SPECIAL NOTICES

PARISH STUDY

Introduction

A few months ago all of the five Parishes involved in the Southern Burlington Cluster Study took part in a survey sponsored by the Diocese of Trenton.  The survey was taken during all of the weekend masses by those people attending mass.  It's important to remember that a survey only gives a snapshot of how people in the parish were thinking and feeling on a certain day. Many factors, such as the weather, the temperature in church, or whether mass started late, could affect their answers. Surveys do not tell the whole story, which is why the results of this survey are only one factor of many that will be used in the Parish Study process to help the Parish Study Teams make recommendations to the Bishop.  However, since St John Neumann Parishioners participated in the survey, our Parish Study Core Team thought it is important for the parishioners to obtain a summary of the survey’s results.  In general, the survey showed that our Parishioners (at least those who attend Mass on weekends) are very satisfied with how our Parish is supporting the needs of its congregation.

 1.       Survey Methodology

The first part of the Survey related to establishing the demographics (age, background, involvement in church activities, etc.) of those who took the survey.  The demographic results for St John Neumann Parish are shown on the last page of this summary.

 The second part of the survey addressed things that each parish does well and how important those things are to the parishioners.  Each statement was given a composite score based on the average of all scores it received. Possible scores ranged from 1 to 5 (negative to positive). There were a total of 47 statements, each ranked in two categories, "How Well My Parish Does This" and "How Important is it to Me". The 12 highest ranked statements and the 12 lowest ranked statements were analyzed in each category. Statements were grouped (Social Justice,Community Building, Faith Formation, etc.) where possible to see if parishioners trended toward certain issues. Then the 2 categories were contrasted to see if there was agreement or disparity between those things that are important and those things done well.

 The following paragraphs summarize the information and conclusions learned from reviewing the survey results for St John Neumann Parish only.

 2.       HOW WELL MY PARISH ( St John Neumann) DOES THIS

Respondents gave high scores to all the statements, with statement composites ranging from 3.51 at the low end to 4.65 at the top.  An average score would be 3.0, so all of the people who took the survey believed that St John Neumann Parish performed above average in all of the items listed in the survey. Thirty-one (31) out of 47 statements received composite scores of 4 or more. This score indicates that the parishioners are satisfied with the way things are being accomplished in the parish. But note that 97% of the respondents are those who attend mass daily or weekly. (Research suggests that 25% of registered parishioners attend regularly).  So this is a survey of the 25% who are already happy with the parish, evidenced by their continued attendance.

 a.        TOP 12- STRENGTHS – the following items are the top 12 items that received the highest scores from the Parishioners taking the survey (from highest to lowest score), so these items may be looked upon as the items that Parishioners believe that the Parish is doing well or its main strengths.  Out of 47 items, these were ranked 1 to 12

          1.      Well-maintained parish facilities and grounds

2.      A church large enough for worship

3.      Easy access to the church and parish facilities for the physically disabled

4.      Promotes respect for human life

5.      Adequate facilities for meetings and other activities

6.      Participation in community projects (food pantry, blood drives, etc.)

7.      Liturgical ministers are well prepared

8.      Celebration of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

9.      Caring visits and communion for the homebound.  

10.  Outreach to the poor

11.  A spirit of welcome and invitation for those interested in becoming Catholic

12.  Religious education for children that promotes spiritual growth.

 b.      BOTTOM 12- CHALLENGES – the following items received the lowest scores from the Parishioners taking the survey (from highest to lowest score), so these items could be looked upon as not being accomplished as well as the top 12 and could be improved.  Remember that even these items received an above average score but out of 47 total items they were ranked 36 to 47.

          36.  Masses that encourage conscious active full    participation.

37.  Invitation of members to share the responsibility of leadership

38.  The goals of the parish are communicated to parishioners

39.  Programs that strengthen and foster family life

40.  Programs or activities to promote spiritual growth

41.  Cooperation with other Christian churches

42.  Sensitivity to people with special needs (divorced, separated,

43.  Sensitivity to religious diversity within families

44.  The parish supports Catholic schools.

45.  Priests are active within the larger community '

46.  Outreach to non-practicing Catholics

47.  Annually publishing a parish financial statement

 3.      HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO ME (at St John Neumann Parish)

This part of the survey identified which of the 47 items are most important to the parishioners taking the survey regardless of how well the Parish is accomplishing the item. The range of scores in this category was similar to that in the previous category. Scores ranged from 3.54 to 4.67.  Forty (40) out of 47 statements received composite scores of 4 or more.

 a.       TOP 12 MOST IMPORTANT – these are the top twelve (12) items most important to the Parishioners of St John Neumann ranked from most important to least important.

