Discover RidgeNaz Strengths

Report & Findings

PROCESS OVERVIEW

This process we went through, including the All-Church Survey, Group Interviews, and Individual Interviews, was an adaptation of a process known as the Appreciative Inquiry Process.  The goal of this approach is to reflect, discover, and reinforce our strengths so we can continue to grow and succeed together as a church family.  We were especially interested in exploring our core values and our strengths so we can affirm and maximize them in the multi-campus vision.  As we use our gifts to minister to new people, we are, and will continue to be, one church family.

No organization does, or even can, do everything well and so the process isn’t designed to focus on negatives, gaps, or weaknesses.  The process focuses instead on what that organization does well that is bearing fruit and how it can develop those strengths for continued growth.  Our church family might not be particularly gifted in one area of potential ministry and that could be seen as a weakness, but another church excels in that area and that is ok.  We probably have gifts for ministries that they don’t and that is also ok.  God has gifted each individual and each church family differently and we are called to embrace and use our gifts to best love others and glorify God!  We did appreciate and found it very valuable to hear feedback from you on ways we need to improve or grow.  We heard you on those areas and very much take them to heart and will seek guidance on how God is guiding us in those areas as well.

We want to thank all who engaged in any part of the process for your time and thoughts!  I also want to thank the team: Kelly Amidei, Kay Dunaway, Nancy Elson, Jerry Flachsbarth, Steve Hirashima, and Miranda Plyler along with Eli Oswald consulting and guiding us on the process!  It was a great mix of board members, staff, and lay people who serve and love our church family.  They invested a lot of time, effort, and heart to develop and carry out this process so we can grow and move forward together.


Here are a few thoughts to help you navigate the information below.  We kept the survey results and the interview results separate so you can compare and contrast the information from those two approaches.  There will be differing perspectives to take into account, which is to be expected.  There will also be times you see the same insights or conclusions repeated and that is because we want you to see that it came from multiple sources.  Some areas are both current strengths and also areas we could improve in if we want to continue reaching and ministering to new people.  

There were many insights and affirmations we found encouraging and exciting and we hope you find this information helpful.  We look forward to how God will continue to work in and through our church family! 

Pastor Billy Buisman

ALL-CHURCH SURVEY SUMMARY

Survey Introduction:

The following results are from your responses to our All-Church Survey that we sent out 2 months ago.  We used our own analysis along with AI tools to review all of your responses in the multiple choice and the essay questions of the survey.  The following written analysis is from both the multiple choice question response data and the essay response data.  The Bar Graphs are all from the multiple choice questions and the Word Clouds graphics are all from the essay questions.  Total responses were from 337 participants, and although responses on each question were high, responses weren’t required for any of the questions.  

Key Strengths

  • Welcoming Community: The most frequently cited strength is the church's inclusive, friendly nature, creating a strong sense of belonging

  • Worship Experience: A primary factor in both initial attraction and ongoing engagement

  • Intergenerational Ministry: Strong representation across age groups for worship experience that creates opportunities for genuine encounters with God.

  • People-Centered Focus: Emphasis authentic relations, belonging, and the care & love for individuals appears consistently

  • Serving Opportunities: Internal ministry to each other along with the importance of impacting outreach and service to our community

Core Values Identified

  • People-centered ministry (53 mentions)

  • Community Connection (41 mentions)

  • Jesus-focused approach (34 mentions)

  • Service to others (18 mentions)

  • Sharing Faith (15 mentions)

Growth Opportunities

  • Small Group Engagement: Significant potential to expand participation

  • Service Participation: Increasing percentage of members who serve regularly

  • Development of Adult Ministry:  expansion of men’s, women’s, & senior’s ministries

  • Facilities Expansion & Improvement:  utilizing our facilities better


Notable Differences Between Adults & Youth Responses

  • Adults emphasize community and people, but also preaching, doctrine, biblical teaching, and structured ministry programs. 

  • Youth primarily valued worship, spiritual growth experiences, and a welcoming & relational environment.

Second Campus Benefits:

  1. Reaching More People

  2. Expanding Kingdom Impact 

  3. Community Presence 

Survey Conclusions

The survey responses reveal a healthy, multigenerational church with strong foundations in preaching, worship, welcoming and authentic relationships which provides an excellent platform for continued growth and community impact. The following are specific steps forward our church should consider:


  1. Amplify Key Strengths and improve on areas in Growth Opportunities.

  2. Create opportunities for sharing success stories and testimonies.

  3. Design intentional intergenerational connection opportunities.

  4. Use identified Key Strengths as a foundation for collaborative conversations about your church's future.

GROUP & INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW SUMMARY

Interviews Introduction:

We had many great conversations with hundreds of you, both in group settings and individually!  There were many stories and insights that were shared and we made great effort to capture and convey the essence of what were some common themes in your experiences.  We hope that this is an invitation for us to continue sharing with each other in many settings the ways in which God has blessed us, how God is working through our church family, and where we see God moving us forward together!  

Interviews Results & Conclusions:

  • SUPPORT IN PERSONAL LIFE CRISIS:  We heard from many people something like the following, “I was going through a significant personal life crisis with myself or a loved one and this church family (often specifically named individuals) came alongside me to provide care, prayer, logistical support, etc.”

  • ONGOING RELATIONAL CONGREGATIONAL CARE:  Our people do a great job caring for each other naturally and through their small/discipleship groups. They found these incredibly valuable relationally and spiritually. Many expressed a real desire and potential for us to grow even more in this area and develop new groups, group leaders, etc.

  • WELCOMING & FRIENDLY:  We heard from both our regular attendees and new attendees that our people are very welcoming.  MANY specifically mentioned a person who intentionally connected with them in the beginning and that's why they gave this church a chance. This should be noted as both a positive and as a point to strive to grow in. We do and should continue to have newcomers meet and greet with one of our pastors.

  • MINISTRIES TO KIDS, TEENS, SENIORS:  Each was thought of VERY positively as effective at, fellowship together, relationally discipling, and ministering to their demographic. Great inviting opportunities for our youth to serve and minister to others. Good effort to achieve intergenerational ministries, but still room to grow in this.

  • COMPASSION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH:  Real sense of how much we value and successfully serve the needs of our community, specifically Compassion 360, Care and counseling ministries, and other special activities. Ministering and serving alongside the Hispanic community with our Spanish Service and other opportunities.

  • MULTI-CAMPUS VISION:  The value in reaching new and non-believers was expressed and affirmed, but there was also reluctance from some to change what they feel is working well, in addition there were concerns regarding communication of the vision. Of the people who had concerns, many became more supportive when the vision and plan was communicated more effectively.

  • PASTORAL CARE:  There was a desire for improvement in pastoral care that we will continue to explore how we can better care for the people in our growing church family.