Click here to participate in the parish survey. All parishioners are encouraged to participate!

Last weekend, we introduced the Disciple Maker Index Survey, an on-line survey that we encourage everyone to respond to prior to March 31. All of the parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago are participating in this survey, but you might wonder why we're doing this, why it is important to participate, and what we'll get out of it later this summer. Since I'm involved in leading this effort for Saint Andrew, I'd like to answer any questions you might have.

We're doing this now as part of the Renew My Church initiative. Let's face it, our church looks different now, in 2023, than it did just a few years ago. We've gone through consolidation of parishes across Chicago, and the need for social distancing shut down our normal worship and gathering for months. Some people moved, some have become comfortable with an on-line spiritual connection, and some fell out of the habit of coming to church. Now more than ever, we're operating in unfamiliar territory, and the Church needs to understand the wants and needs of our people. This survey is one step in rebuilding those connections, to regaining the sense of community and purpose that we've shared for hundreds of years.

Survey responses are anonymous, and it is conducted by our partners at the Catholic Leadership Institute. They've surveyed more than 56 dioceses with more than a half-million responses. This gives the survey a broad base that will help us understand where we are as a parish and Archdiocese. Later this summer, we'll get a full report on your responses aggregated and compared with similar sized parishes, the archdiocese, and the Catholic Church in America. The results will give us a sense of where we are and where we need to concentrate our efforts going forward.

This is why your participation is vital! We need a broad representation of our parish - young and old, new parishioners and families that count generations of Saint Andrew parishioners. We need you to participate if you are heavily involved in the parish and if you just stop by occasionally for Mass. We need your opinions whether we're meeting your spiritual needs or you think there is room for improvement. And we need responses from every family member! This isn't a "one per family" situation - everyone's voice matters!

A few other facts about the survey:

• It is grant funded, so the program doesn't cost Saint Andrew or the Archdiocese.

• It is available in many languages online. 

• It is an opportunity to reflect on individual spiritual growth and engagement with the parish.

• The survey closes on March 31.

• Results will be available in late summer.

Click here to participate in the parish survey. All parishioners are encouraged to participate!

Thank you for your time in taking the survey (by the way, it is about 75 multiple-choice questions, and will take less than 10 minutes). If you have any questions, please send me an email (mark@standrew.org).

-Deacon Mark

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