Sarasota SDA Church Assessment for Sarasota SDA Church

Welcome to the Growing Young Assessment for Sarasota SDA Church in Sarasota, Florida.

Before you begin, please thoroughly read the instructions on the next page so that you are able to answer the questions accurately. 

Thank you for participating in this assessment. 

We anticipate this will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, and we request you complete it at one time.

Growing Young Assessment Instructions

Start Here

You are about to complete an assessment of your congregation. Your responses will be kept completely confidential and will be combined with the responses of others from your church for a final report.

Please rate your church as honestly as possible based on your experience of your church as it is now (not your church’s past or what you think your church could be). Since no church is perfect, it’s normal to give a wide range of answers.

Definitions

For the purposes of this assessment, please keep the following definitions in mind:


  • Young people: Any people ages 15-29.
  • Adults: Any people age 30 or older.

We recognize that our language may not reflect all traditions. So in the following questions, where we use the term “church,” please mentally insert congregation, parish, gathered fellowship, community of faith, etc., as appropriate to your context.

Rating Scale

After each statement, please rate on a scale of 1-5 how true this statement is of your church overall.

Even if particular ministries or areas of your church would receive different ratings, please consider your church as a whole. One way to do this would be to mentally average their scores. (For example, if one area of your church would receive a 5, but another area would receive a 3, please mark 4 as your response.)


  • 1 = not at all true
  • 2 = slightly true
  • 3 = moderately true
  • 4 = very true
  • 5 = completely true

Please keep in mind “Young people” refers to any people ages 15-29.

How true are the following statements of your church?
Our church...

…consists of adults who are investing in young people.

…encourages people to share their faith with others.

…actively seeks out young people to take on responsibilities.

…teaches people to trust Jesus even when it might cost them something.

…has preaching that is relevant to people’s daily lives.

…is open to making changes to strengthen our ministry with young people.

…must make significant changes to strengthen our ministry with young people.

…values young people’s presence in our main worship gatherings.

…makes efforts to put itself “in the shoes” of young people.

…has many people who want changes to happen now.

…has a thoughtful approach in our ministry to teenagers.

…shares stories of people or events from the global community.

How true are the following statements of your church?
Our church...

…supports creative ideas and initiatives suggested by young people.

…supports families well.

…feels like a family.

…actively cares for people in our neighborhood, including those who aren’t part of our church.

…trusts young people with leadership responsibilities.

…asks young people to participate in making important decisions.

…makes serving those in need a high priority.

…is a place where people feel safe sharing their story.

…recognizes the problems young people face in their day-to-day lives.

…has a reputation as a caring neighbor in our community.

…integrates newcomers well.

…spends a generous amount of our financial resources caring for those outside of our congregation.

How true are the following statements of your church?
Our church...

…is sensitive to the needs of different age groups in our church.

…is a community I trust.

…has a thoughtful approach in our ministry to people in their 20’s.

…actively responds to global crises.

…helps people apply Scripture to their everyday lives.

…helps people see how their daily actions are part of God’s story.

…encourages people to live out their faith in their daily actions.

…preaches about the everyday implications of the gospel.

…has people who stay because of the strong sense of community.

…equips young people with the skills they need to lead ministries.

…has key leaders who want changes to happen now.

…partners with the local community in significant ways.

How true are the following statements of your church?
Our church...

…is made up of adults who go out of their way to better understand young people’s perspectives.

…makes people feel accepted.

…has young people whose involvement makes our church better.

…helps people understand their place in God’s story.

…challenges people to grow in their faith.

…makes young people a primary focus.

…has experienced leaders who are training younger leaders.

…includes young people in all appropriate areas of ministry.

…has many people who are willing to contribute to making changes.

…makes visitors feel welcome.

…trains people to engage regularly in spiritual practices (e.g., prayer, reading the Bible).

…actively addresses injustices in our society.

How true are the following statements of your church?
Our church...

…makes faith relevant to people’s daily lives.

…would be missed by the local community if we left.

…has enough volunteers or staff members who minister to young people.

…helps people of all ages feel like they belong.

…allocates a significant proportion of our budget to young people.

…invests sufficient resources in programming for young people.

…invites young people to serve in key ministry roles.

…has healthy conversations about generational differences.

…empowers young leaders to take on challenges.

…has key leaders who are willing to make changes when necessary.

…provides ongoing care to people living in other countries.

…is hospitable.

Demographic Questions

Before finishing the assessment, please tell us a few things about yourself. While your results will remain confidential, this information will allow for additional analyses to help your church.

1. Please specify your gender.

3. Please specify your ethnicity (check all that apply).

4. Which of the following best describes the area you live in?

5. Which of the following best describes your role in your church?

Your results have been recorded.

Assessment Complete

Thank you for taking the assessment for Sarasota SDA Church in Sarasota. Your results have been recorded and will help us gain a deeper understanding of our church’s culture.