A Few Helpful Answers

How Many People Took the Survey?

In total, 83 surveys on worship were turned in.

Will I Be Able to Ask Questions?

Yes! You can contact the church office and join us Sunday night, May 5 at 6:30 P.M., for A Conversation on Worship Part 2. This conversation will take place in the Fellowship Hall.

What About Absentee Ballots?

Absentee Ballots will be received at the Church Office through 3:15 P.M. on Thursday, May 2. The vote is "yes" or "no" to:
"Do you support transitioning to a summer worship schedule with a single service running from June 2 through August 25?"

What is the Goal of Sunday Night's Conversation?

The conversation on Sunday night will center around three main areas:
  1. A presentation of the data from the survey to ensure everyone understands what has been gathered,
  2. A question and answer session on the data and the summer experiment,
  3. A vote on whether to proceed with the sermon experiment of one (blended) service from June through August, 2024.
    1. The survey data below will be utilized to determine the times of Sunday School and Worship this summer. ALL services will feature a blended style of music and elements of worship. Thus, in the summer experiment (should it move forward), we hope that every worshipper will walk away each week closer to Christ and with an appreciation of the one service they had just attended.

Is Sunday's Conversation About the Permanence of One Service?

No conversation is being had about post-summer experiment plans at this time. The conversation on May 5 and the data from this survey will be used in relation to the Summer Experiment only at this time. As stated in a previous email, any conversations related to post-summer plans will come later in the summer with plenty of notice. As of today, there are no conversations about worship outside of the summer experiment. 

If the Summer Experiment moves forward, How will we share the news and who will plan the services?

If the Summer Experiment moves forward following Sunday night's conversation on worship, it will be shared with the community through new banners on our banner stands off of  HWY-301, social media posts, email, and through word of mouth via you!

As they do each week now, the Ministerial Staff have already begun discussing flow and elements based on survey data, through our knowledge of Benson Baptist, and through research into other congregations who have a blended service. While the vote to move to one service this summer may not happen, the ministerial staff felt it important to begin praying about and discussing in our staff meetings what one service might look like, should it be voted to do so.

The Survey Data

What Style of Worship is Your Preference?

  • Traditional: 40 people (48.2%)
  • Contemporary: 22 people (26.5%)
  • No Preference: 21 people (25.3%)

Why do you currently attend the worship style that you do?

The Answers:
  • Time: 46 people (55.4%)
  • Style: 43 people (51.8%)
  • Convenience: 25 (30.1%)
  • Other:
    • I enjoy both styles of worship and typically attend both each week so that I can see people in both services, hear contemporary songs that I didn't grow up with,  and worship in a more traditional way which is how I grew up: 1
    • Family Member Sings in the Choir: 1
    • Tradition: 1
    • It is important to stand when singing, looking and acting your best out of respect, and being reverent while attending church: 1
    • The Music: 1
    • Old People go to old churches with stained glass windows and pews: 1
    • I'm working (Tech): 1
    • Connect more with others who attend: 1
    • I enjoy a more blended worship style where uplifting music is a focus: 1
    • Music: 1
    • I attend both services regularly: 1

What are your favorite elements of worship?

Answers (In order of majority vote):
  • Sermon: 69 people
  • Scripture Readings: 52 people
  • Passing of the Peace: 44 people
  • River the Otter: 41 people
  • Pastoral Prayer: 37 people
  • Children's Sermon: 36 people
  • Bulletins: 29 people
  • Candles: 27 people
  • Call to Worship: 27 people
  • Invocation: 23 people
  • Offertory: 21 people
  • Trinity Chimes: 20 people
  • Robes/Stoles: 16 people
  • Prayer Stations: 16 people
  • Prelude: 12 people
  • Other:
    • Music: 6 people
    • Choir: 3 people
    • I love/enjoy it all: 3 people
    • Praise Team: 2 people
    • Traditional Elements/Traditional flow of the worship service: 1 person
    • Doxology and the Lord's Prayer: 1 person
    • Announcements: 1 person
    • Communion: 1 person
    • Singing, organ music, formality and reverence: 1 person
    • The fellowship before and after worship: 1 person
    • Familiar and worshipful music: 1 person
    • Choir selection: 1 person
    • Congregational singing and choir singing: 1 person

What is your preferred music style?

  • Traditional: 29 people
  • Both: 27 people
  • Contemporary: 20 people
  • No Preference: 7 people

If one worship service became a reality, what would be your preferred worship time?

  • 10:00 A.M.: 42 people
  • 11:00 A.M.: 17 people
  • 10:30 A.M.: 15 people
  • 9:00 A.M.: 8 people

Do you regularly attend Sunday School?

  • No: 49 people
  • Yes: 33 people

If so, what Sunday School class do you attend?

  • Friends Class: 15 people
  • Cornerstone Class: 10 people
  • Baraca Class: 5 people
  • Youth: 4 people
  • College-ish: 3 people

If one worship service became a reality, what would be your preferred Sunday School time?

  • Before Worship: 43 people
  • No Preference: 21 people
  • Following Worship: 19 people

Do you support the proposed idea of a summer-long one service experiment lasting from June 2 through August 25?

  • Yes: 63 people
  • No Preference: 16 people
  • No: 4 people

Any other thoughts or questions?

  • Due to the congregation-specific answers given, and the public-facing existence of this page, these answers will be shared in the conversation on worship on Sunday, May 5 at 6:30 P.M.