Churches often face the challenge of balancing the needs of their congregation with the overarching mission to reach their communities and advance their faith-based mission. When leaders decide to survey their church and community, it’s a golden opportunity to gather insights and make impactful improvements. However, without the right approach, this process can fall into the trap of focusing on surface-level preferences rather than gaining meaningful, mission-aligned insights.

This guide will help you create a thoughtful and effective survey process that prioritizes your church’s mission, offers clarity, and identifies barriers to growth and connection.

Avoid the Common Survey Pitfalls

Many churches default to asking questions centered around personal preferences, such as:

• What type of worship music do you prefer?
• How do you feel about the style of preaching?
• Do we have enough programs or activities?

While these questions provide a glimpse into the desires of your current congregation, they can inadvertently shift the focus inward, sidelining the broader mission of reaching those outside the church community.

Instead, the goal should be to understand how well your church is living out its mission, how effectively it communicates its message, and whether it is breaking down barriers for those who are not yet connected to the church.

The Framework for Better Surveys

An effective church survey should focus on six key areas:

1. Clarity of Vision and Mission

Are your mission and vision clearly understood and embraced by your congregation and community?

2. Knowledge of the Audience

Do you understand the demographics, needs, and challenges of the people within your church and in your surrounding community?

3. Effectiveness of Communication

Is your church’s message reaching the right people, and is it being delivered in a way that resonates?

4. Healthy Presence of Communication

Are your communication channels, such as social media, newsletters, and sermons, consistent and impactful?

5. Partnerships with the Community

Does your church effectively collaborate with local organizations, businesses, and community leaders to make a difference?

4. Identifying Barriers

What obstacles exist that prevent people from engaging with your church or understanding its mission?

The Right Questions to Ask

To cover all six areas, we’ve outlined 24 essential questions. Half are designed for your church’s internal audience, while the other half are tailored to the external community.

For People Inside Your Church

1. How would you describe the mission of our church in one sentence?
2. Do you feel connected to the church’s vision? Why or why not?
3. What do you believe is the greatest strength of our church?
4. Where do you see the biggest opportunity for improvement in our church?
5. How effectively does our church communicate its mission and activities to you?
6. Are there barriers that make it difficult for you to engage with the church’s activities or programs?
7. How would you rate the church’s use of digital communication (e.g., website, emails, social media)?
8. Do you feel like our church provides opportunities for meaningful connections with others?
9. How well do you think our church serves the local community?
10. Do you see evidence of our church partnering with local organizations or businesses?
11. In your opinion, what is one thing our church could do better to reach people who do not yet attend?
12. What, if anything, hinders you from inviting others to church?

For People Outside Your Church

1. Have you ever heard of our church before? If so, what is your perception of it?
2. If you’ve visited our church, what was your experience like?
3. What do you believe is the role of a church in a community?
4. Are there any unmet needs in the community that you think a church should address?
5. How would you describe the communication style of our church (e.g., clear, welcoming, confusing)?
6. What kind of programs or activities would make you interested in engaging with a church?
7. Have you ever attended an event hosted by our church? If yes, how would you describe it?
8. Are there any barriers that might prevent you from attending a church event or service?
9. Do you feel like our church is involved in meaningful ways in the local community?
10. What organizations or businesses do you see making a positive impact in this community?
11. If you were to attend a church, what qualities would you look for?
12. What’s the one thing you wish churches in the area understood better about the community?

What to Do with the Information You Collect

1. Analyze Trends and Patterns

Look for commonalities in the responses, especially around barriers to connection, clarity of mission, and community needs.

2. Prioritize Action Steps

Focus on one or two key areas for improvement based on the feedback. Attempting to address everything at once can dilute your efforts.

3. Communicate Back

Share the insights you’ve gathered with your congregation and community. Let them know how you plan to act on their feedback.

4. Measure Progress

Implement changes and evaluate their effectiveness over time. Use follow-up surveys to see if the adjustments are making a difference.

Final Thoughts

Surveying your church and community can be a transformative process when done with intentionality and a focus on the greater mission. By asking the right questions and acting on the answers, your church can strengthen its connection with both your congregation and the wider community.

The key is to look beyond preferences and focus on impact. When you do, you’ll gain invaluable insights that can help your church fulfill its mission in powerful ways.