The SCC Organizational Health Survey

Churches have varying degrees of organizational health. Improving organizational health may be an important part of the path toward revitalization of a church. That is why the Organizational Health Survey (OHS) was developed. This tool measures this type of health and provides insight into how to get healthier.

(Please Note: If you are helping a church with revitalization, we recommend that you first make use of the Know Your Church Report which measures a church’s perception of their health in the categories seen in the early church in Acts 2:42-47. The Organizational Health Survey, although useful, does not directly measure Acts 2:42-47 health. The Church Health Report does.)

Research Basis and Content of the OHS: The Society’s former president, Jim Barber conducted extensive research and found that in addition to the components of health seen in Acts 2, (which are commonly called the functions, purposes, or marks of the church) consultants, academicians, and others promote the need for attention to six measures of organizational health. The OHS asks 10 questions for each of six organizational components of health. These 60 questions address the following:

• Are we being and acting strategically?
• Is our structure designed to help us accomplish our strategies? (Structure is defined broadly as the relationship of people, ministries, and how we make decisions).
• Are we developing leaders that fit our strategies and our structure?
• In addition to gospel proclaiming evangelism, are we conducting Great Commandment love-and-good-deeds outreach in our surrounding community?
• Do we have healthy ministries that help people get on board with who we are at both our front and back doors?
• Are we developing the necessary resources for who we are and where we are trying to go?

Recommended Survey Participants: The nature of the 60 questions in the OHS dictates that the leadership team of the church take the survey. The answers to the type of questions asked will much more likely be known by the church board or council, the paid ministry staff, and possibly some key lay leaders. It is not as likely that the average congregant will know the answer to many of the questions.

When you order the Organizational Health Survey you will receive:

• The research white paper called the Fishbone Diagram Church Health Assessment
• A 5-page definition of church health that summarizes the Fishbone research white paper
• A brief downloadable webinar that will train you in the use of the OHS
• A 1-page listing of instructions in how to administrate the online survey
• A 23-page comprehensive sample report that is generated when you use the survey (60 questions total)
• A unique link to a Survey Monkey survey for your exclusive one-time use of the OHS with a church
• After you indicate that survey participation is complete, you will receive your 23-page pdf OHS report. The report generates the raw detail for each of the 60 questions, summary information for each component of health, a graph of the outcome, and some analysis to help you use the results. Participants may write comments for each question. You will also receive a pdf that contains all comments in question order.