How Does It Work?
The Congregational Survey takes from 4 to 6 weeks to complete, depending on the calendar set by your facilitator. The leadership team then meets for discernment and consensus. This process can takes six to ten hours and can be completed in one or two sessions.
An open invitation to the entire congregation will reveal those who care deeply about the future of the church. Combine this with intentional recruitment that samples the diversity of your congregation - by age, ethnicity, gender, length of membership and involvement. A diverse sample reveals the complete reality of your congregation’s vitality. The most accurate results come from a survey of 30 to 60 people. Smaller congregations should survey all adults and youth.
Six to twelve people is recommended for the discernment process. Like the Congregational Survey, the Leadership Team should reflect the diversity of the congregation. It doesn’t need to be just elected leaders, but should include the lead pastor. This team should represent a broad and complete understanding of the congregation and its ministry.
This group completes an intensive discernment process, where they determine the influence of CVI indicators. The process takes about six hours, completed in either one or two sessions. The discernment, combined with the Congregational Survey, will suggest a single focus area for future planning. The CVI focus area provides planning tools, strategy guides, recommendations and resources for action.
Leadership Team members should commit for the entire discernment process with the option of continuing to lead the future planning process.
As your congregation’s CVI facilitator, you perform several important tasks: explaining the CVI, recruiting members to take the survey and leading the Leadership Team through the discernment process.
Don’t try to do it all on your own. Recruit at least two others to help you. One should be the appointed leader of the congregation. One of you needs access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection, so you can use the CVI online tools. Call on others to make the CVI a positive experience for your congregation.
The CVI will take several hours per week of your time for the next few weeks. The CVI swings between periods of great activity, followed by time of quiet introspection and waiting. Be prepared to shift gears.
E-mail cviquestions@gbod.org for additional help.
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