The Voyage - Navigating Deeper Waters

What is your name?

This survey is a prototype of an on-line assessment.

This example is modeled after a pdf (hardcopy) version used by the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, USA . Correspondence has been exchanged with Mary at the Church of the Resurrection and she has brought Darrell into the loop as well. We hope soon to find ways to collaborate on our projects.

Are you ready for the greatest journey of all?

Nothing in all the world will bring you greater joy, greater challenge and greater meaning than the journey into life as God intends you to live it. But before you start out on a journey, you need to know your starting point.

This short assessment is designed to help you identify where you are in your spiritual growth so you can make better choices to guide your faith journey. Use these 15 questions to assess where you are at honestly and prayerfully. Then press send. This will add up your totals and help you select one or two of the ideas to get you started planning your next steps.

Knowing God: Becoming Theologically Informed

Assessing your head

What does it mean to know God with our head? We can never fully understand God (if we could, we wouldn’t have much of a God!). But the mysteries and questions are not obstacles to growth – they are an invitation to continually journey deeper in our knowledge and understanding. As we increase our understanding of the God we worship and serve, we increase our capacity to live the life God designed us to live.

  1. I understand the essential beliefs of the Christian faith, and feel confident that I could explain them to a non-religious friend.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  2. I have a good knowledge of the Bible, including its major events and themes, and I know how to read it for maximum understanding.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  3. If someone were to ask me, “What do United Methodists believe?” I feel confident in my ability to answer them.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  4. I understand basic Christian ethics, and I know how to draw upon my faith to come to conclusions about important moral and ethical issues.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  5. I have a good understanding of God’s will for human beings, and I know how to discern his will for my life in particular.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree


Loving God: Becoming Spiritually Transformed

Assessing your heart

What does it mean to love God with our heart? Think of it this way: what we think and what we do are expressions of who we are. Trying hard to change ourselves is a losing proposition – but when we’re journeying with God, we find that inner transformation becomes a beautiful reality in our life.

  1. I know God has the power to transform lives and I’m open and responsive to wherever that may lead in my life.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  2. I lay aside my own desires and sense of importance and submit to God’s will for my life.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  3. As a means of growing in Christ, I prayerfully practice various spiritual disciplines in my life.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  4. I am experiencing “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22) in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  5. I have a group of friends who grow in faith together and challenge each other to grow deeper in Christ.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree



Serving God: Serving God daily in the World

Assessing your hands

What does it mean to serve God with our hands? We sometimes reduce faith to “thinking good thoughts,” or even to “feeling good feelings.” But real faith is about action. It is a dynamic force that, because it changes our hearts and our heads, moves us into specific actions of caring and love which go beyond our natural inclinations. We do not keep God’s love, power and life hidden away for our own benefit – we journey forth and join God in acting to change our world for the better.

  1. I invest time in building my relationships with God and with others.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  2. I know my God-given spiritual gifts, and am actively serving Christ by using those gifts.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  3. I give back to Christ by giving to the church and to others in proportion to my income, with at least 10% as my goal.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  4. I spend time serving in God’s world by helping meet critical needs and showing what it means to follow Jesus Christ.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree

  5. I am actively nurturing the spiritual lives of others, sharing my faith story, offering spiritual encouragement and leading others to Christ.
    Strongly disagree Disagree Slightly Disagree Slightly agree Agree Strongly agree