by Duane Stine
Remember back to your grade school days when you would get your report card periodically throughout the year? I may be dating myself here! The grades would be listed for each of your classes (including physical education, does that even count as a class?!?) and sometimes your teacher even wrote notes of encouragement. Is this bringing back fond memories or ones you would sooner forget?
Whether or not you looked forward to getting your report cards, there was value in knowing where you stood in each subject for the marking period and the year. You could compare and track your progress and your parents could speak into the process as they reviewed the assessment of your activities. For many, this was a nerve-racking time of year, but if we are honest about it today, we would have to agree that the process, though not perfect, was helpful in our development.
So here we are many years later. We are fully engaged in our adult vocations and the idea of getting a “report card” probably does not sit well or sound too inviting. But what if that report card provided information that could truly be transformational in understanding your church and its function? What if it provided a key to unlock and unleash your church for greater Kingdom impact?
This is where a tool like the PEAK Profile comes in. Think of it as a report card for your church…in all the positive ways! It does not provide a “grade” and it does not compare your church to other churches, but it does provide insight as to where the leadership and the congregation are in relation to a variety of areas.
The title “PEAK” stands for Prepare to Expect the Advance of the Kingdom and is “designed to inspire the church to expand to the greatest capacity of who God has called it to be,” as stated by its developers in the Metro District of the Alliance. It is an assessment tool that gathers input from the entire congregation and compiles the data around 9 Essential Elements. They are as follows:
Spiritual Leadership
Personal Growth
Missions Focus
Loving Community
Worship Gathering
Vision Alignment
Alliance Partnership
Financial Stewardship
Effective Organization
PEAK is a unique assessment tool. Although it only needs about 30% of the adults of the church to complete the questionnaire to obtain good results, it can be made available to everyone in the church and even those who have left the church. A dynamic survey link is sent to the church mailing list and as individuals fill out the initial information, the survey will be customized to the individual. For instance, if the person indicates that they have not been attending the church for the past six months (for reasons other than Covid), their survey will have some different questions than someone who is currently attending.
This type of survey provides a vast amount of data which can lead to greater understanding and a clearer picture. It even gathers demographic data so the results can be viewed through the eyes of a Millennial or a Gen Xer, as an example. The survey can also be customized by adding a few questions that are unique to your situation. Again, this can be quite helpful when trying to get a “read” on a specific aspect of the ministry.
Administering the survey can be quite easy but interpreting the results can be a little more difficult, depending on the depth you would like to explore. Therefore, the district will provide a coach to walk through the PEAK Profile with the leadership of the church.
A great way to utilize PEAK would be for a church to engage in the assessment and maybe follow up with another one in a year or two. This could function as a type of “report card” for your church! It could be a great tool for assessing your progress, highlighting points for celebration, and identifying areas for future development.
If you desire to know more about the PEAK Profile, please contact the district office and we would be happy to discuss it with you.
