2014 Congregational Survey

20 Pages·2014·2.19 MB·English

Online
 survey

Throughout
 October
 2014,
 UUCF
 members
 and
 friends

completed
 a
 36 question
 online
 survey
 reflecting
 their

preferences
 for
 our
 next
 parish
 minister.
 Nine
 hard
 copies
 were

provided
 to
 ind-ividuals
 who
 preferred
 to
 provide
 a
 written

response.

We
 received
 responses
 from
 413
 individuals,
 representing
 a

51%
 response
 rate
 when
 compared
 to
 the
 UUCF
 population
 of

729
 adult
 members
 and
 80
 pledging
 friends
 (809
 total).

1
Online
 Survey
 Quantitative
 Results

(November
 5,
 2014)
Q1. Why do you attend UUCF?
Rate the importance of each of the following factors (scale of 0 “not important” to 4 “highly important”)
Rated as “important” or
Weighted Score “highly important”
(a) Weekend worship services 3.61 89%
(b) Worship experiences other than on weekends,
e.g., Vespers, solstice celebrations 1.81 27%
(c) Music 3.33 83%
(d) Social justice/action 2.89 68%
(e) Caring, supportive community 3.4 86%
(f) Inclusiveness, Openness to diversity 3.44 87%
(g) Ministers 3.51 88%
(h) Religious Exploration for children and youth 2.56 57%
(i) Programs for middle school and high school youth 2.35 51%
(j) Adult programs 2.57 54%
(k) Fellowship activities and interest groups 2.64 59%
(l) Presence of family and/or friends 2.77 63%
(m) Intellectual stimulation 3.28 84%
(n) Exposure to UU theology and traditions 2.7 60%
(o) Personal/spiritual growth 3.22 79%
(p) Self-help/support groups 1.94 29%
(q) Small group ministry, e.g., Covenant Groups,
Women’s Spirit Circles 2.17 42%
(r) Campus setting/Buildings and grounds 2.48 51%
Q2. Why do you attend worship services? (Including weekend, Vespers and other special worship.)
Rate the importance of each of the following factors (scale of 0 “not important” to 4 “highly important”)
Rated as “important” or
Weighted Score “highly important”
(a) Celebration of common values 3.12 77%
(b) Discover new paths for individual growth and
change 3.12 76%
(c) Faith development 2.43 50%
(d) Fellowship period after services 2.28 45%
(e) Intellectual stimulation 3.24 78%
(f) Music 3.32 81%
(g) Mystical or spiritual experience, feeling of
reverence and awe 2.28 43%
(h) Personal reflection or meditation 3.01 71%
(i) Sense of belonging/community 3.31 82%
(j) Support and encouragement for social action 2.73 62%
(k) Uplifting emotional experience 2.94 68%
2
Q3. How meaningful to you are each of the following elements of weekend worship services?
Rate the importance of each of the following factors (scale of 0 “not important” to 4 “highly important”)
Weighted Score Combined 3 and 4
(a) Leader welcome 2.53 51%
(b) Chalice lighting 2.61 55%
(c) Spoken announcements 2.16 38%
(d) Introduction of visitors 1.86 26%
(e) Installation of new members 2.28 42%
(f) Dedication of children 2.65 57%
(g) Joys and sorrows 2.56 54%
(h) Pastoral prayer 2.6 59%
(i) Readings 3.02 73%
(j) Responsive readings 1.86 28%
(k) Silent meditation 2.55 54%
(l) Guided meditation 2.31 43%
(m) Offerings designated for special purposes 2.37 45%
(n) Sermon 3.71 92%
(o) Instrumental music 3.36 82%
(p) Choir or other vocal music 3.43 85%
(q) Congregational singing 2.7 59%
(r) Singing children to Religious Exploration 2.46 52%
(s) Coffee hour 2.28 42%
(t) Lay member participation 2.37 44%
(u) Celebration of holidays 2.81 62%
(v) Rituals, e.g., candles of memory, flower
communion 2.52 52%
Q4. On average, over the past 12 months, how often did you attend weekend worship services either as
an attendee or a Religious Exploration volunteer (excluding Vespers)?
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
Three or more weekends per month 228 55.2%
One or two weekends per month 105 25.4%
One weekend every 2 months 30 7.3%
Four times a year or less 21 5.1%
Rarely or never 14 3.4%
(Did not answer) 15 3.6%
Total Responses 413
3
Q5. The following activities occur many times each month at UUCF. How often did you participate in
or attend in the past 12 months?
Indicate an Did not Weighted
approximation
  0 - Never 1 2 3 4 - Frequently answer Total Score
(a) Adult Education 46% 19% 15% 8% 9% 3% 413 1.11
(b) Child and/or youth
Religious Exploration
as a student, teacher,
greeter, or parent
helper 55% 8% 6% 6% 22% 4% 413 1.28
(c) Science, Reason,
and Religion Forum 59% 18% 7% 6% 8% 3% 413 0.82
(d) Chorale practice or
performance 67% 6% 5% 4% 15% 3% 413 0.89
Q6. The following activities usually occur monthly at UUCF. In which of these did you participate or
