Westserve

National Church Life Survey - a waste of time?

Today (Sunday) was our church’s day to complete the NCLS.
On a number of levels, I’m not convinced this is a worthwhile use of our time and energy.
I should preface this by saying that this is my personal opinion, and does not reflect my church’s official policy. I also have no training in statistics.

• Statistical sample In one sense, I understand that there is value in collecting basic biographical and sociological information about who is in our churches on a given day. But even then, there are problems. We get back a basic statistical package about our church. But surely, the sample is so small (statistically speaking) as to be of very limited use. For example at a previous church in a poor area of Sydney, we had only one or two people native to that congregation who had tertiary qualifications. But the presence of some people who were from another part of Sydney, helping us build up our church for a year or two, meant that one NCLS came back saying that our morning congregation had a ridiculously high number of people with uni degrees! The survey did not reflect the reality.
• Phrasing of questions I have no idea how the science of phrasing questions in surveys works, but I do know it doesn’t work with the NCLS. Today’s survey kept mixing up the use of the terms ‘church service’ and ‘congregation’. Most people in our church use the term ‘congregation’ to refer to those people who gather at a particular time on (for us) a Sunday. Eg: the 9:45am congregation. The survey used the word in that way and to refer to all the people that belong to Toongabbie Anglican. Other terms are ambiguous and rubbery, and can mean very different things in (for example) the Sydney Anglican context, compared to other denominations in Sydney or even Anglican churches elsewhere.
• Self Assessment This is a more difficult issue. Surveys like the NCLS are all about what we think of our church and our leadership. But why should that be such an important issue? Surely, if a church’s leadership needs a national survey to tell them that their members are not happy with the senior minister, then that church has real problems that a survey certainly won’t help! Surely, in the end, the only assessment of our church that really matters is that of Jesus. I know personally of one minister who started a ministry in a church that had suffered under comparatively liberal teaching in the past. He started gently, sensitively but clearly and uncompromisingly teaching the Bible. A few months into his time there, an NCLS survey was completed. The result showed that a high proportion of his church members were not happy with his teaching and leadership! The survey concluded that it was not a healthy, growing church and implied that urgent action was needed. But the truth is, his ministry was exactly what that church needed (and time has proved that). The problem was the members self-assessment was deeply flawed and not based on what Jesus values in a church.

  In Revelation 2-3 we have the letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor. They are short notes of assessment of those churches by Jesus. Mini report cards, if you like.
  In more than one, they are criticised for having an inaccurate view of their spiritual state. Thinking they were more healthy than they were.
  The NCLS is a real temptation for us to do the same. And that’s a real spiritual danger. We would be better off pausing and thinking about the qualities that Jesus looks for in His church. Then spending time in repentance and prayer for how we fail.

• Use of resources Our denomination takes the survey seriously, and various church bodies will use the results of the survey to form policy and direct resources. But what if the survey results are skewed? Those resources and polices will be seriously flawed. Our navel-gazing and self-focus can have an ongoing and significant negative impact on our mission.

  Conclusion
  At the local level, I am not aware that we have done a single constructive thing with the results from the last survey.
  Today, all three meetings were seriously disrupted for up to 35 minutes while the survey was done, distracting from the ministry of the word, and breaking the flow of fellowship between people.
  All for what?
  Another small forest of trees sacrificed on the alter of the self-obsessed.

  NCLS? Bah! Humbug.

  Posted by Neil, 20 August 06
  Filed under: Church, Pop culture

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