A survey was conducted during April 2009 to ascertain the extent to which the eighteen ministries hosted by the outreach commission are viable, important and have active support within the parish. Additionally, there were questions which asked the degree of familiarity and understanding of the social teachings of the church and suggestions for other ministries which may be needed in the parish.
There were 202 respondents to the survey with varying numbers responding to specific questions. In general, the results were not surprising and easily demonstrated the activity level for each ministry. Response summaries to each question are as follows:
To what extent are you familiar with the identified ministry?
This question sought to measure the awareness of the ministry and the amount of active participation in the ministry.
In general, respondents were for the most part knowledgeable of the various ministries with active participation skewed more towards those ministries that extended beyond the boundaries of the parish. The most active ministries are: The Angel Project, NAM, Sandwich Makers, Operation Rice Bowl, Blood Drive, Respect Life and SOS. The least active ministries are: the Social Justice Committee, Support Groups, Prayer Shawl and Prison ministries.
To what extent do the following ministries meet Parishioner’s specific needs?
This question sought to measure the extent to which the various ministries were important to the needs of specifically parishioners, non parishioners or both.
Overwhelmingly, the respondents indicated that all of the ministries were important to both parishioners and non-parishioners.
To what extent do the following ministries assist the geographical needs of our parish?
This question sought to distinguish the extent to which ministries were of value or were essential to the community served by the parish.
The respondents indicated, generally, a mixed opinion as to how essential a particular ministry is to the geographical community. The most essential ministries identified are: Blood Drive, Respect Life, NAM and Gabriel Project. The least essential ministries to the local area are thought to be: SOS, Prayer Shawl, Operation Rice Bowl, Bridges Community Friends, and Mission Outreach committee. However, under the rating scale used, these ministries scored between 3 to 4, which means that the beliefs are more towards the ministries filling an important or essential need.
To what extent would you be willing to participate in this ministry?
This question sought to determine the extent which respondents who were unable to participate in ministries to those having the capability to financially support or contribute time and services in supporting a particular ministry.
The results of this question tended to mirror the results in question number one. The ministries identified as receiving the most support are: Respect Life, Angel Project, Gabriel Project, Blood Drive, NAM, and Sandwich Makers. Ministries more likely not to have received focused support are: Bridges Community Friends, Employment Ministry, Financial Education, Mission Outreach Committee, Prayer Shawl, and Prison Ministries.
How familiar are you with the social teachings of the Church
This is a specific question to ascertain how well the social teachings of the church are understood.
The overall rating of this question indicates the majority of the respondents are only moderately or slightly familiar with the social teachings of the church.
What other suggestions do you have for other ministries to have in the parish
This open ended question was to ascertain the proposed needs for other outreach ministries which the respondents would seem necessary in the parish.
There were several suggested programs that stood out from the open ended question. These included:
i.Nine (9) suggestions related to our Second Family Program we are trying to start.
ii.Five (5) related to counseling
iii.Three (3) for supporting single parents
iv.Seven (7) were about support groups, though none of those were for the same support group.
Most of the suggestions were about programs already in place, which seems to suggest a need for education on what we already do for others as a parish. We will look into reviewing these answers to evaluate where we are going in the future as a commission.