THE CHURCH RATER SURVEY #2

What Church did you visit?

Lighthouse Baptists

What city or town is this Church located?

Gettysburg, PA

What date and service did you attend?

Sunday, March 22^nd at 7:00pm

EVALUATING

How would you rate this church?

Overall: 4

Friendliness: 5

Singing: 2

Preaching: 3

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

WAS THE BUILDING EASY TO FIND?

A little. Very small sign (easy to miss) Church is located inside a development.

WAS IT DIFFICULT TO FIND PARKING?    

No

HOW ABOUT THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR SIGNAGE- WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?

I know that Gettysburg is very strict on their sign laws, but the sign was so small and low to the ground, we almost drove right by it and you had to turn into a community to find the church.

WHAT DID THE APPEARANCE, STYLE, OR CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING COMMUNICATE TO YOU? 

Small, low budget, definitely a church (with the steeple and all), in progress (stone parking lot)

DID ANYONE APPROACH YOU AND SPEAK TO YOU BEFORE THE SERVICE GOT UNDERWAY?

Yes, the pastor was a greater and because of the low attendance and genuine kindness, all of the people introduced themselves to us. Very friendly.

If someone did speak to you, how did you feel about that?

I thought they were very friendly and a little desperate for us to attend.

Can you share their names?

No, to many people introduced themselves to us, I only remember Pastor Bob.

Did you know them before the visit?

No, But Shawna knows Pastor Bob from her work.

General observations:

They are an older community and they seemed like they really wanted to have some young blood in the place.

As you observed the people "doing their church thing", what went through your mind?

I noticed that their prayers were very well formed, almost like a memorization. They sang from hymnals, but were very free to yell a Praise the Lord or Hallelujah. It was nice to see an older community not being very typical.

Were you able to understand why they do what they do?

It seemed like they were very genuine in wanting to be free in Christ but still wanted a calm and older appeal.

Do they seem sincere?

Yes!

What do you think about the overall presentation of the service? (the liturgy, program or flow of the service)

The service order was very complicated. 1. Opening prayer 2. Hymn #242 3. Prayer 4. Offering 5. Hymn #465 6. Sermon 7. Hymn #326 8. Closing Prayer 9. Closing Hymn #256 and so on. I felt like I was reading the program to a musical.

Bulletin and communications: 

Very informative bulletin.

Is there anything in the church bulletin that you find confusing or offensive?

No, it was strange for me to read the attendance and total tithes from the previous week on the back of the bulletin. As a guest, that was kind of a turn off.

If this were your "business", how would you improve the communication part of it- the bulletin especially?

I would have added pictures of the staff involved in the bulletin.

Were announcements clear, and interesting (did you want to sign up for anything)?

No, there was no excitement in the announcements. They did not show me that the cared about it.

Children's Ministry

Does this church appear kid-friendly?

No, I did not see a children's ministry and I believe that all of their children were raised and on their own.

Did you bring any children with you to the service?

No.

Music and Prayer

How would you describe the music?

Even though they played hymns that I was not use to. I could see the passion and energy in their praise. They only had a Piano and a Song Leader. It worked well for them.

Did you enjoy any of it?

Yes, I enjoyed all of it.

Did you feel like you connected with God during any part of it?
Yes.
How was it different from what you are used to?

I am use to jumping and screaming and this was very formal.

Would you enjoy worshiping like that often?

No, it was nice for an evening but not for a lifetime.

What did you think of the prayers that were offered in the service?

The prayer seemed very rehearsed and formal.

As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about how that church might think of people, or of God?

It seemed as though they thought they had to put on their best for God. They had to you use their best words and long drawn out thoughts.

The Speaker's Presentation

Did the Pastor or speaker seem likable?

Very likable! He was very friendly and open with the church but seemed a little uncomfortable.

Is he/she a person you might enjoy having coffee with? Why?

Yes, I will have coffee with anyone once. If I would enjoy it, I don't know. He didn't seem very comfortable on stage and I don't think he would be comfortable with coffee.

Did he/she seem engaged/sincere/condescending?

Engaged and sincere, Yes. His thoughts were very clear.

Were you motivated to do or think anything differently because of the talk?

It helped me think of the relation of the mind, body and soul with the Holy Spirit and sin.

What could they have done to make it more enjoyable or useful?

Not have used an old fashioned slide projector for illustration.

Please erase any of the following descriptors that did not apply to the talk: Enjoyable, Thought-provoking, Credible, Useful,

The Message

What was the main idea of the message?

Romans 6

What action did the speaker want you to take or consider taking?

Nothing.

Did the talk itself (the subject matter) hold your attention?

A little, he rambled on a lot and was constantly moving from topic to topic.

Did any part of the talk stand out to you in a positive or negative way?

No.

What is the one thing the speaker could do that would improve his/her presentation?

Focus on a point.

Do you think that you particularly will remember anything that was taught?

Yes. I will remember the slides.

Do you understand God or people better because of it?

I understand the baptists are all so very different. And actually that all of us are.

Did it make you feel like you wanted to preach someday yourself ?

Yes!