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info@stpaulsbedford.org

Parish Survey FAQs 2025

Here are a few reminders and common questions about the parish survey. If you have further questions, contact the committee at rectorsearch@stpaulsbedford.org.

  • Do I have to take the survey?

You don’t have to, but we hope you will. The more members who respond, the better understanding the search committee and prospective candidates will have about where St. Paul’s is now and where we want to be in the future.

  • Who is eligible to take the survey?

The search committee sent the survey link to active members who are at least 14 years old and/or have completed 8th grade. If you have not received the survey link and you are interested in taking part, please email rectorsearch@stpaulsbedford.org. 

  • How long will it take to complete the survey?

The survey should take approximately 20–30 minutes to complete, and should be done in one sitting. The survey consists of 100 multiple-choice questions covering a range of topics, in six sections. Some questions will require some time and thought; others are simple demographic questions.

  • Can I complete part of the survey and then come back later to finish it?

We recommend completing the survey in one sitting. If you leave the browser window open to take a break, it’s possible your computer will go into “sleep” mode and lose your progress. The survey will not save your progress if you exit the window and come back at a later time.

  • Is the survey anonymous?

Yes. We do not associate or link survey answers with email addresses or IP addresses.

  • My partner/family member and I share an email address. Can we both take the survey?

Yes, the survey will accept more than one response from the same email address. That said: If two or more responses from the same email address and/or IP address are 100% identical, the survey will consider those duplicate responses and will retain only one copy.

  • I don’t have easy access to a computer. How can I take the survey?

The Search Committee will have laptops available at coffee hour every Sunday in September for those who prefer to take the survey on a borrowed machine. The Bedford Free Public Library also has public computers available in the reference department.

  • I’m not comfortable taking the survey on a computer. Can I take it on paper?

Yes, we can provide paper copies of the survey to complete by hand. These hard copies will be sealed and sent to Holy Cow for inputting, so your responses will remain anonymous.

  • Who has access to the survey responses?

Holy Cow has access to individual survey responses. The search committee will have access to the aggregated data and interpretation only.

  • What will we do with the results from the survey?

Survey responses will help us create the parish profile, the broad “about us” document that prospective candidates will use to learn about St. Paul’s and what we’re looking for in our new rector. The parish profile will also contain demographic and statistical data about the parish, information about Bedford and our surrounding community, and other information we gather from small-group discussions.

GUIDELINES FOR RESPONDING

Please answer the questions from your own experience and understanding of St. Paul’s, which may be different from other people’s. We’re looking to capture as many perspectives as possible.

  • Question 73: Please choose “no response,” as we are not collecting this data.
  • Questions 79–85 in the “Household Data” section should be completed by only ONE member of your household. All other household members should choose “Another person from my household is providing this information” as their response to these questions.
  • Question 85: Please choose “I prefer not to provide this information,” as we are not collecting this data.
  • Question 86 should be answered individually, not on behalf of your household.
  • Question 95 is easier to take on a laptop or other larger screen than on a phone, as it asks respondents to rank several things in priority order within a large chart.

For more FAQs about the survey itself, check out Holy Cow’s website: https://holycowconsulting.com/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-cat/

Outreach

The Outreach Committee coordinates congregational activities including support for immigrants, advocating for bills addressing food insecurity, and helping restock local food pantries. In addition, we have a knitting ministry (including Project Linus), we support the Diocese’s B-Safe summer youth program, and our youth participate in service projects and mission trips. Our international mission includes partnerships with programs in Haiti.

Music

Worship is the centerpiece of our life together in Christ, and music plays a vital role. Our adult choir sings at every Sunday service from September to June. We rehearse at 9:00am on Sunday mornings before church, and again at 11:30am after church. The children’s choir sings approximately once a month, on Family Sundays, and rehearses Sundays after church.

Education

At St. Paul’s we believe that we are all continually striving to learn and understand our faith and our relationship with God more fully. Christian formation with and for our children on Sundays uses a variety of curricula. High school and middle school youth groups meet regularly during the church year. Adult education takes place through study groups, adult forums, and groups for men and women.

Fellowship

St. Paul’s is a family of God, and as a family, we enjoy being together, sharing our time, our interests, and our faith. We share food and fellowship at weekly and annual events throughout the year. We also provide meals, rides, prayers, and other support for our members in times of need.

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