Newcomers and Evangelism
Listening Session Feedback Summary 2005
Strategic Planning Committee
Saint Michael and All Angels
Introduction
The Newcomers & Evangelism Team is being led by John Bartling and is comprised of approximately 18 people. This document contains the following elements:
Executive Summary
Situation Assessment
Observations and Next Steps
Appendices
Meetings were held over a 6 week period - four meetings were held at SMAA and two at private residences. The goal of the taskforce was to receive input from 100 + participants. Over the course of the sampling period this objective was met by a combination of direct feedback from listening sessions, surveys and e-mail responses from the web-site.
Special thanks go to Jeni Gallop, Mary Graves and Bill Buchanan for helping to write this presentation, moderate listening sessions, and survey participants. As well as, Michael and Katherine Blachly, and Ann Mills who helped coordinate participation in the meetings from the Inquire Classes. Finally, Dana and Kate Juett and Lisa Bartling who opened up their homes for listening sessions.
Executive Summary
• The heading “Newcomers and Evangelism” has many connotations. Over the course of the listening period, we found mass confusion on the meaning of evangelism—much of which was negative.
• Another theme that was repeated often was the overwhelming nature of a first visit to a Sunday Services. You will find in the appendix the raw data and input from the listening sessions which will help the reader appreciate the full import of these first two points.
• Many participants felt that education, curriculum and community were the pillars of SMAA. Many other participants felt that the clergy needed to do a better job of defining who we are. This is especially clear when the question was asked, “describe SMAA to a friend.”
• Great admiration for the Inquires Classes was noted by all who attended, but many felt left behind after the classes. Much more work needs to be done on the integration of new members once they have been graduated from Inquires.
• Communication to the parish received mixed results; many parishioners felt the lack of accuracy, frequency and differing channels made for a confusing message, or non-directed result.
Situation AssessmentMinistry Area Profile by Percept Group, Inc.
The study included psychographic information about religious and social values of the survey participants. Important to note for the Newcomers and Evangelism task force is the following.
• 30.9% in the 8 mile radius say they are “somewhat involved” and 30.5% are not involved. Of these categories, only the latter (not involved) is statistically different than national index and is lower by comparison.
• 26% of the population have “decreased their involvement with their faith in the last 10 years”.
• Of “spiritual/personal” issues people in this population grapple with, stress is the leading issue with 27%, finding a companion at 19%, finding a good church at 16.8%, finding spiritual teaching at 14%, and finding life direction at 14.8%.
Strengths Analysis
• The size of our congregation
• Our location
• proximity and visibility in the metroplex
• in a growing, stable, and prospering community
• Very good programs and curriculum offered
• Good programs for children and families
• Recent newcomers perceive SMAA as one of the “pillar” churches in the community; strong, dynamic, and stable
• Personal contact/relationships cited as the number one way people were attracted to the Inquirer’s Class.
Weaknesses Analysis
• Sunday morning can seem like an overwhelming sea of activity to newcomers; knowing where to go and who to talk to can be a challenge
• The SMAA approach to evangelism and/or outreach has not been clearly defined. Members are less effective acting by a number of interpretations rather than one common understanding
• We do not effectively capture those new members who do not participate in the Inquirer’s Class
• Once newcomers complete the Inquirer’s Class, we turn them loose and they are overwhelmed
• The size of Saint Michael and All Angels can hinder intimacy or a sense of belonging
Opportunities Analysis
• Clear and consistent communication
• Cross selling, i.e. When one family member becomes interested in SMAA, how do we reach out to other members of their family to communicate how SMAA can meet their needs; how can we make our church meaningful and relevant to all members of the family—and friends?
• Explore best practices in other churches to learn new and relevant ways to reach outsiders
• Clearly define our own philosophy on evangelism. Determine a clear set of goals and measurements.
• Find ways to leverage our existing base of parishioners to help integrate newcomers
• Recruit mentors
• Develop integration plan
Threats
• There are many options for worship in our community
• Failure to change tactics, or “business as usual,” could result in declining membership
• Little funding available for evangelism and newcomers
• If we don’t define our philosophy and goals, we’ll use time, energy, and dollars ineffectively
• Buildings, membership or programs?
Observations and Next Steps
Evangelism
Top Observations:• No clear definitions of evangelism consistently recognized across the church family; attitudes and percepts on what evangelism is at SMAA varies widely
• No clear goals or metrics to measure outcomes
• Who are we evangelizing too?
• Evangelism best demonstrated at SMAA through relationships (e.g., Inquirers’ Class members come to SMAA usually through invitation by a friend)
• We do not know how the unchurched view evangelism and how best we can meet their evangelistic needs
• Some other churches are great at following up with visitors indefinitely after their initial visit – patient harvesting of new members
• The majority of listening session participants perceive Evangelism as an aggressive negative
Next Steps:
• Internally define our philosophy on “evangelism” at SMAA, specifically the clergy and leadership. This would include the messaging by clergy throughout programs, sermons and missions
• Better define our opportunity to grow SMAA by commissioning a research project targeted to residents in the 8-mile radius of the church to: help validate the depth and breadth of new member opportunities.
• Develop goals and metrics for our evangelism efforts; and understand the evangelistic needs of the unchurched.
• Explore evangelistic “best practices” at area churches
Integrating Newcomers
Top Observations:
• All listening session and survey participants cited “feeling needed and having a place where they can contribute” as the most important way that they feel they belong
• Inquirers’ Class is an excellent vehicle to bring people into the church; however, there is room to improve on getting them integrated/involved after they are Confirmed, etc.
• Church is large and people have difficulty in finding their way around our facilities, can be intimidating
• Worship services can be overwhelming (e.g., usage of two books and service handout often confusing), when and where are the lecture programs and the Sunday School
• New members are attracted to life long learning and the culture of SMAA worship
Next Steps:
• Establish a way to integrate newcomers more effectively
• Commission a research study to identify most effective ways to integrate newcomers
• Look at maps and coding of hallways/corridors
• Discuss with the Worship Taskforce new ways to publish handouts that reduce the number of different source to read/sing for worship.
Appendices
Communication Results of the Church Listening Sessions
The Newcomers and Evangelism team held three “listening sessions” with parishioners in May to gather their thoughts, feedback, and ideas on a myriad of topics pertaining to the newcomer experience and evangelism at SMAA.
This overview is comprised of comments from approximately 30 people (approximately 23 in session #1; 4 in session #2; and 3 in session #3). The Newcomers and Evangelism task force members were counted only once if they attended multiple sessions.
Questions asked of the participants included:
• What is evangelism?
• Reasons you believe people choose Saint Michael and All Angels?
• What does SMAA do well today with regard to evangelism and the newcomers program?
• What isn’t working with regard to these two areas?
• What area churches excel particularly well with evangelism and programs to integrate new members?
• What do these churches do that make them strong in these areas?
• Imagine SMAA was opening its doors for the first time today. What 3 things could we do to ensure the viability and growth of the parish?
There is no singular definition of evangelism. We asked participants to share what the word “evangelism” means to them. Responses included:
• Reaching out to touch another person in Christ
• To reach the unchurched
• Evangelism = Televangelism
• What we are called to do ... to help teach others the Truth
• Go forth in love, in truth ... like in the Baptism we say “Take this light ...”
