The third data stream

The annual survey

Public data and conference records cover most of this scorecard. But trust, belonging, and voice as felt experience can only be obtained one way — by asking people directly. This is the instrument that fills the three Survey markers the public record can never reach.

The one rule that matters most

Keep it short (10–15 questions), anonymous, clergy and lay, and — critically — identical every year. Changing the questions resets the clock and destroys year-over-year comparison. Segment by demographic; never report belonging as a single average.

Draft instrument

Each statement answered on a 1–5 agree/disagree scale. This is the text to freeze — change wording only between baselines, never mid-stream.

Trust (Priority 1)

  1. I trust the conference to use shared money (apportionments) wisely.
  2. When the conference makes a major decision, I understand why.
  3. If I raised a concern with conference leadership, it would be heard and acted on.

Belonging & voice (Priority 3)

  1. I feel I belong in the life of this conference.
  2. My voice is heard in decisions that affect my church.
  3. People like me are represented in conference leadership.

Discipleship (Priority 2)

  1. My church has a clear pathway for helping people grow as disciples.
  2. The conference supports my church's formation and discipleship work.

Bridges & neighbors (Priority 4)

  1. My church is actively building relationships with people who aren't members.
  2. The conference helps my church reach its neighborhood.

Identity (for segmentation — never reported as a single number)

  1. I am: clergy / lay.
  2. I primarily worship in: English / Spanish / both.
  3. My age range, race/ethnicity, district, and church size (optional).