This 95-question survey is a tool that invites parishioners to reflect on where they are on their journey of discipleship and enables parish leadership to make data-driven decisions to help parishioners grow in their faith.
The Disciple Maker Index experience includes...
- Survey administration that is overseen by CLI. We will also provide collateral to support getting your parishioners involved.
- Comprehensive and useful reports that will be prepared to share your results, including an interactive software that allows you to dive deeper into responses of interest.
- Context for your data that will be made available so you can compare your results with national trends, other parishes in your diocese, and the top three performing parishes in the country.
- Faithful and expert consultation that will be provided by CLI as they help you interpret survey results and create a plan to translate the data into action.
Components of the Disciple Maker Index
Attitudes and Beliefs
We ask parishioners about their attitudes toward their parish and their understanding of core Catholic Church teachings.
"To what extent do you believe Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist?"
Relationship and Satisfaction
We ask parishioners to share feedback on their overall parish experience, the sense of hospitality, and their pastor's leadership.
"How likely are you to recommend your parish to a friend?"
Participation
We ask parishioners to provide feedback about the frequency with which they participate in different Catholic practices like Mass, reconciliation, prayer, etc.
91% of parishioners report going to Mass weekly.
Demographics
We ask parishioners to provide further context to their parish audience, such as age, gender, and ethnicity, which allows us to dive deeper into the data itself.
79% of parishioners are over the age of 35.
“The DMI was a wonderful tool to identify the spiritual needs of our people.”
Very Rev. Gary Kastl, Vicar General of the Diocese of Tulsa
Your Results
Benchmark Groups
- Nationally, diocesan-wide, like-size, like-setting
- Top 3 Performers and Best Practices
Longitudinal
- Recommend retaking the survey every 2-3 years
- Measure improvements and changes
Cross Tabs and Filters
- Compare any two questions on the survey to understand the relationship and correlation
- Filter by demographics
Metrics Matter
At Catholic Leadership Institute, we intentionally bring the head (data) and the heart (mission) together to offer an accessible and sustainable approach to leadership formation from a deep place of love.
If you are interested in learning more about how metrics matter in ministry, check out these resources:
