Thank You for Your Feedback
"Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise." — Proverbs 19:20
We recently carried out our annual church-wide survey, which is something we've done for the last few years. We do it to gather feedback from as many people connected to our church as possible; to help us identify where we are going well and where we could grow. While the survey is not the only factor we consider when determining priorities and goals for the upcoming year, it does influence our decision-making. We greatly appreciate all those who took the time to complete the survey and to share any feedback.
I'm thankful to report that we had almost 200 people from a diverse range of ages and stages of life who completed the survey. The feedback from the survey was encouraging and the insights were helpful, with positive feedback given in many areas of church life and a few areas identified where we could grow or do things differently.
There continues to be a high level of appreciation for our sermons, our worship services, and our community life. There was also a significant increase in the value placed on reaching those who don't know Christ, Life Groups and Men's and Women's ministry. It was also encouraging to note that over half of all respondents reported that they engage with the Bible (outside of sermons and Life Groups) on a daily basis. We give thanks to God for the work he is doing in the hearts of his people at Oasis.
As we have grown in number over the last few years, there is a need to ensure that our community remains accessible for new people. This, of course, is not the sole responsibility of the staff team and the elders, but something for all of us to pursue together (Rom. 15:7). We all need to have soft hearts and open arms, ready to welcome people into our church community and our friendship groups.
Interestingly, given the growth we've experienced, many people identified the reason they were not serving at Oasis was being new to church. We believe one of the best ways to get connected at church is to join a service team (and a Life Group). In the coming year, we hope to encourage and equip as many new people as possible to join a service team to experience the joy of serving others and to meet the needs of our growing church family.
You might also be interested to know that Genesis and Romans were the most requested books of the Bible for a future sermon series. Although we still have to finish our journey through the Gospel of Matthew and 1 Corinthians in the next year or so, these wonderful and foundational books of the Bible could certainly be up next. Watch this space.
These are just some of the initial highlights and lessons that came out of the survey. It was, as always, a helpful and worthwhile process, and I'd like to offer my thanks to those who completed the survey. Thank you for offering your voice and your feedback, it really does matter and it does make a difference. We are looking forward to continuing the journey together in 2025 as together we seek to help more people find life in Jesus.
Grace and peace,
Adam
