The Congregational Assessment asks members to rate their satisfaction with the congregation’s efforts to equip and send them to live their faith in the world. The tool is based on Congregational Pathways identified over a period of five years by members of six congregations through a partner non-profit organization called Seeing Things Whole.
The pathways, described below, represent all the different ways congregations can equip, send, and support their members for ministry in daily life. The results of the assessment help to identify and develop areas in which your congregation may choose to begin building a greater capacity for that task.
Raise awareness of God’s sustaining work in the world. Simple questions like “What’s God up to here?” and “Where did you see Christ at work in your world today?” increase our awareness of God’s presence in the mundane and everyday.
Identify and recognize unique strengths and abilities. Discovery of our gifts happens best in Christian community as others name our uniqueness and affirm our callings.
Provide meaningful worship that reorients, restores, and renews for work in God’s world.
Encourage faith practices such as regular prayer, worship, and Bible study. These practices strengthen our service and clarify God’s presence in, and intentions for, our lives.
Enact roles and structures that equip and support faithful living in God’s world. Pastors and lay leaders must evaluate congregational effort and activity by asking: ”Does this meeting, budget, process, etc. equip the saints for ministry and build up the body of Christ? (Ephesians 4:12)”
