|
These reports highlight
some of our ongoing projects in the department with preliminary
results.
First Call Theological Education
Survey
We surveyed 824 rostered leaders in their first three years of
called leadership, and 618 leaders responded (75%). One question asked
respondents to rate how prepared they felt in their first call to
handle several congregational responsibilities. Respondents rated each
item on a scale from one to five, with a higher mean rating indicating
greater preparedness. Complete mean ratings are shown in Table 1 from
highest to lowest level of preparation. Overall, respondents felt they
were most prepared to preach, followed by planning worship services
and visiting members. In contrast, the respondents reported that they
felt least prepared to plan a church budget, plan stewardship programs
or manage a church office.
Analyzing the responses by gender and
career resulted in several interesting differences. Females rated
themselves as more prepared for establishing trusting relationships
with members, helping people deal with grief, teaching youth and
children, preparing Sunday bulletins, and providing a ministry of
healing. On the other hand, males rated themselves as more prepared
for preaching, planning stewardship programs, and planning a church
budget. Overwhelmingly, second career leaders (aged 35 or older) rated
themselves as more prepared for a variety of congregational
responsibilities. The only areas where first career leaders felt more
prepared were preaching and planning worship services.
|
Table
11
Level of Preparation for Congregational Responsibilities |
|
Area of
preparation |
Overall
Rating |
Female |
Male |
1st
career |
2nd
career |
| Preaching |
4.28 |
4.19 |
4.39 |
4.49 |
4.18 |
| Planning
worship services |
4.27 |
|
|
4.44 |
4.19 |
| Visiting
members |
4.19 |
|
|
|
|
| Establishing
trusting relationships with members |
4.09 |
4.19 |
3.98 |
|
|
| Teaching
adults |
4.08 |
|
|
|
|
| Helping
people deal with grief |
3.93 |
4.01 |
3.84 |
|
|
| Teaching
youth |
3.78 |
3.86 |
3.68 |
|
|
| Preparing
Sunday bulletins |
3.73 |
3.86 |
3.59 |
|
|
| Teaching
children |
3.70 |
3.90 |
3.50 |
|
|
| Teaching
confirmands |
3.63 |
|
|
|
|
| Providing
spiritual direction to members |
3.61 |
|
|
|
|
| Working
effectively with congregational leaders |
3.56 |
|
|
3.44 |
3.61 |
| Doing
pastoral counseling |
3.50 |
|
|
|
|
| Working
collaboratively w/ecumenical partners |
3.49 |
|
|
|
|
| Giving
guidance/support to committees |
3.47 |
|
|
3.30 |
3.56 |
| Providing
a ministry of healing |
3.40 |
3.55 |
3.24 |
3.10 |
3.55 |
| Training/equipping
others for their ministries |
3.40 |
|
|
|
|
| Visiting
prospective members |
3.26 |
|
|
3.10 |
3.34 |
| Addressing
social and ethical issues facing conflict |
3.17 |
|
|
3.01 |
3.24 |
| Managing
disputes and conflict |
3.09 |
|
|
|
|
| Managing
a church office |
2.99 |
|
|
2.58 |
3.19 |
| Planning
a stewardship program |
2.46 |
2.35 |
2.56 |
2.26 |
2.55 |
| Planning
a church budget |
2.34 |
2.21 |
2.48 |
1.89 |
2.57 |
|
1Only
means with significant differences for gender and career are
shown. |
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