Two weeks into our new Family liturgy. We are receiving feedback from 57 families who have commitment to be present for each of 8 weeks while we figure out what in the world we are doing.

We sent out our second survey, Monday, March 13. The first survey explored issues related to the worship environment, beginning with “the approach” to the church. Here are the results.

88% experienced no problems getting into the church parking lot and finding a place to park.

92% had no trouble getting into the sanctuary, but only 72% we able to easily find a seat once they got in. (We had standing room only. This past Sunday was well attended, but not congested.)

This raises an interesting issue. Depending on how people respond to this ministry, we may be launching this service at near capacity for our worship space. We want to create worship opportunities for families where there is room to grow. We may have to begin planning soon for a Saturday 5:00 PM Family Liturgy. Even if we fall off 20% from our first Sunday’s attendance number of 400 that leaves 320 people in church.

Don't get me wrong. This is great. No complaints. However, if we grow at a rate of 10% a year, we soon will be pressed to serve our families well.

So what else did our survey tell us?

25% of our adults had trouble seeing what was going on at the altar. Almost 50% (48.8%) of children had trouble seeing. This suggests we need to think carefully about how we present material. Our worship space may not have been designed with children in mind. We are going to have to be creative.

95% had no problem hearing the spoken word. 85% responded that they were able to hear the music. 83% said they could hear the children’s choir. Again, here is room for improvement.

Our current sound system was designed for speech, not for music. Our temporary solution is a portable sound system for music. We are experimenting with the placement of speakers to optimize our production of music.

In addition to fixed responses, we also invited additional thoughts. Here are some highlights:

“Wonderful...Keep it going...Beautiful”

“I was sitting in a pew that the sun moved directly into my eyes which made it hot and I had to shade my eyes. I just wanted to clarify that answer that I gave regarding the comfort of my pew. Our seats were fine otherwise.”

“The amplification was a little inconsistent with the singers' microphones and the instruments.”

“I would love to see a fellowship hall built off of the sanctuary where we could gather after the service. I have always thought that if we could add a space like that, it would really help strengthen the bonds within our church community. I would love to spend time with my fellow worshipers, but as it is there is just no space to allow us to mingle and meet people.”

“According to my 6 year old "I liked it better than church school". So, I would consider that mission accomplished!”

“We really enjoyed the new service as a family. It was so refreshing to have the children in church and not have to worry constantly about having them be still, be quiet, etc. The involvement of the children was also very beneficial and we think will help them develop a positive learning experience from "church" over the coming years.”

This is just a sample of the responses. Thanks everyone who provided feedback. It has been very, very helpful. We made improvements last week as a result of your feedback.

I am looking forward to experiencing our third worship service with the kids. It is truly a joy to have them in worship with us.