"This was a quick, painless way to get a lot of information—especially to see our strengths. It also helped us pinpoint some areas where we want to grow stronger."

"Thank you for the U.S. Congregational Life Survey results! They are exciting!"

"We are using it to evaluate, plan, and shape some of our future thinking about our church and the various needs of our congregation. The study is a great contribution to the health of churches."

"You can sit around and imagine how your congregation is, but then when you see stuff like this, it is like holding up a mirror to yourself. You see what you haven't been able to put a finger on."

"This church had never had a stewardship program. We decided we were going to do that ... because we had no idea we were so far behind what other congregations and other individuals gave within the church. So by taking the survey, we were able to honestly look at ourselves and say there is a place here where we really need to grow."

"Church leaders now feel set free to do some things that they have been thinking they really ought to do."

"We are a smaller, blue-collar congregation. I was afraid it might be too academic or stuffy, but we found it really easy to understand."

"It's not very often you can have a document like this. To share it between the governing board and the congregation has built good will. It has really been a help to us."