             1.      Promotes respect for human life

2.      The parish as a supportive, caring community

3.      A church large enough for worship

4.      A spirit of warmth and hospitality

5.      Homilies that are inspiring and practical.

6.      Outreach to the poor

7.      Easy access to the church and parish facilities for the physically disabled

8.      Well-maintained parish facilities and grounds

9.      New members of the parish are welcomed

10.  Participation in community projects (food pantry, blood drives, etc.)

11.  Caring visits and communion for the homebound.

12.  The parish finances are well-managed, and spending is consistent with parish priorities.

 b.      BOTTOM 12 LEAST IMPORTANT – these are the bottom twelve (12) items, ranked from 36 to 47, that are least important to the Parishioners of St John Neumann.

             36.  Invitation to members of the parish to share the    responsibility of leadership

37.  Cooperation with other Christian Churches

38.  Sensitivity to religious diversity within families

39.  Engaging youth ministry programs for teens

40.  Encouragement to become involved in parish ministries

41.  The Parish supports Catholic schools

42.  An annual stewardship appeal, asking people for commitments of time,

43.  The availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession)

44.  Annually publishing a Parish Financial Statement

45.  Continuing faith enrichment for adults.

46.  Devotional services (Rosary, Stations, Evening Prayer, etc.)

47.  Programs or activities to promote spiritual growth

 4.              Correlations

There was significant correlation among items done well by the Parish and the items most important to the parishioners, as well as, the items not done as well and that were least important to the Parishioners.  Six (6) Statements appeared in the TOP 12 on both areas, that is, the following 6 items are done well by the Parish and are also most important to the parishioners:

    ·        Well-maintained parish facilities and grounds

·        Promotes respect for human life

·        Outreach to the poor

·        Easy access to the church and parish facilities for the physically disabled

·        Participation in community projects (food pantry, blood drives, etc.)

·        Caring visits and communion for the homebound.

 This type of correlation seems to imply that the parish is doing a good job of meeting the needs of regular worshippers.

 Six (6) statements also appeared in the BOTTOM 12 on both areas, that is, the following 6 items are not as well done by the parish but are also least important to the Parishioners:

     ·        Programs or activities to promote spiritual growth

·        The parish supports Catholic schools.

·        Sensitivity to religious diversity within families

·        Cooperation with other Christian churches

·        Invitation of members to share the responsibility of leadership

·        Annually publishing a parish financial statement

There were no "cross-statements," a statement that appeared in the TOP 12 on one list and the BOTTOM 12 on the other. Cross-statements would indicate a dissonance between values and performance.

 5.      RECOMMENDATIONS

There seems to be a high degree of resonance between those things St John Neumann Parish does well and those things that are most important to parishioners, at least among the frequent worshippers.

 The breakdown by age is significant. If the respondents to this survey represent those who regularly attend mass, the future presents some challenges. We may assume that by age 75-85, most people will become inactive for a variety of reasons. Many of those who currently minister will become those who will be ministered to.  As in all Catholic parishes, there is a relative shortage of younger members. While it is true that some will come back after marriage and children, current research does not support the idea that those now age 14-39 will enter into parish life with the enthusiasm of their parents or grandparents, at least not without active, organized encouragement.

 Respondents tended to assign lesser value to invitation to get involved, Reconciliation and devotions, faith formation of adults, and encouragement for religious vocations (although they still rate these things as average or above average in importance). These are realities that should be addressed because they will eventually, over time, erode the vitality of the parishes. Eventually the things the parishes value highly will begin to lag if these elements are not valued and pursued.

 6.      CONCLUSIONS

St john Neumann Parish appears, based on the survey responses, to be healthy at present. St John Neumann Parishioners feel that their parish addresses all areas cited in a manner above average. The correlation between those things the parish does best and those most important is significant. However, from the responses, it appears the active church-goers represent an aging population. It is recommended that, in the formal study, the parishes find ways, perhaps in collaboration, to address pastoral planning efforts to attract young people and encourage appreciation of the need for ongoing lifelong faith formation. Areas in need of attention include youth ministry, lifelong faith formation, and outreach to non-practicing Catholics.

St. John Neumann Parish Survey Demographics

The mission of our family at St. John Neumann Parish is multi-faceted and covers but is not limited to four major categories:

Proclaim:
That God is our Father, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit is our healer who gives life to all of our parish family. This includes inactive and non-members of our church so that we can become one family of faith with Jesus Christ as the head.

Celebrate:
We celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass and glory in the salvation he has provided with songs of praise and sharing in the precious Body and Blood of Jesus.

Live:
We live as a Roman Catholic family, guided by the Holy Spirit, using all gifts provided by our God to meet the challenges, needs, and missions of the church.

Serve:
As disciples of Christ we continually reach out to those in need by being living examples of Christian faith, hope and charity and the sharing of our gifts with those who are in need, homeless, hurting and hungry for the Word of the Lord.