attend in the 2013-2014 church year? (Check all that apply.)
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
Vespers or other special worship services
170 41.2%
(e.g. solstice celebration)
Small group ministry (e.g. a Covenant
Group, Humanists of UUCF, Christian
162 39.2%
Connection, UUCF Meditation Group, Spirit
Circle)
Educational group (e.g. Global Affairs
119 28.8%
Discussion, book group)
Maintenance of buildings and grounds 56 13.6%
Family activities (e.g. Play GroUUp, Family
56 13.6%
FUUn)
Circle Dinner 54 13.1%
Support group (e.g. NAMI, PFLAG/FLY,
45 10.9%
grief support, parenting support, etc.)
Lunch with the ministers 34 8.2%
Young Adult Group 7 1.7%
(Did not answer) 96 23.2%
Total Responses 799
Multiple answers per participant possible. Percentages added may exceed 100 since a participant may select
more than one answer for this question.
4
Q7. These activities occur less frequently, sometimes only once a year at UUCF. In which of these did
you participate or attend in the past 3 years? (Check all that apply.)
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
Musical performances 246 59.6%
Auction 239 57.9%
All-church fellowship event (e.g.
226 54.7%
ingathering picnic, chili cook-off)
Yard Sale 172 41.7%
Adult Fall Retreat /All-Congregation
81 19.6%
Retreat
Membership and Outreach Committee
activities (e.g. Viva Vienna, welcome 65 15.7%
table)
Stewardship Committee activities (e.g.
volunteering to assist with canvass, 54 13.1%
Reach Campaign, endowment)
Travel Treks 28 6.8%
(Did not answer) 54 13.1%
Total Responses 1165
Multiple answers per participant possible. Percentages added may exceed 100 since a participant may select
more than one answer for this question.
5
Q8. During the past 12 months did you participate in any of the following social justice activities?
(Check all that apply.)
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
Hypothermia Shelter 138 33.4%
Social Justice Yard Sale 137 33.2%
Our Daily Bread 114 27.6%
Martin Luther King Day of Service 65 15.7%
Gun violence prevention 62 15.0%
Environmental ministry (Faith Alliance for
47 11.4%
Climate Change, Green Sanctuary, etc.)
Equality UUCF 45 10.9%
Partner Church 41 9.9%
Rebuilding Together 41 9.9%
English for Speakers of Other Languages 29 7.0%
Muslim Liaison 27 6.5%
Hot Meals 25 6.1%
Reproductive Justice 23 5.6%
Beacon House Ministry 20 4.8%
Earth Circles Rising 19 4.6%
Other (please specify) 25 6.1%
(Did not answer) 112 27.1%
Total Responses 970
Multiple answers per participant possible. Percentages added may exceed 100 since a participant may select
more than one answer for this question.
Q9. How many hours a week, on average, did you participate in church activities (including weekend
services, coffee hours, Religious Exploration, committee work, etc.) during the most recent church
year? (Include preparation time for the activities.)
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
2 or fewer hours 174 42.1%
3-5 hours 150 36.3%
6-9 hours 43 10.4%
10-14 hours 16 3.9%
15 or more hours 11 2.7%
(Did not answer) 19 4.6%
Total Responses 413
6
Q10. With what religious tradition have you been most closely associated in the past?
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
Protestant Christianity 176 42.6%
Roman Catholicism 94 22.8%
No prior religious affiliation 40 9.7%
I have always been a UU 34 8.2%
Judaism 15 3.6%
Buddhism 6 1.5%
Islam 0 0%
Other (please specify) 42 10.2%
(Did not answer) 6 1.5%
Total Responses 413
Q11. In addition to Unitarian Universalism which of the following best describe your current religious
orientation? (Check all that apply.)
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
Humanism 275 66.6%
Ethical Religion 164 39.7%
Ethical Christianity 156 37.8%
Buddhism 155 37.5%
Agnosticism 125 30.3%
Earth-centered spirituality 98 23.7%
Eclecticism 97 23.5%
Atheism 89 21.6%
Skepticism 83 20.1%
Taoism 67 16.2%
Mysticism 65 15.7%
Theism 31 7.5%
Hinduism 21 5.1%
Theological Christianity 20 4.8%
Neopaganism (Wicca) 10 2.4%
Judaism 9 2.2%
Islam 1 0.2%
None of the above 3 0.7%
Other (please specify) 22 5.3%
(Did not answer) 4 1.0%
Total Responses 1495
Multiple answers per participant possible. Percentages added may exceed 100 since a participant may select
more than one answer for this question.
7
Q12. Using a scale of 0 (strongly disagree) and 4 (strongly agree) where would you locate your
response to the following statements?
Weighted Rated as “agree”

