Ministerial Search Survey
The results of the Survey, in its entirety, can be seen below. Because Sunday Worship is the central venue for most Congregants' communal participation in the church, it is interesting to note from the Survey that a majority of the respondents said they attend Sunday Worship to celebrate “common values” and for “intellectual stimulation” (Question 14).
They also listed building “a loving community” as the central “objective” of the Sunday Worship service. That theme was reiterated in Question 28, where respondents indicated that one of the “functions” of the minister is to foster “a sense of community” (between 60 percent and 70 percent). Although not as highly ranked as other “sermon objectives,” building “community spirit” did rank third in that question.
“Spiritual Leader---Preaches inspiring sermons” ranked the highest among respondents as the “style of minister you would prefer in our next minister” (Question 29, at close to 80 percent). In addition to spiritual leadership embodied in inspirational sermons, respondents also indicated that a minister should have integrity (82 percent) and be empathetic and interested in others (75 percent).
In terms of how respondents viewed their own “personal spiritual practices,” 60 percent said that “Inspirational Readings” formed a large part of those practices. “Meditation” ranked second at 48 percent and “Prayer” at 41 percent. In addition, respondents listed “Family Relationships” (78 percent), “The Arts” (75 percent), and “Nature” (68 percent) as the top three “sources for personal growth” (Question 26).
They also listed building “a loving community” as the central “objective” of the Sunday Worship service. That theme was reiterated in Question 28, where respondents indicated that one of the “functions” of the minister is to foster “a sense of community” (between 60 percent and 70 percent). Although not as highly ranked as other “sermon objectives,” building “community spirit” did rank third in that question.
“Spiritual Leader---Preaches inspiring sermons” ranked the highest among respondents as the “style of minister you would prefer in our next minister” (Question 29, at close to 80 percent). In addition to spiritual leadership embodied in inspirational sermons, respondents also indicated that a minister should have integrity (82 percent) and be empathetic and interested in others (75 percent).
In terms of how respondents viewed their own “personal spiritual practices,” 60 percent said that “Inspirational Readings” formed a large part of those practices. “Meditation” ranked second at 48 percent and “Prayer” at 41 percent. In addition, respondents listed “Family Relationships” (78 percent), “The Arts” (75 percent), and “Nature” (68 percent) as the top three “sources for personal growth” (Question 26).