This is a sample of the survey that I sent out to 210 North American Messianic Jewish Congregations in 1996. Ten survey forms were returned for incorrect addresses and sixty-two were completed and returned by congregational leaders.
MESSIANIC CONGREGATION SURVEY
Congregation Name ______________________________________
Address _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Survey Participant name? _________________________________
Position in congregation? _________________________________
How did your congregation get started?
- Mission of another church
- Denominational mission
- Agency mission
- Group of individuals
- Self
- Other _____________________________
When? ___________________
When do you meet? Average attendance Where?
- Friday evenings _________ ___
- Saturday morning _________ ___
- Sunday morning _________ ___
- Sunday evening _________ ___
- Wednesday evening _________ ___
- Other ____________ _________ ___
| 1-Own building2-Another church3-Public premises4-Private home |
Average number of new visitors each month? _________________
Do you feel that the congregation is growing numerically?
- Yes
- No
Comments _____________________________________
How many committed members do you currently have? _________
Last year? _______
Five years ago? _______
Ten years ago? _______
When started? _______
Background of adult members:
How many are Gentile? ____________
How many are Jewish? ____________
% Orthodox _______
% Conservative _______
% Reform _______
% Secular _______
% Married to another Jew ________
% Keep membership in a synagogue ________
Occupations:
% Professional ________
% Service industry ________
% Labor ________
Education:
% Post-graduate degree _______
% College graduate _______
% Some college _______
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY
How large is your community?
- Less than 50,000
- 50,001-100,000
- 100,001-250,000
- 250,001-500,000
- 500,001-750,000
- 750,001-1,000,000
- Over 1,000,000
How large is the Jewish population in your community?
- Less than 1000
- 1001 to 3000
- 3001 to 5000
- 5001 to 7500
- 7501 to 10,000
- More than 10,000
What percentage of the Jewish population is:
- Orthodox _______
- Conservative _______
- Reform _______
- Secular _______
How many synagogues or temples are there in your community? _________
Estimated number of Messianic Jews in community: _________
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MINISTRY
Ministry Style:
- Charismatic
- Non-charismatic
- Blended
- Other
What is your source for materials used in:
Worship __________________________________________
__________________________________________
Discipleship __________________________________________
__________________________________________
Outreach __________________________________________
__________________________________________
How do you relate to other Messianic believers? ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Are there other Messianic groups in your community? ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Does the congregation participate in any Messianic organizations or associations? _____________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Do you have any relationship to denominations or agencies?
________________________________________________________
What is your congregational mission, vision, or purpose?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What do others think of you?
Other Christians
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
The Jewish community
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
The community at large
_________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Have you been persecuted?
- No
- Yes
How? ____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What is your position on observing the Mosaic Law?
- Permissible as part of Christian liberty
- Mandatory for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Gentile believers
Keeping the Sabbath?
- Permissible as part of Christian liberty
- Mandatory for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Gentile believers
Keeping Kosher
- Permissible as part of Christian liberty
- Mandatory for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Gentile believers
Learning Hebrew
- Permissible as part of Christian liberty
- Mandatory for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Gentile believers
Bar Mitzvah
- Permissible as part of Christian liberty
- Mandatory for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Gentile believers
Bat Mitzvah
- Permissible as part of Christian liberty
- Mandatory for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Jewish believers
- Recommended for Gentile believers
What events do you use to encourage congregational fellowship?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
How do you handle discipleship of new converts?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What do you do for evangelism?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What percentage of your evangelism is:
Propositional _______
Relational _______
Lifestyle _______
Event evangelism _______
If you advertise, what works best? ________________________
How many converts from Judaism have you had as a direct result of evangelistic outreach? __________________________
How many have stayed to become part of your fellowship?
_______________________
What do you do to try to relate to the Jewish community?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What type of church government do you have?
- Congregational
- Pastoral
- Plurality of Elders
- Other _________________________
What do you call your senior minister?
- Pastor
- Rabbi
- Other __________________
Age _______
Education _______________________________________
How long in ministry ______________
How long in your congregation? ____________
- Full-time
- Part-time
- Bivocational
Other ministers? ___________________________________
What is the factor or element that is most distinctive about your congregation? ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
What do you like the best about your congregation? ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
What concerns you the most about your congregation or is its greatest weakness? ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Would you be willing to speak further by phone?
- Yes
Best time to call: _____________
Telephone Number: (____)_____________
- No
Please indicate your preference:
- Keep all information confidential, do not publish.
- Information may be published
Signature for permission to publish:
_____________________________
Date ________________