Trinity is Taking Part in the US Congregational Vitality Survey
This coming Sunday, August 14, is an important day in the life of Trinity and I want to personally encourage you to take part. During our morning worship service, we will be setting aside time to prayerfully consider our life and ministry together here at Trinity as we take the U.S. Congregational Vitality Survey (USCVS). This confidential survey will help our leadership more accurately assess our areas of strength and identify places where God may be calling us into deeper relationship and vitality.
The perspective of every member of the Trinity family is important. We are asking every person who is affiliated with Trinity to take part in the survey so we get the most comprehensive view possible. We want to make it easy for you to be part of this important moment in our life together; there are three ways you can participate in the USCVS:
1 - During Worship on Sunday, August 14 (In-Person and Online)
The easiest way to participate is to join Trinity for worship this coming Sunday, August 14. During our morning service, which begins at 11:30 AM, we will fill out the USCVS. Those attending in- person will be provided paper copies which we will collect during the service, those attending online will be invited to fill out the online survey at the same time.
2 - Online on Your Schedule
If you are unable to attend worship this Sunday, you are invited to use the online survey link to complete the survey on your schedule. Please note: all online surveys must be completed no later than 11:00 PM on Wednesday, August 24 to guarantee they are included in our congregation's report.
3 - Paper Survey in Your Home or at the Trinity Office
If you are unable to attend worship this Sunday, and you do not wish to use the online survey option, you are invited to participate using a paper survey. You may either come to the church office and complete the paper form here, or we have Trinity leaders who will bring the form to your home and return it to the office for you. Call the church office to make arrangements. Please note: all paper forms must be completed and returned to the office by 3:00 PM on Monday, August 22.
Below you will find some additional information about the USCVS and answers to questions you may have. If you have a question that isn't answered, please feel free to call me directly at 417-450-4574. I sincerely hope you will take time to prayerfully complete the USCVS. Your perspective is critical as we together discern God's calling for Trinity in the years to come. Thank you for being part of the Trinity family!
Grace and Peace, Pastor Chris
About the U.S. Congregational Vitality Survey (USCVS)
What is the USCVS?
The USCVS is designed to help churches like Trinity understand the attitudes, opinions, and perceptions of worshipers and leaders in our congregation. It was created through a collaboration of sociologists, theologians, and Christian educators in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and has been used by hundreds of congregations in half-a-dozen denominations to assess congregations’ strengths across several areas of vitality.
Why is Trinity taking part in the USCVS?
Trinity is a strong congregation, but like all congregations we can grow in vitality and relationship. By using the USCVS our leadership will be empowered to objectively assess several key areas of health and vitality in our common life together based on the perspective of the whole Trinity family, giving us critical information as we discern God’s calling for our community in the years to come.
Should I take part? I don’t come every week / I live out of town / etc.
We want everyone who is affiliated with Trinity to complete the USCVS. If you come a few times a year, we want to know what you think! If you live out of town, but come when you can, please share your views! From first-time visitors to the individual here every week, every person who completes the survey helps us get a comprehensive response from our church family.
What if there are several people in my household? Should we all take the USCVS?
Yes! Everyone who has experience with Trinity should take the survey, including children and youth. We would ask that each person only take the survey once and note that if parents need to assist their children, they focus on allowing the children to answer from their own perspective.
What happens to my survey answers? Who sees them?
Your survey results are completely confidential. You won’t be asked for your name or any identifying information. No one at Trinity will review your individual survey unless you ask for assistance in completing the form. Paper surveys will be collected and shipped back to PC(USA) Research Services and scanned. Those results will be combined with the online survey results to create an overview report with trends and averages but not individual survey responses.
What will Trinity do with the USCVS results?
The results of the USCVS will be reviewed by our staff, elders, and deacons as we prayerfully consider God’s call for our church in the years to come. The results will help us identify areas of strength and places where God may be calling us to deeper vitality and relationship. We plan to share results with the congregation in the months to come.