• To be an example by spreading the Word through deeds
• A scary word to most Episcopalians
• Hospitable in welcoming the unchurched
• Helping us live our lives
• Sharing Christ in our lives
• Active inclusion ... a strong marketing response
• Example in teaching
• Allowing yourself to be a conduit
• Sharing the kindness of the Church with His spirit
• Sharing the Gospel
• A global message
• Christianity is spread by one person touching another
• Sharing the love of Christ
• Witnessing ... showing that Christ is active in your life
• Sharing and spreading the Word
• Reaching out to those who are broken to build a foundation
• Inspiring others to Christianity with standards
• Bringing others to Christianity by sharing with them our Eucharist and its deep meaning
Evangelism involves touching people. Several participants noted that evangelism involves “touching” people. We asked participants to clarify/define what they meant by “to touch someone.” Responses included:
• To make a difference in someone’s life
• To emotionally move someone
• To spiritually move someone
• To care
• The reciprocal nature of “touching” ... you are touched by being touched
Visitors/Newcomers learn of SMAA in several ways. Participants named several “touch points” for how people discover or hear about Saint Michael and All Angels. Responses included:
• They are new to the DFW area and hear of SMAA via word of mouth or referral
• They are new to the DFW area and were referred by the clergy of their former church home
• Students attending colleges and universities in the area (via Canterbury House and friends inviting friends)
• General word of mouth
• Signage/Passed the church in transit
• Attended a wedding at SMAA
• Attended a Baptism at SMAA
• Attended a funeral at SMAA
• Saw a listing in the phone book
• Shopped at the Saint Michael Women’s Exchange shop in Highland Park Village
• Visited the SMAA website
• Was referred to one of SMAA’s church outreach programs like Alcoholics Anonymous
There are other mediums and media to consider. There are several additional mediums and media we could be using to reach people (particularly the unchurched) and promote SMAA. Participants identified the following:
• Print advertising
• Radio advertising
• Editorial series in The Dallas Morning News “Religion” section
• Yellow Pages advertising
• Direct mail/email campaigns
• 1-to-1 marketing campaigns
• College campuses
• More aggressively promote SMAA programs to local philanthropies focused on helping people/families in crisis (e.g. faith-based charities, Genesis Women’s Shelter, Jonathan’s Place, Catholic Charities, etc.)
Significant life events attract the unchurched. A significant life-changing event is often the impetus for the for the unchurched to seek a church home. Events the participants identified included:
• Encountering clergy/lay people in the hospital
• Planning a wedding and looking for a church in which to get married
• A loved one has recently died and they’re looking for a church to conduct a Memorial Service
• A family is looking for a church to Baptize a baby/child
• A family is looking for a private school
Why do they keep coming back - the “sticky factor.” Participants identified numerous reasons why people keep coming back to SMAA and/or take an active role in the church. The reasons included:
• They make a “connection” to the community. This includes a human connection, an intellectual connection, and all overall sense that you can belong
• The church meets their needs in a particular way (e.g., comprised of a certain demographic whether affluent or otherwise, able to make business connections with the right people, or offers certain activities/workshops a person is seeking)
• Biblically-based preaching
• What is preached from the pulpit conveys a sense of belonging for all without being pushy or “cult-like”
• A member of SMAA has shown an interest in the person encouraging them to come back or get involved
• Diversity/Variety of worship, involvement, and fellowship
• Conservative, family-focused
• Location/Proximity to their home
• Locally-focused, nationally-focused, and globally-focused missions and outreach
• They are cradle Episcopalians (born into the Church)
• Family choose it for the exceptional child-life programs (e.g., Mothers Day Out)
• We are a large church with a small church feeling
• The Gospel is preached, the sacraments are administered ... sacred traditions are respected
• The sheer size of SMAA and family-focused atmosphere around education and spirituality
• SMAA offers everyone an unconditional welcome
• Provides an outlet/links to volunteerism
• Follow-on to a recent wedding, funeral, or Baptism
• They were invited/referred by a trusted source
• Church/School option
• The comfort/warmth they feel at SMAA
What is SMAA doing well today?
Evangelism
• Cursillo
• Jubilee Center
• Mission trips
• Outreach programs
Newcomers
• The Inquirers’ Class
• Sunday morning greeters
• pre-marital classes
• pew cards
• Parish Life Conference
• Cocktail party for transfers
• Saint Michael and All Angels website
Past Programs that were Successful
• Alpha (identified as a “what’s working but currently broken” - program fizzled doe to a cultural barrier
• Ten years ago Texas Monthly published an article on the “God Squad” that rated Texas churches. Saint Michael and All Angels rated very well. We need more good press.
What specific areas need improvement?
Evangelism
• Alpha (fizzled)
• Understanding evangelism and what it means to Episcopalians (teaching and prioritization)
• Cursillo
• Communication of programs
• Continuity of community
Newcomers
• Increasing usage of name tags
• Pew card awareness
• An intimating Sunday morning worship schedule
• Choosing the right service
• Navigating The Sunday News
• Keeping up with the flow of the service/guidance during the service
• Communication of programs
• Decreasing the lag time in getting the website updated
• Reaching out to newcomers before/after worship services
• Continuity of community
What Churches in the area can we learn from?
