CLERK S ANNUAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2013 Return to Presbytery Clerk by, 2014 NAME OF CONGREGATION LOCATION OF CONGREGATION: CITY OR TOWN ADDRESS OF CONGREGATION LOCATION OF CONGREGATION: STATE CHURCH PIN PRESBYTERY SYNOD The Clerk of Session May Find it Necessary to Consult with Pastors, Treasurers, or Other Leaders on Some Questions. The reason for asking each question can be found on the back page. Guest Preachers Please complete this form on the web: www.pcusa.org/clerks2013 Q1. The 1999 General Assembly urged all congregations to invite racial-ethnic ministers to preach during Sunday worship services at least annually. Did your congregation invite a racial-ethnic minister (other than your pastor if he or she is a racial-ethnic minister) to preach during 2013? Q1a. If yes, on how many Sundays in 2013 did a racial-ethnic minister serve as a guest preacher? (If all invitations were turned down, enter 0 zero.) Music Q1b. If no, when was the last time your congregation invited a racial-ethnic minister to preach there? During 2012 2-3 years ago 4-6 years ago 7 years ago or more Never Don t know Q2. Which of the following below best describes the musical leadership in your congregation? (Mark all that apply.) Part-time (less than 30 hours a week) paid musician or music director in the congregation Part-time (less than 30 hours a week) volunteer musician or music director in the congregation Full-time (30 or more hours a week) paid musician or music director in the congregation Full-time (30 or more hours a week) volunteer musician or music director in the congregation Other (please specify): We don t have a music leader skip to Q5 Q3. To learn of continuing education opportunities and events for church musicians, please list the name and email address of the primary music leader in your congregation: Name: Email: Q4. During 2013, did your congregation provide any financial assistance for your music leader(s) to attend continuing education events or for membership in professional organizations?, to attend continuing education events, for membership in professional organizations, both to attend continuing education events and for membership in professional organizations, neither Communications Q5. Would your session be willing to provide to the Presbyterian Mission Agency (PMA) a copy of your most recent church directory so the Communications office can contact your members directly on an on-going basis with information about Presbyterian mission and ministry? Q5a. Name of person PMA can contact to obtain directory: 1
Peacemaking Q6. Has your congregation ever adopted the PC(USA) Commitment to Peacemaking? Q6a. If yes, in what year did your congregation adopt the Commitment to Peacemaking? (If you don t know the year, mark this box: ) YYYY Q7. Would your congregation be interested in learning more about making or renewing a Commitment to Peacemaking? Q8. The PC(USA) Peacemaking Office would like to share information about peacemaking concerns with your congregation. If your congregation would be interested in receiving such information, please list a contact name and email address: Name of person to receive information: Compassion, Peace and Justice Q9. The Compassion, Peace and Justice office includes five specialized ministries: Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy; Mission Responsibility Through Investment; the Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC; Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations; and Social Justice Ministries (including those that are part of the Presbyterian Health Education and Welfare Association). Is there a person in your congregation who would be willing to serve as a contact for these programs and ministries? Q9a. Name of person to serve as contact: Q10. Many ministries in the Presbyterian Mission Agency have used presbytery liaisons such as Hunger Action Enablers, Peacemaking Advocates, Self Development of People Committees, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Emergency Responders. Did your congregation work directly with any of these presbytery liaisons in 2013? Q11. Is there a person in your congregation who would be interested in learning more about the possibility of developing programs in your area in cooperation with one or more of the ministry liaisons listed in Q10? Q11a. Name of person to receive information: Q12. The Presbyterian Hunger Program has developed small teams of VISTA volunteers who work together on issues of urban agriculture and fairly marketed food (VISTA is a federal program that stands for Volunteers in Service to America). Another small-team opportunity, the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) Program, puts young-adult volunteers into congregation-linked programs around the country, sometimes using underused church buildings for housing and programs. Would your congregation be interested in learning more about how it might participate in developing a similar smallscale, intentional team of mission volunteers in your city or area? Q12a. Name of person to receive information: 2
Cultural Diversity Q13. On a typical Sunday morning during 2013 at your congregation, what was the overall racial-ethnic composition of those attending worship? (Please estimate if you aren t sure. The numbers should total to 100%. If you have more than one Sunday-morning service, please estimate the composition for all Sunday-morning worship services combined.) % African American/Black % Asian % Hispanic % Middle Eastern/Arab/Iranian % Native American/Alaska Native % White/Caucasian % Other (please specify): 100% Total Q14. Please mark each statement below that describes your congregation: A congregation that provides space for a nesting congregation or an immigrant fellowship of people from a different racial-ethnic group than the majority of your congregation A congregation that partners with a neighboring congregation (e.g., for an exchange of preachers or choirs) whose members are predominately of a different race or ethnicity than the majority of your congregation A congregation intentionally created to include worshipers from two or more racial-ethnic groups A congregation in a racially or ethnically changing neighborhood that was intentionally transformed into a congregation with worshipers from two or more racial-ethnic groups ne of the above skip to Q16 Q15. Do you and other leaders of your congregation ever refer to the congregation as multicultural?, often, occasionally, but rarely, never Q16. Multicultural congregations are defined for our purposes as those that accept and celebrate distinctive outward expressions of more than one culture within their membership. In addition to being multicultural, intercultural congregations also interact with the different cultures within their membership, and grapple with the issues inherent in being multicultural. Is becoming (more) multicultural or becoming (more) intercultural a goal for your congregation?, we are interested in becoming one of these, not a goal Q 16a. If yes, please list the name of a contact person who would be interested in receiving information about helping your congregation become (more) multicultural or (more) intercultural: Name of person to receive this information: Q17. During 2013, did your congregation regularly use a language other than English for a large portion of any of its weekly or other regularly scheduled worship services? Q17a. What other language(s) was (were) used: Q18. On a typical Sunday morning in 2013, how many worship services did your congregation have? Write the number on the line: 3
