And the Envelope, Please…
If we hop in the way back machine, we would find SUM planning in March of 2022, to send out a survey to all of you with five specific questions. Every year since then, we have committed to repeating the process, and this year, 108 of you took the time to get back to us. Thank you! Below, you will find some answers that appeared consistently across all those surveys. While these answers/questions are high-level, I think they represent our community well.
On a scale of 0-10, our members answered, “How likely is it that you would recommend SUM to a friend or family member?” with a resounding “Very likely!” The average for this question was 8.8 in 2022, 9.2 in 2023, and 9.1 in 2024. While there was a very slight decline this year, our sample size was also larger, and we still think it’s consistent with comments found elsewhere in the survey that talk about SUM being home, welcoming, friendly, and vital.
Our favorite question, of course, is, “If you had special powers to change SUM, how would you change it?” As often happens, many folks said, “I wouldn’t change a thing.” We will definitely take that as a compliment. Further, I’d like to applaud our staff and all those who volunteer to lead ministries and committees here at SUM. Deacon Deb and I could not do what we do without you, and your passion for this community shows.
Of course, when you ask such a wide-open question you will get lots of different answers (which is the idea after all), but some answers appeared multiple times.
A membership theme included thoughts about more growth, a younger community, a filled sanctuary (our attendance is back to pre-COVID levels, and SUM is one of the five highest worshipping attendance churches in the Annual Conference), and seven folks noted the need for more volunteers.
When you have three unique worship experiences, you will also get several thoughts about them. We got numerous responses around the multiple service times (eight folks), the desire to merge services (likely to see an increase in attendance although strangely never the one that the individual attends), and to change the times of services (8 AM to 8:30 AM, for example).
As happened last year, folks noted their desire to see the pews filled. Given the practical reasons some members attend virtually, getting more folks into the sanctuary will depend on church growth, but we can report a positive trend here as well. The number of visitors to SUM is up, with new members joining us steadily.
Accessibility on the SUM campus appeared once again. Many of you will know that the Accessibility Project is well underway, but handicapped bathrooms and “ease of entry” were mentioned multiple times. Stay tuned.
Lastly, a theme regarding SUM’s financial well-being emerged once again. We’re sure this is related to the overall state of the world and how that impacts us all. Here’s what we learned. Folks wanted to know “if we had enough money,” “how we could get more money for more resources,” and “if we had enough money to address future sustainability.” That last question had seven responses. We’re so glad you’re thinking about the future of SUM, and we will work to keep you updated on the above as the year progresses.
As always, there were so-called “one-off” comments from folks, and a member of the SUM leadership team will contact individuals regarding these items shortly.
We thank you for your continued thoughts and care about our SUM church family. If you would like to discuss the items in the survey or any other topic further, please know that your clergy and SUM leadership are here. Reach out to any of the people listed below:
Pastor Gene - email
Deacon Deb - email
Sue Lemke, Church Council Chair - email
Jen Acheson, Finance Chair - email
John Thomson, Staff Parish Relations - email
Gene Esch, Trustee Chair - email
Tim Boswell, Lay Leader - email
Glenn Knight, Lay Leader - email
OTJ,
PG