Critical Ministries and Their Leadership

2 Methodology  Online survey of 801 pastors provides 95% confidence that sampling error does not exceed +3.4%  A panel of Southern Baptist pastors were contacted in March 2008  Pastors were asked to list the ministries (up to 5) that they feel are critical to the mission and the future health and progress of their church today  Follow-up questions asked for each listed ministry if they have an effective leader in place and how the pastor relates to each critical ministry

3 The Ministries Pastors Feel are Critical to the Mission and the Future Health of Their Church

4 The number one most important ministry, critical to the mission and the future health of our church is… In your church today, list the ministries that you feel are critical to the mission and the future health and progress of your church. Please list them in their order of importance. List up to 5: Most Important Ministry Percent of SBC Pastors mentioning a ministry as most important 24%Evangelism/ Outreach 17%Sunday School/ Bible Study/ Small Groups 13%Worship/ specific worship services 10%Preaching/ Proclamation/ Teaching 9%Children’s Ministry/ Student Ministry 7%Discipleship/ Spiritual growth/ Mentoring/ Counseling 5%Prayer Ministry/ Prayer Groups 3%Missions 2%Community ministry/service/benevolence/recovery 1%Young adults/college 1%Men's ministry 1%Music/choir 1%Family ministry/young families/marriage/parenting 1%Leadership training/development 1%Deacon ministry

5 Top five ministries critical to the mission and future health of our church are… Percent of SBC Pastors mentioning a ministry among top 5 most important In your church today, list the ministries that you feel are critical to the mission and the future health and progress of your church. Please list them in their order of importance. List up to 5: Most Important Ministry, #2, #3, #4, #5

6 Top five ministries by church size Percent of SBC Pastors mentioning a ministry among top 5 most important In your church today, list the ministries that you feel are critical to the mission and the future health and progress of your church. Please list them in their order of importance. List up to 5: Most Important Ministry, #2, #3, #4, #5 Average Worship Attendance Less than Children’s Ministry/Student Ministry 83%90%81% Evangelism/Outreach72%65%60% Sunday School/Bible Study/Small Groups48%58%64% Worship and specific worship services30%33%46% Missions20%31%31%

7 Effective Leadership in Place for Critical Ministries

8 For the majority of churches, effective leaders are in place for critical ministries Percent of SBC Pastors For each of the critical ministries you listed above, indicate whether your church has an effective leader in place for that ministry. An effective leader for this ministry is in place Most Important Ministry 78% #269% #365% #464% #564%

9 Effective leaders in place by church size Percent of SBC Pastors with an effective leader for this ministry in place For each of the critical ministries you listed above, indicate whether your church has an effective leader in place for that ministry. Average Worship Attendance Less than Most Important Ministry 76%80%84% #264%75%80% #361%68%76% #461%64%74% #560%68%72%

10 Effective leaders in place by ministry Percent of SBC Pastors listing the ministry in the top 5 For each of the critical ministries you listed above, indicate whether your church has an effective leader in place for that ministry. An effective leader for this ministry is in place Children’s Ministry/Student Ministry70% Evangelism/Outreach 56% Sunday School/Bible Study/Small Groups 68% Discipleship/Spiritual growth/Mentoring/ Counseling65% Worship and specific worship services82%

11 How Pastors Relate to Each of the Critical Ministries in their Church

12 How pastors relate to the leadership of their most important ministry Which of the following statements best reflects how you personally relate to each of the critical ministries you listed above? You meet regularly with the key leaders of several ministries as a group You meet regularly with the key leader of this ministry individually You meet regularly with the whole leadership team from this ministry You do not meet regularly with the leader(s) of this ministry

13 How pastors relate to the leadership of their most important ministry by church size You meet regularly with the key leaders of several ministries as a group You meet regularly with the key leader of this ministry individually You meet regularly with the whole leadership team from this ministry You do not meet regularly with the leader(s) of this ministry Avg Worship <100 Avg Worship Which of the following statements best reflects how you personally relate to each of the critical ministries you listed above? Avg Worship 250+

14 How pastors relate to the leadership of their most important ministry by type of ministry You meet regularly with the key leaders of several ministries as a group You meet regularly with the key leader of this ministry individually You meet regularly with the whole leadership team from this ministry You do not meet regularly with the leader(s) of this ministry Among pastors listing the ministry as most important Evangelism/Outreach Which of the following statements best reflects how you personally relate to each of the critical ministries you listed above? Children’s Ministry/Student Ministry Sunday School/Bible Study/Small Groups

15 You meet regularly with the key leaders of several ministries as a group You meet regularly with the key leader of this ministry individually You meet regularly with the whole leadership team from this ministry You do not meet regularly with the leader(s) of this ministry Worship and specific worship services Which of the following statements best reflects how you personally relate to each of the critical ministries you listed above? Discipleship/Spiritual growth/ Mentoring/Counseling Among pastors listing the ministry as most important How pastors relate to the leadership of their most important ministry by type of ministry

16 You meet regularly with the key leaders of several ministries as a group You meet regularly with the key leader of this ministry individually You meet regularly with the whole leadership team from this ministry You do not meet regularly with the leader(s) of this ministry Community Ministry/ Service/Benevolence Which of the following statements best reflects how you personally relate to each of the critical ministries you listed above? Missions Among pastors listing the ministry as most important How pastors relate to the leadership of their most important ministry by type of ministry

17 Critical Ministries and Their Leadership