Parish Social Activity Survey

Survey Overview Survey open from November 20 to December 1, 2013 Offered on-line and on paper Total responses = 142 Responses from 9:00 = 72%, from 11:30 = 24%; from 7:30 = 4% 27+% from those here less than 7 years; 35% here 7 to 20 years; 37% from these here more than 20 years

Status of Responders

Ages of Responders

Q1: In what types of church activities do you volunteer …

Q18: I prefer to receive information by …

Some of what we learned… 80% agree that social events are well publicized People expect to attend future social events at about the same rate as current social events The main challenge that precludes participation is other commitments (time constraints) Suggested potential events with a high level of interest include a 1 night program oriented Parish Retreat and a Movie Night on the Church Lawn The preferred time frame for social activities is immediately after church (40%) Some like to sign up for social events/volunteer/purchase event tickets in person & others on line (almost even split) Most people (~70%) use the weekly for information on social activities Low rate of response received from Day School Families (10% of respondents)

Q2. Likely to attend the following

What I value most about All Saints Liturgy / worship including good music Sense of community Variety of events and offerings Inclusiveness, welcome The people Service to others Great clergy and staff (good sermons)

Good suggestions Identify key people in the church who are well-connected within the church community. Bring them together for dinners and ask them personally to invite friends. Utilize well-established relationships as cornerstone to greater gathering. Include a link to newsletter in Monday Send separate re social activities Include upcoming lay responsibilities in (ushers, layreaders, etc.)

How could we improve the way we communicate regarding social activities? Doing a great job, communicate well (32 of 59 responses) Improve – consider other formats (snazzier, consistency, accuracy, more detail) Send information out earlier Increase use of on-line presence and social media

If I could change one thing… Change music, time of services (not consistent) Improve weekly s to be more visually interesting Make the website useful and more interactive (online sign-ups, room reservations, updated calendar) Increase the focus on family- support for kids/youth activities, babysitting, etc. Offer more small group gatherings to get to know people better Improve the facilities Wish pews were full and 100% of parishioners would pledge Don’t change anything Offer an online directory Welcome newcomers with an event

What we plan for the future… People are aware of social events, but participation is <100 people for most parish wide social activities (significantly less for some) Given current participation rates (same as projected, per survey) we will evaluate: Offering fewer parish wide events that are more purposeful Offering some new events (Parish Retreat, Movie Night) Moving away from parish wide events and concentrating on events targeted to smaller groups (by age, interest, etc.) Scheduling/Calendaring events differently (different times of day, different times of year) Encouraging more participation Continuing with the status quo