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News and Information from your
Vestry
Quarterly Vestry Report �
presented by Steve Tryon and Martha Watson at all services in April
Quarterly Vestry Report
Summary of Findings of the
2007 Church Assessment Tool (CAT)
For All Saints� Episcopal Church
Major Findings/Key Indicators of Morale:
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The church is enjoying a
period of growth and renewal. Over the last three years, the �traditional�
and Filipino churches have increased their memberships substantially. The
Hispanic congregation, which was formed after the CAT survey was
administered, is growing even faster. 34% of respondents indicated that
they come to church more often than they did three years ago.
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In
comparison with other Episcopal churches of a similar size, All Saints�
outscored other congregations in all key indicators of the vitality of a
church, especially hospitality, worship and music, and
general ministry. (See Attachment 1)
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Overall,
nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents expressed �solidly positive�
satisfaction with the church.
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All
Saints� is not experiencing internal conflicts that typically cause
churches to lose membership. Neither is its congregation unduly focused on
the position of the senior rector. Together, this lack of conflict and
confidence in the rector should allow the church to address other issues of
concern.
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In comparison to Episcopal churches of a
similar size, All Saints� shows tremendous ability to adapt to the
changing needs and circumstances of present members and those we want to
reach in the broader community. (See Attachment 2)
Opportunities for Improvement � Where Should
Our Energies Be Placed?
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Across demographic groups,
respondents agreed on three inter-related priorities for the future of All
Saints� Episcopal Church:
- Attract families with children.
- Reach out to gather new members.
- Improve
financial support for the ministry of the church.
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Not
surprisingly, improvements in any one of these areas would be likely to
cause improvements in the others.
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Respondents rated some opportunities for
improvement quite low, especially improvements to physical facilities, our
international mission, or improvements to the musical offerings of the
church.
Financial Giving Relative to Income:
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Per
household giving averages nearly $1,100 per year.
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Household
income averages nearly $76,000 per year.
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This ratio
of giving-to-income (1.44%) is less than half of the national average of
3.0% for Episcopal churches of our size and puts us in the 29th
percentile of such churches.
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Clearly, this represents an opportunity as
much as a challenge: ours is a church that under-contributes relative to
its income base, and that could do more.
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In the first quarter of
2008, income was within 2.5% of the projected amount. There is likely to be a drop off in giving
during the summer months that could pose a challenge for the budget. But in
contrast to 2007, when it was not clear whether we could continue to pay the
senior rector, this is within the range that will allow the church to
fulfill its mission objectives.
Response Rate/Household Information:
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A
statistically significant number of responses were received
(83 of the 350 individuals contacted for the survey submitted responses).
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40% of respondents were
older than 64.
48% of respondents were between 45 and 64
years old.
11% of respondents were between 25 and 44
years old.
No one under age 25
responded to the survey.
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81% of
respondents live five or more miles from the church. This is a greater
distance than all but 10 percent of churches our size, and it suggests
difficulties in organizing mid-week events, especially for the �traditional�
church.
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Nearly
half of our congregation (44%) has been coming to the church for four years
or less. This places All Saints� in just the fifth percentile for member
tenure among Episcopal churches our size, but can also be viewed as a
positive outgrowth of new recruitment.
Comparisons to Broader Trends � Why Do
Churches Grow?
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Surveys of 884
congregations conducted in 2005 concluded that churches grow when:
- They involve children in worship.
- They incorporate contemporary elements,
including a web site.
- They are composed of more than one
racial and ethnic group.
- They hold
multiple worship services.
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Conversely, churches experiencing conflict,
that are unable to attract young adults and children, or that find
themselves geographically isolated from potential new members are
experiencing declining membership.
Next Steps: Where Do We Go From Here?
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The vestry will use these results as the
beginning of a conversation with the entire church. Vestry members will be
scheduling meetings with identifiable church groups (e.g., altar guild,
choir) to develop concrete proposals for addressing the priorities
identified in the CAT.
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Together, the CAT and these specific
proposals will be the starting point for the stewardship campaign for the
coming year.
Attachment One: Dashboard
Comparing Indices of Church Vitality to
Episcopal Churches of a Similar Size
Attachment Two: Descriptive
Map Showing Adaptability And Orthodoxy
Compared to Episcopal Churches of a Similar Size
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