Evangelism
• Northwest Bible Church
• Singles Ministry/Bible studies
• Fellowship of Grapevine Church
• Lovers Lane United Methodist Church
• Alpha
• St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
• Don Fisher Radio
• Watermark Community Church
• Todd Wagner (evangelism expert)
• Praise and worship
• Prestonwood Baptist Church
• Bible studies/Workshops
Newcomers
• Park Cities Baptist Church
• Park Cities Presbyterian Church
• Excellent website
• Church of The Transfiguration (Episcopal)
• Newcomers sticker
• Church of The Incarnation (Episcopal)
• printed worship/service guides
• Saint Michael and All Angels
• Amy Meaux’s guidance through the Book of Common Prayer in church services
• St. John’s
• Praise and worship/Evangelism
What are the greatest opportunities for SMAA?
Evangelism
• Superior educational programs that meet the spiritual needs of Christians at all stages of Christian maturity (e.g., new Christians would get Christianity 101)
• Consistent messaging and awareness programs in all SMAA communications and media
• Focus on offering a smaller number of high quality programs versus a wide variety of programs of varying levels of quality ... strive for consistency in quality
Newcomers
• Build a best in class parish website that offers a single source for information. Offer a portal for “members-only” sections for teams and classes to share information
• Better utilize data we receive on visitors and newcomers (e.g., survey newcomers 6 months after joining, and visitors that chose not to return to SMAA). Mine the data to use for 1-to-1 marketing opportunities
• A gateway class for newcomers or an extension of the Inquirer’s Class to better integrate new members
Other notes from the listening sessions. General comments shared in the listening sessions that did not fit any one category include:
• One participant noted that we need to develop a formula for growing facilities and while we have a “facilities plan,” we are not currently leveraging it. This participant believed that growing the church is about “drawing people in” versus “reaching out” ... that if we build it, they will come.
• There was some concern that we lack ethnic diversity and should explore why. Recognizing that each demographic responds differently to evangelism and programs for newcomers, there was a general consensus that while we cannot fully satisfy the needs of all demographics we should at least have a basic understanding of each group’s needs. Demographics identified were:
Senior citizens
Married with children
Married w/out children
Single over 35
18 to 30-year olds
New Christians (baptized in last 5 yrs)
Ethnic Groups
Unchurched
People with Disabilities
Left the Episcopal Church (“alumni”)
Gay and Lesbian
College Students
New Episcopalians
Cradle Episcopalians
Communication Results of the Home Listening Sessions
The Newcomers & Evangelism team held “listening sessions” at parishioner homes in June to gather the thoughts, feedback, and ideas on a myriad of topics pertaining to the newcomer experience and evangelism at SMAA.
This overview is comprised of comments from approximately 22 people. The Newcomers and Evangelism task force members were counted only once if they attended multiple sessions.
Questions asked of participants included:
• If you were to meet someone who said they were searching for a church home how would you say evangelism is different at SMAA than at evangelical churches?
• What does “soft-sell” mean? (was mentioned many times as a preferred type of evangelism)
• Reaction to this comment in the Dallas Morning News, “If mainliners are to recapture their influence on America, and I hope they do, they must swallow their pride and learn from conservative evangelicals. If Presbyterians, Methodists, and Episcopalians keep turning their noses up at the evangelical mega-churches rising up in the sprawling suburbs of Dallas, Atlanta, and Phoenix, they risk a permanent seat on the sidelines of American culture.”
• If we just did [X], then more people would want to be more involved at SMAA. What is [X]?
• What do you think of the communication in the Church right now?
• What is your perception of advertising; specifically, direct mail, radio, and print?
How is SMAA evangelism different?
