In case anyone out there is wondering why this blog has not been updated in 2 months, it's because I used to manage this blog as a way to post current events at church because someone else was managing the website and we didn't always get pages updated in a timely way. But now that I am updating the official church site myself, the blog has fallen by the wayside. Sorry about that. I'll try to find ways to make the blog more complementary, less redundant.
But even as we prepare to give thanks and stuff our faces tomorrow (is that just me? no? I didn't think so), we are also heading into one of my favorite liturgical seasons: Advent. We take four weeks before Christmas to prepare for the coming of Christ, both through readings from the prophets and the gospels about the promised Messiah, and through some apocalyptic readings about the completion of God's purposes for the world that, to be honest, are a lot harder for those of us who find meaning in a progressive approach to Christianity. So if you want to hear how I reconcile the texts about the signs in the heavens and the end of the world with my belief in a God who is at work primarily in the natural and human processes of evolution and creativity, show up this Sunday! My sermon is called "Back to the Future," and I'll explore Jeremiah 33:14-16 and Luke 21:25-36.
Check out our main website for information on current and upcoming Sunday school classes for adults, discussion of The Shack, Advent vespers services, opportunities to help those in need, and more. We have a lot going on at Highlands UMC these days, and we would be delighted to have you join us!
Showing posts with label Christian education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian education. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Survey Results
Summary of Christian Education & Ministry Survey Results
Thank you to all who responded to the recent survey about Christian education and other ministry activities. In case you are wondering what we learned from the results, here is a brief summary of the highlights:
49 people took the survey; 40 completed it. Of those who completed the survey, 3 were age 30 or younger, 18 were 31-45, 11 were 46-60, and 8 were 61 or older. 18 reported having children or youth in their household.
Interest in adult Christian education was substantial (16 would come twice a month or more), though many expressed a commitment level entirely dependent on the topic. Sunday mornings and evenings had the greatest amount of interest.
Several topics struck people as interesting enough to attend:
Spirituality (28)
Theology: discussions about God (24)
Bible study/learning about the Bible (23)
Ethics or social issues (22)
Learning about other religions (21)
Topics that relate directly to my life (20)
Ministries, programs, and other activities that received significant interest included:
Bible study (15)
Book discussions (12)
Movie discussions (16)
Seasonal study (12)
Short-term topical discussions (19)
Open discussions (10)
Social activities with others in my stage of life (13)
Social activities with people of all ages (e.g., game night) (16)
Opportunities to serve people in need (16)
Women's group (9)
Most of these had the highest number of responses under the medium priority level ("I'd probably come if I'm not too busy"). Which confirms what we suspected: this is a congregation of busy people! However, movie discussions, all-age social activities, and opportunities to serve people in need each received 5 or more responses that indicated a high priority, people who would definitely come.
Pastor Betty and I will make use of this information in conversation with lay leaders to determine our plans and priorities for ministry this year. Thanks again for sharing your perspective!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Kerry
Thank you to all who responded to the recent survey about Christian education and other ministry activities. In case you are wondering what we learned from the results, here is a brief summary of the highlights:
49 people took the survey; 40 completed it. Of those who completed the survey, 3 were age 30 or younger, 18 were 31-45, 11 were 46-60, and 8 were 61 or older. 18 reported having children or youth in their household.
Interest in adult Christian education was substantial (16 would come twice a month or more), though many expressed a commitment level entirely dependent on the topic. Sunday mornings and evenings had the greatest amount of interest.
Several topics struck people as interesting enough to attend:
Spirituality (28)
Theology: discussions about God (24)
Bible study/learning about the Bible (23)
Ethics or social issues (22)
Learning about other religions (21)
Topics that relate directly to my life (20)
Ministries, programs, and other activities that received significant interest included:
Bible study (15)
Book discussions (12)
Movie discussions (16)
Seasonal study (12)
Short-term topical discussions (19)
Open discussions (10)
Social activities with others in my stage of life (13)
Social activities with people of all ages (e.g., game night) (16)
Opportunities to serve people in need (16)
Women's group (9)
Most of these had the highest number of responses under the medium priority level ("I'd probably come if I'm not too busy"). Which confirms what we suspected: this is a congregation of busy people! However, movie discussions, all-age social activities, and opportunities to serve people in need each received 5 or more responses that indicated a high priority, people who would definitely come.
Pastor Betty and I will make use of this information in conversation with lay leaders to determine our plans and priorities for ministry this year. Thanks again for sharing your perspective!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Kerry
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