent of your congregation's involvement with local community projects and outreach programs.

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1 is Absent, 10 is Involved
2. How effectively does your congregation build and maintain partnerships with other local organizations or faith communities?

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1 is Isolated, 10 is Engaged
Question: Name the kinds of issues around which you have formed partnerships with local organizations and faith communities.
3. Assess the impact of your congregation's community service initiatives on a scale of 1-10.

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1 is Whimper, 10 is Bang
3. Adaptive Leadership

Adaptive Leadership emphasizes your congregation's leadership capacity to anticipate, navigate, and thrive in change. This section looks at how your leaders inspire, motivate, and guide the congregation toward a common vision, especially during transitions or challenges. Think about how the resilience, flexibility, and vision of your leadership help the congregation adapt to new opportunities and unexpected challenges.
1. How prepared are your leaders to envision and drive changes within the congregation?

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1 is Gilligan, 10 is The Professor
Please provide examples:
2. Evaluate the flexibility and adaptability of your leadership in responding to unexpected challenges.

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1 is Rigid, 10 is Flexible
3. Mechanisms are in place for leadership development and succession planning.

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1 is Hidebound, 10 is Visionary
4. Resource Stewardship

Resource Stewardship examines how your congregation handles its financial, physical, and human resources. This section aims to assist you in assessing the effectiveness, openness, and strategic coherence of how you allocate and use your resources. Consider how you oversee finances, maintain physical assets, and utilize human gifts and talents in your congregation. Make sure when answering that the resources are used to support your mission and vision.
1. Assess the effectiveness of your current resource management practices, including financial, physical, and human resources.

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1 is Worst, 10 is Best
2. Your congregation practices its stewardship when it prioritizes and allocates its resources in alignment with its mission and vision. How well does your congregation do this?

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1 is One Talent, 10 is Ten Talents
Please provide examples:
3. Reflect on your congregation's budgeting process, resource allocation, and financial transparency. How well does your congregation as accomplish this necessary theological and practical discipline?

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1 is Secretive and Contentious, 10 is Open and Collaborative
5. Visionary Planning

Visionary Planning evaluates how well your congregation can foresee and strategically pursue long-term goals. This section prompts you to assess the clarity, ambition, and practicality of your congregation's vision. It also looks at the strategic planning processes in place and your success in meeting goals. Consider how your congregation predicts future trends, adjusts to new realities, and plans strategically to stay faithful to its mission in a fast-changing world.
1. How clearly defined are your congregation's long-term goals and vision for transformation?

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1 is Undefined, 10 is Clearly Defined
2. Rate your congregation's progress towards its strategic objectives.

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1 is Stalled on the side of the road, 10 is Indianapolis 500
3. Processes are in place to regularly review and update the congregation's vision and strategic plan.

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1 is Stalled on the side of the road, 10 is Indianapolis 500
Please provide examples:
6. Ability to Live in Community

The Ability to Live in Community section focuses on relationships, belonging, and shared values in your congregation. It prompts you to evaluate your communal bonds, inclusivity, and commitment to each other's growth. Think about how your congregation promotes unity, creates a supportive environment, and fosters meaningful connections among members. This section is especially important in evaluating how ready your congregation is for the work of transformation.
1. The quality of relationships among your congregation members is characterized by mutual respect, empathy, and support.

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1 is Strongly Disagree, 10 is Strongly Agree
2. The congregation address conflicts or disagreements through effective reconciliation and peace-building processes.

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1 is Strongly Disagree, 10 is Strongly Agree
Please provide examples:
3. Evaluate the level of active participation in communal activities, services, and decision-making. Is there a sense of shared responsibility and involvement?

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1 is Strongly Disagree, 10 is Strongly Agree
What mechanisms are in place to ensure that all members feel included and valued within the congregation?
4. Assess the effectiveness of the support systems for members in need, whether for emotional, spiritual, or material assistance. How does the congregation mobilize to help its members?

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1 is Poorly, 10 is Comprehensively
Please provide examples:
5. The congregation celebrates successes and milestones of its members, reinforcing a sense of community achievement

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1 is Strongly Agree, 10 is Strongly Disagree
6. Rate the overall sense of belonging and unity within the congregation. Do members feel a strong attachment and identification with the community?

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1 is Desert Island, 10 is Thriving Village
How does the congregation foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for new or marginalized members?
Your Score
Should be Empty:

Congregational Readiness Assessment

1. Spiritual Vitality

2. Local Community Engagement

3. Adaptive Leadership

4. Resource Stewardship

5. Visionary Planning

6. Ability to Live in Community