Q19. Which of the following features were regularly part of the Sunday-morning worship service(s) in your congregation in 2013? (Mark all that apply in each column.) If applicable First or Second Third Fourth Only Service Service Service Service a. Music or songs from a variety of cultures... b. Black gospel music... c. Praise music... d. Drums... e. Electric guitars... f. Choreographed or liturgical dance... g. Spontaneous dance... h. Non-traditional ways of celebrating communion... i. Time for testifying or witnessing about personal experiences... j. None of the above... Bequests and Major Gifts Q20. How many bequests did your congregation receive in 2013? Bequests are gifts of money, stocks, or other property left to the congregation through a will when someone dies. (If none, write 0 zero.) Number of bequests received in 2013: Total value of these bequests: $ Q21. How many other gifts from estates (other than through a will) did your congregation receive in 2013? Other gifts are those that result when someone dies and has named the congregation as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy, retirement account, trust, or gift annuity. (If none, write 0 zero.) Number of other gifts from estates received in 2013: Total value of all such gifts: $ Q22. Does your congregation have one or more programs in place to encourage each of the following types of giving? Yes No Not Sure a. Giving to special projects of the congregation... b. Making a planned or other major gift to the congregation... c. Making a bequest to the congregation... Q23. In 2013, did your congregation accept donations via the Internet? Q23a. In a typical month in 2013, what percentage of gifts and offerings to your congregation were made online, on average? % Q24. Does your congregation have an endowment committee? skip to Q26 skip to Q26 Q25. The Presbyterian Foundation and other PC(USA) agencies regularly communicate with congregational endowment committees helpful information on topics such as stewardship, wills programs, and investment options. If your congregation would be interested in receiving these communications in 2014, please provide the name and email address for your endowment committee chair: Name of chair: Email address: Other Financial Information Q26. Does your congregation plan to expand or renovate its facilities within the next two years?, definitely Q26a. What is the estimated cost of the project(s) (if known)? $, possibly 4
Q27. Does your congregation currently have loan balances totaling $50,000 or more with any of the following groups or institutions? (Mark all that apply, and indicate the approximate balance and interest rate on loans in each category. If the congregation has more than one loan in each category, report the average interest rate for the loans in that category.) Approximate Balance Interest Rate (%) Banks or financial institutions... $ % Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program (PILP)/ General Assembly (GA)... $ % Other (please specify):... $ % loans Q28. Does your congregation currently have funds in any of the following financial instruments? (Mark all that apply and indicate the approximate amount invested in each.) Approximate Amount Invested Certificates of deposit... $ Money market accounts... $ Savings accounts... $ ne of the above Ministry and Outreach to Non-members Q29. During 2013, how many different individuals would you estimate that the members of your congregation served or ministered among as they carried out the various activities, programs, and outreach of the congregation? (Include visitors and other non-members who attended worship and other events at the church, as well as any persons whom members had contact with beyond the church property as they carried out mission and ministries (including compassion, justice, and advocacy work) on behalf of the congregation.) Write the number on the line; please estimate if you aren t sure: Questions? Call Research Services at 800-728-7228, ext. 2040, or email research@pcusa.org. Thank you for completing this survey. Responses can be submitted on the web (www.pcusa.org/clerks2013) or mailed to: Research Services, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202. Reasons for These Questions Guest Preachers: The Office of the General Assembly (OGA) asks these questions in response to a General Assembly (GA) mandate. Music: The Presbyterian Association of Musicians asks these questions to learn more about music leaders within our denomination and to provide resources to these individuals and their congregations. Communications: The Communications Office asks these questions to provide congregations with information about Presbyterian mission. Peacemaking: The Peacemaking Office asks these questions to learn more about peacemaking efforts within the denomination and to provide resources to individuals and their congregations. Compassion, Peace, and Justice: The office of Compassion, Peace, and Justice asks these questions to learn more about social advocacy and justice issues. Cultural Diversity: The office of Multicultural Ministries asks these questions to learn more about multicultural ministries and to see whether there has been a change in the number of multicultural congregations since these questions were last asked in 2002 and 2007. Bequests and Major Gifts: The Presbyterian Foundation asks these questions to learn about congregational giving trends and needs. Other Financial Information: The Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program (PILP) asks these questions to determine which churches might benefit from PILP s loans and investment products. Ministry and Outreach to Non-members: The Office of the General Assembly (OGA) asks this question to estimate how many non-members are being served or reached by congregations. 5