• Didn’t feel that I was approached aggressively; a soft-sell was preferred and appreciated
• We go out and perform works of Christ; this is about a whole strategy for evangelism ... not just a push strategy
• It is quiet (we are quiet about it)
• It is thoughtful and deliberate and not overly emotional
• Individual freedom of thought integrated in everyday life
• Diversity in approach based on needs of families with kids
• It is a lifelong process and not a single event
• Our complement of priests; both female and male
• Lead by example
What is a “Soft-Sell”
• Opposite of “hard sell”
• Lead by example so that others will want to have what you have
• Brings positives; present it to enlighten making decisions
• An “open door” that beckons you
• Using live examples
• A welcoming environment
• Person isn’t selling they are saying “come with me, let’s look together”
• Finding information in a non-aggressive environment; so that people will want the [love of Christ] that you have
• Allowing decisions in ones own time and way
• Presenting facts in a non-aggressive way
• Open, on-going invitation to walk in the door
• Enthusiasm
• Doesn’t include selling just “one thing” but enables you to respectfully “ask” rather than “’tell” and then leading that person from there
• It’s about an invitation without exclusion like having a friend to walk with you on the journey
Reaction to the media is lukewarm
• A snapshot in time (10 years); things evolve and are cyclical
• All denominations are looking for the flavor of the month; the right solution for right now … even the evangelicals
• “Evangelical” is not really defined
• “I find that very hard to believe”
• “Evangelical” approach doesn’t always meet the needs of all ages / groups
• Hard to keep up with the speed of life
• A church that genuinely worships Christ isn’t so worried about “success” … our responsibility is to be faithful to Christ, not our culture or trend. We’re on the wrong page if we’re trying to figure out how to have more political pull and power
• Was a major topic of a recent congressional roundtable in Washington, DC; said same thing as above
• Need to think for yourself; not blindly; maybe it’s better to have people there because they decided for themselves; not because they were hard-sold, or corralled
• Focusing on “BIG” sends the wrong message … it’s not the type of environment for me.
• It’s a reflection of our society; we’re getting away from our foundation
• For a long time Mainline got away from their core message. We have reclaimed talking about the good work in our lives. Evangelicals don’t provide the support system their parishioners need in times of crisis. This has energized the Mainline Christians
• Haven’t we always been on the sidelines?
• “Good for them” … the Mainline groups mentioned in the editorial are former super-powers
• Episcopalians do tend stick their necks out on big issues first (compared to all other denominations). Maybe we are closer to the pulse of our culture than our people think.
• I don’t want to coral people like lemmings and use neon signs but this editorial is good in that it may stimulate us to consider new ways that are meaningful and relevant to people
How well are we getting people involved?
• Purpose of church is to direct people / place attention on Christ
• Christianity is a contact religion
• Spending time with people that have Christ at their center
• Small groups help people connect
• This is an off-shoot from the Inquirers’ Class
• Keep diversity to meet needs of many groups; children’s programs
• A lifelong journey requires community
• Look for opportunities to show we care; small groups
• The church feels too big; getting involved and finding a place to fit helps
• Focused awareness … know what people want and how they want it. We need to know what we stand for, communicate it, and then people will decide rather quickly if they want it
• The church is so big … finding where you’re going is hard; I feel like just a number; if you choose to get involved then there are programs there for you; we need maps and signage; the large church creates a nervous feeling for visitors … long timers know the lay of the land
• In the Inquirers’ Class we should consider breaking group into teams to facilitate getting to know one another; ice breakers were great but stopped short
How well does the Church communicate?
• Consistency in communications not apparent
• Need 1:1
• Comments included: “not quite there yet,” “inaccurate,” “service times were incorrect in bulletins,” “hard to find out about special events (e.g., speakers)
• Could utilize Internet better for kids
• Too many click-thrus on website
• Transfiguration does a great job of communicating long after the first contact; they never took me off their mailing list; that made me feel like they cared
What are the general perceptions of advertising?
• Direct mail good but expensive
• Should follow-up several times after initial visit
• Radio good for advertising; perhaps to communicate our Lenten Series (KERA, WRR)
• First reaction to print advertising is “ewww”
• Most participants seemed to read mail and email from SMAA (e.g., emailed The Sunday News, and special letters to the parish from Mark or Chip)