 Select your response to each statement.
  Score or “strongly agree”
(a) A personal relationship with God is a vital part of my spiritual life and
a necessary part of my worship experience. 0.97 17%
(b) The world betrays the presence of an intelligent designer, but
personal knowledge of a relationship with that reality is not a possibility. 0.92 11%
(c) The concept of God is a human illusion that has caused vast
suffering throughout human history. 1.85 32%
(d) It may be that God exists, but it is a waste of human energy to argue
over the existence of God when there are so many more important
demands upon our time and resources. 2.03 38%
(e) The powers traditionally attributed to a supernatural deity are
inherent in the natural world, which is the focus of my respect and
devotion. 2.34 45%
(f) I do not know whether or not God exists, but I am willing to explore
the possibility. 1.9 37%
(g) It is beyond the capacity of human beings to know whether there is a
God. 2.01 36%
(h) "Goodness" and "meaning" are human constructs created as a result
of the human encounter with each other and the world. 2.71 58%
(i) The life, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth are central to my
understanding of God, the Universe and the human condition. 0.82 9%
(j) Family rituals and traditions are a central element in my religious and
spiritual life. 2.03 35%
(k) My spiritual life is grounded in a sense of the fullness and
connectedness of all things. 3.14 73%
(l) My spiritual life is lived in response to the sacred circle of being and
the effort to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. 2.25 42%
(m) I am inspired by the traditions of indigenous peoples and find in their
rituals and practices a deepened sense of the sacred and
interconnected quality of life. 1.71 27%
8
Q13. When I hear the word God at UUCF:
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
I welcome and appreciate this language. 87 21.1%
I accept this language. 146 35.4%
I tolerate this language. 101 24.5%
I am uncomfortable with this language. 39 9.4%
This is not something I think about. 29 7.0%
None of the above. 1 0.2%
(Did not answer) 10 2.4%
Total Responses 413
Q14. Are spiritual practices important in your personal life? (Check all that apply.)
Responses Count % Percentage of total respondents
Engaging nature, e.g. gardening, hiking,
288 69.7%
being there
Physical exercise e.g. yoga, tai chi, running,
273 66.1%
dancing
Meditation 201 48.7%
Engagement in small group activities 183 44.3%
Reading spiritual texts 114 27.6%
Prayer 92 22.3%
Journaling 61 14.8%
Spiritual practices are not important to me. 40 9.7%
Other (please specify) 33 8.0%
(Did not answer) 15 3.6%
Total Responses 1300
Multiple answers per participant possible. Percentages added may exceed 100 since a participant may select
more than one answer for this question.
9
Q15. How do you think UUCF is doing in the following areas of congregational life? Are some of these efforts
not important, in some areas are we doing great, are there areas where we should be doing more?
Need to Need Need
do a to do to do
Not Doing little some a lot Did not Weighted
important great more more more answer Total Score
(a) Developing a sense of
community 0% 50% 27% 15% 3% 4% 413 1.69
(b) Providing nurturing and support
for members 1% 53% 25% 12% 3% 6% 413 1.61
(c) Becoming racially/ethnically
diverse 6% 9% 26% 25% 29% 5% 413 2.66
(d) Becoming socioeconomically
diverse 8% 9% 27% 30% 18% 7% 413 2.43
(e) Becoming diverse with respect to
members’ sexual orientation and
gender identity 5% 62% 18% 8% 2% 5% 413 1.35
(f) Providing fellowship and social
activities 1% 68% 15% 8% 2% 5% 413 1.37
(g) Providing adult programming 3% 69% 15% 5% 2% 6% 413 1.28
(h) Providing programming beyond
RE for middle and high school youth 9% 40% 22% 9% 3% 16% 413 1.49
(i) Providing programming for families 8% 42% 25% 9% 1% 15% 413 1.47
(j) Encouraging volunteers and
strengthening lay leadership through
training and development 2% 46% 24% 14% 4% 9% 413 1.7
(k) Providing options for UUCF-
sponsored social action 3% 55% 20% 11% 3% 7% 413 1.54
(l) Reaching out to students at local
colleges and universities 11% 8% 26% 22% 19% 15% 413 2.36
(m) Participating in denominational
affairs (UUA and/or JPD) 13% 42% 20% 7% 2% 17% 413 1.32
(n) Participating in interfaith activities 8% 29% 34% 13% 4% 12% 413 1.72
10