Spiritual Growth and Maturity Survey
By Ron Edmondson on Sunday, August 9th, 2009 | 2 Comments
As a part of my Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Eastern University I am to conduct a qualitative research project. I wrote about the master’s program in yesterday’s post. Read it HERE. I decided to survey the spiritual health of our church by asking a cross-section of people questions about their own spiritual maturity and growth.
Specifically this research will attempt to measure:
- What contributes to a person’s spiritual growth most?
- What has caused or will cause them to want to take next steps in their spiritual growth?
I am asking people to answer the following questions:
- What do you believe is spiritual growth?
- Do you feel you are growing spiritually now? Why?
- What has caused your life to improve spiritually in the past? Were there key events/people/times? Can you explain?
- How has Grace Community Church influenced your spiritual growth since you began attending?
- What would help you grow more spiritually mature?
- What changes do you need to make to grow more spiritually?
- Are there any comments or thoughts you have about the church and what we are doing to spur people to “become growing followers of Jesus Christ”?
I am getting great responses so far. I will share some of my results in future posts.
Feel free to play along. How would you answer these questions?
2 responses to "Spiritual Growth and Maturity Survey"
I like what Cate had to say: I have always grown more quickly in times of trouble or great responsibility.
Interesting questions, and bound to result in some interesting answers
Let’s see…
1. What do you believe is spiritual growth?
The process of becoming a closer image of our God, revealed in Christ.
2. Do you feel you are growing spiritually now? Yes
Why? Love, joy, peace (in particular), and the spiritual fruit as a whole are becoming more apparent in my life (at least to me
)
3. What has caused your life to improve spiritually in the past? Were there key events/people/times? Can you explain?
I have always grown more quickly in times of trouble or great responsibility. Typically in times of betrayal or responsibility for work far beyond my natural capabilities I choose to focus only on obedience and time with God, drawing me more fully into dependence on God, and I believe that by being in His presence (abiding) more completely, results in a stronger graft onto His vine, and more of his essence being fed into my soul. A natural consequence of good food is growth.
4. How has Grace Community Church influenced your spiritual growth since you began attending?N/A
5. What would help you grow more spiritually mature? Continued trials, and being held to greater accountability by my brothers and sisters.
6. What changes do you need to make to grow more spiritually?
Exposure to more spiritually mature people, those further down the road than I, and more disciplined times of prayer, solitude and fasting. Greater efforts in service and participating in the community of the church. Deliberately placing myself in situations that ask for greater commitment.
7. Are there any comments or thoughts you have about the church and what we are doing to spur people to “become growing followers of Jesus Christ”?
Most of the church actually has no idea what it means to be “the church”. To call even those who are spiritually mature to lay it all on the line for Christ is seen as unrealistic – and yet, if we don’t, do we really have a true understanding of who God is? We are too quick to hide behind “family responsibility” (when most of us are simply too busy and engage in too many activities; or the complete opposite!), or “I could never be like Mother Theresa, she was special” (how special do you have to be to love a child?), or any number of other excuses. He is God! By His grace, we are his children! It wouldn’t hurt most of us to get a little less familiar, and a little more in awe of our God.
.-= Cate´s last blog ..Becoming a Skillful Sailor =-.