Very Important information on the Sunday schedule – Please read
and reply, your feedback is vital.
Questions regarding our Sunday service schedule were raised during the January Congregation Meeting. Grace
currently offers two worship services at 11:15, one Contemporary and one Traditional. Each service requires
having an ordained pastor at that service to preside over communion. As the size of the congregation has
changed and we have seen a decrease in giving, we have to ask ourselves if this schedule is the best use of our
pastoral staff and financial resources. Additionally Adult Education and the Fellowship Hour (Coffee Social) also
occur at the same time which may limit a member’s ability to participate in each.
Some members have suggested altering our Sunday schedule to offer only one Traditional Service and one
Contemporary service which would be at separate times. The timing of the Sunday schedule would also have to
accommodate fellowship time and Adult and Children’s education periods. Depending on the wishes of parents
and others bringing children to Grace, the children’s Sunday school period may continue to start with the
children in the worship service and being dismissed to their classes. Members attending the January
Congregation Meeting expressed interest in such a plan, but there was no common agreement around timing of
the services.
In response a Committee called the “Renewing Sundays Committee” was formed to address the question over
the service times. This is a critical issue as Grace looks to the future in calling a new Pastor. That is why the
committee has established a goal to present A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CONGREGATION FOR A VOTE AT THE
MAY 20 CONGREGATION MEETING. The congregation would be asked to vote on continuing the present
schedule or adopting a newly proposed schedule. Any proposed change in schedule will be based on feedback
you give this committee.
The Renewing Sundays Committee has developed a simple questionnaire to find out about your current worship
practices and ask your preferences in our how our Sunday schedule should be arraigned at this time. Your
feedback is vital to the committee to gather information to be used in making a recommendation for any
proposed changes to our current schedule.
The questionnaire is attached. It will also be available at all committee meetings, via email requests, and in the
church office.
Please complete and return to Grace by Easter Sunday April 8th, 2012. You may place the surveys in
boxes outside the office, outside the Sanctuary, or mail to the Church:
Grace Lutheran Church
Attn: Renewing Sundays Survey
4441 Monroe Street
Toledo, Ohio 43613
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Renewing Sundays Survey - Please complete and return by April 8, 2012
1. What service do you consider to be the service you normally attend?
a. 8:45 Traditional
b. 11:15 Contemporary
c. 11:15 Traditional
d. Wednesday Evening – Non-traditional
e. Sunday afternoon – Gentle Worship
f. Do not attend regularly or attend a variety of different services
2. What factor most impacts the service you attend?
a. Time of the service
b. Style of service (Traditional, Contemporary, Gentle, Non-Traditional)
c. Ability to bring children to Sunday School and attend worship at same time
d. I attend to be with other family members and friends
e. Participation in one of Grace’s musical groups
f. Other factors (work schedule, transportation needs, family needs, personal needs)
3. Regardless of the service you attend what aspects of that service are most important to you?
a. Style of Liturgy
b. Style of Musical offerings
c. The Message
d. Receiving Communion
e. Other ________________
4. Do you regularly attend the fellowship time (coffee social) between or after services?
a. Yes - if so how long do you normally stay? ______minutes
b. No
5. How important is having a fellowship period before or after the service? Please rank 1 – 5 (1 – not very
important, 5 – very important.) ______
6. Would you favor having a fellowship period before the first service of the day? Yes / No
7. How often do you attend Adult Christian Education on Sundays?
a. Regularly
b. Occasionally – depending on program offered
c. Rarely or Never
8. Even If you rarely or never attend Adult Christian Education what factor most impacts your
participation?
a. Unaware of programs offered /location of Adult Christian Education
b. Time conflicts due to family, job commitments, or other activities
c. I attend the coffee social to visit with others in the congregation instead
d. Lack of children’s activities during those times
e. I am not comfortable attending/ Adult Christian Education is just not for me
f. I attend regularly and enjoy the programs.
9. Do you attend Bible Studies on other days of the week? Yes / No
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10. Do you have children age 3 – 6th grade? Yes / No
a. If Yes, do they attend Sunday school regularly? Yes / No
b. If Yes, do they attend Worship with you instead of Sunday School Yes / No
11. Changing service times would impact me:
a. Greatly - I have little flexibility in the time I attend due to many factors.
b. No impact - I will continue to worship at Grace regardless of any potential change in times or
Service styles
c. Slightly – I am willing to adapt in order to attend the same style of worship as long as the time
change is small.
d. Moderately – I would like to continue to attend at the same time even if the style of that service
changes between Traditional and Contemporary.
e. Moderately – I will continue to attend but would change my regular time to attend the style of
service I prefer.
12. If only the service time changed, not the style of service style, I feel a change in the service time by ___
minutes would be reasonable: (circle one) 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes , or any
change in time is unreasonable.
13. Preferences – If changes to the schedule are made I would like: Circle Service order and start time
a. Traditional service before a Contemporary Service with the Traditional service starting at 8:30, 9,
9:30, 10, 10:30, 11
b. Contemporary service before a Traditional service with the Contemporary starting at 8:30, 9,
9:30, 10, 10:30, 11,
14. Preferences – If changes to the schedule are made I would like: (People who bring children only please)
a. Sunday school (age 3 – 6th grade) during the Contemporary service regardless of time.
b. Sunday school (age 3 – 6th grade) during the Traditional service regardless of time.
c. Sunday school during the earliest service time regardless of service style.
d. Sunday school separate from the service to allow my children to worship with me.
15. Preferences – If changes to the schedule are made I would like:
a. Adult Education between the services with at least 90 minutes between services to allow for a full
hour of Adult Christian Education
b. Adult Education to be before the first service or after the second service with a short time between
services to permit members attending either service to meet for fellowship in between services.
16. Comments or Other items that should be considered in looking at the Sunday Service Schedule :
________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Please provide your Name or Envelope Number ___________________________
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