Survey Analysis of Military Parishes: The Wright-Patterson AFB Catholic Parish Example

Military parishes or congregations have unique problems because of their transient nature. Chaplains and lay leaders in military parishes need to use information about the opinions, attitudes, and felt needs of parishioners in allocating resources to programs and in the detailed planning of ongoing religious, educational, and social activities. One way to obtain such needed information is through a periodic survey of the congregation. This report outlines an approach to developing, administering, and analyzing a parish survey. A checklist for survey development is included. The bulk of the report is an extended example of a parish survey effort: the survey instrument, an example report of results, and recommended modifications to any follow-on survey. (Author)