DIAGNOSTIC ASSESsMENT

Our diagnostic assessment provides invaluable insight into the life of the church. The survey provides a framework by which leadership can make better-informed decisions, help ongoing organizational learning, and address revealed “blind spots.” It will help to encourage prayer, enhance strategic thinking, and improve dialogue about vision, values, and core ministries.

TieR 1—Church Vitality Survey

A man speaking or singing on stage with the background of a church or religious event, accompanying a church vitality survey for Vital Church Ministry.

Timeframe: 1-2 months

In an effort to provide leadership teams with input from their congregations at a price point that almost every church can afford, we have compiled a 30-question survey with some of our most insightful questions. Your congregation’s answers to these questions will provide you with specific data points for strategic planning purposes and for increasing your church’s spiritual vitality.

Your church will be provided with an online survey that your congregation members can complete anonymously, along with tips to maximize participation. Upon the completion of the survey timeframe, your church will receive a customized report within 2-3 business days.

TieR 2—Focused Church Assessment

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Timeframe: 2-3 Months

Our second level of diagnostic analysis dives deeper into the data measured in a Tier 1 church assessment and includes ratings by congregants of the current ministries of your church. Plus, there are custom modules that can be added to provide a wider and deeper understanding of a particular area of your church. Some modules we have developed in the past have measured the following:

  • A church’s missional capacity and preparedness

  • Trust in leadership

  • Areas of conflict

  • Emotional health

We are also able to provide additional resources, leadership, and coaching to help address areas of conflict and grow the emotional and spiritual health of a church.

TieR 3—Comprehensive Church Assessment

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Timeframe: 3-4 months

Our third level of diagnostic analysis is a full ministry survey. This includes the entire Tier 2 survey, additional modules that include questions that allow for verbatim responses, as well as input sessions with church leaders and congregants. The assessment culminates with a visit by the VitalChurch diagnostic team to present an in-person report—first to the leadership and then to the congregation. A comprehensive written report is then sent to the church within four weeks.

One of our most popular modules is a personality and spiritual gift inventory that can be given to pastoral candidates to identify how the candidate will match up to the current strengths and needs of the church.

Frequently asked questions

  • No. VitalChurch’s diagnostic analysis is for any church wanting a clear picture of their current reality. It is our opinion that every church should administer a Tier 1 or Tier 2 diagnostic assessment every year or two. If your church is in any sort of major leadership transition or is experiencing recurring issues, it is worth the time, money, and energy to do a Tier 3 assessment.


  • VitalChurch will provide you with a comprehensive written report. Tier 1 reports will summarize the data compiled from your church’s survey responses and provide you with an overview of strong and weak areas.

    Tier 2 and Tier 3 reports will identify your church’s key strengths to build on, as well as core issues that need immediate attention. Specific recommendations will be given to address core issues. Your report will also organize extensive data into charts and graphs, and will include an analysis for each of the questions in the survey.

    Following a Tier 3 Diagnostic, your church will receive a thorough, in-person presentation of our findings from our diagnostic team. For each of our tiers, your church’s leadership team will also have the opportunity to discuss the report’s findings and VitalChurch’s recommendations with our team.

  • A report for a Tier 1—Church Vitality Survey takes 2-3 business days. A Tier 2 report takes 4 weeks, and a Tier 3 final report will be delivered about 4 weeks after the presentation of the oral report.