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Church/Synagogue Member Surveys
GR&C has conducted member survey projects for several churches and synagogues. The first, for Congregation Beth El in Montgomery County Maryland, identified the desire for community as the most important reason for belonging. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using an online survey tool for involving a large number of congregants in organizational planning and evaluation.

The second involved development and programming of an online survey for a Baptist church in Prince Georges County Maryland. Congregants 19 and older were invited to complete the survey to provide input to the church's Strategic Planning Process. Topics included evaluation of many aspects of the Sunday morning worship service and other programs and activities, level of contributions to various funds, capital spending preferences, familiarity with the church's mission and vision, and respondents' radio listening patterns and demographic characteristics. Sid Groeneman worked closely with the pastor in developing an instrument that was user-friendly while informing the church's strategic planning initiative.

The third project was a more complete research and consulting study for a United Methodist church in Montgomery County Maryland. Topics covered included the Sunday morning worship service, church ministries and groups, facilities and stewardship, outreach, communication tools, and the church "community". The research was completed in lin time for presentation at the church's weekend retreat. A comprehensive summary report was delivered two weeks later. The entire study - instrument development, survey data collection, presentation, and report - was completed in less than two months.

In the fourth project, GR&C developed and programmed a questionnaire for a Reform temple in metropolitan Washington. Over 800 members of this Jewish congregation participated in the research by taking the survey. The survey covered a broad range of topics including reasons for belonging, how well the Temple meets members’ needs, desired changes to worship services, attributes deemed most important in hiring a new rabbi, social action priorities, participation in Temple activities, treatment of interfaith families, use and evaluation of communication vehicles, fund-raising, and respondent/household background characteristics. Sid Groeneman presented a summary of the results at the conclusion of the study to the Temple’s Long-Range Planning Committee.

A fifth member survey study is currently underway with an Orthodox Jewish congregation in the New York City region.

Other congregation member surveys were conducted in earlier.