Our Parish Journey: Know, Love, and Serve Christ
Our parish is on a journey to know, love, and serve Christ as a faith community. To thrive and grow together, we must embrace Christ’s vision for missionary discipleship. The first step in this process is understanding our strengths and opportunities – and that’s where the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey comes in. The survey will ask you to reflect on your own spiritual growth and provide feedback on how St. Matthew helps you grow in your relationship with Christ. All responses are confidential, and the parish will only receive collective data. Together, we must embrace Christ’s vision for missionary discipleship so our parish can thrive and be a place where others grow in faith.
Purpose of the Survey:
- Help parish leadership make data-driven decisions
- Support parishioners in deepening their faith
- Provide a clear picture of our parish community as a whole
About the Survey:
- Takes 10-15 minutes to complete
- Available in multiple languages
- Open from March 5 – April 7
- Paper copies available at the front desk if you are unable to take it online
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts – we are truly grateful for your participation! Please keep this effort in your prayers, asking for God’s guidance and protection over our parish. At St. Matthew, we are deeply blessed, and together, we will recognize our strengths and opportunities as we strive to grow in missionary discipleship.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How was the Disciple Maker Index survey created?
The Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey was created by the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) with input from bishops, priests, diocesan leaders, and Catholic authors. After a two-day think tank on parish engagement, a smaller group refined the survey. It was then reviewed by 15 bishops before being launched in 2014. Since then, over 600,000 people have participated.
What about confidentiality? With whom will my parish’s results be shared? How about individual parishioners’ responses?
Your responses are completely confidential – even the pastor and parish staff will not see individual answers. Parish-wide results will be shared only with the pastor and key leaders he selects. Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) will not share your parish’s data without written permission. However, if a parish excels in an area like liturgy or preaching, that may be noted in all reports to share best practices.
This survey looks like it is geared to people in the pews. Aren’t we supposed to be going after “the lost” or those not present in our pews?
The survey will most likely be completed by people who are coming with some degree of regularity to your parish. It helps us understand what keeps them engaged and what might cause them to drift away. This insight also guides us in reaching those who are no longer connected. By strengthening and equipping our current parishioners, we can better invite others into the Church.
Why is there no opportunity to write in comments?
The survey is designed to create a snapshot of the parish as a whole. In early versions, write-in comments often focused on personal concerns rather than overall parish life. Anonymity also sometimes led to unhelpful or hurtful feedback.