Platform based on recent research empowers religious institutions to assess and boost congregational vigor
Introducing the Congregational Vitality Assessment Platform
The Congregational Vitality Assessment Platform (CVA-P) is a groundbreaking digital tool designed to support the long-term health and growth of religious congregations. Developed by the Granger E. Westberg Institute for Faith Community Nursing, this platform is tailored to the unique needs of dioceses, synods, presbyteries, and other religious governing bodies.
The CVA-P evaluates 13 key areas of congregational vitality, providing a comprehensive assessment of a congregation's capacity to thrive. These areas include worship, leadership and organization, spiritual life, stewardship, formation, education and training, outreach efforts, lay engagement and empowerment, change readiness, vision, mission, discernment, and dealing with differences and conflicts.
Two essential aspects of sustainability that determine a congregation's capacity for self-sufficiency are also evaluated by the CVA-P. The platform offers resources for measuring vitality indicators in congregations, allowing religious judicatories to measure their congregations' vitality and sustainability using standardized metrics.
The CVA-P is accessible to judicatories of all sizes, from small regional bodies to large denominational structures. It addresses three critical needs facing religious judicatories today: measuring congregational vitality against standardized metrics, allowing custom questions to address unique contexts, and assessing the effectiveness of congregational support/interventions over time.
The Rt. Rev. Poulson Reed, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, is among those using the CVA and CVA Platform. He emphasizes the importance of such a tool, stating, "The CVA-P provides us with a valuable resource for understanding the health and vitality of our congregations, and for identifying areas where we can support and strengthen them."
For more information about the Congregational Vitality Assessment Platform, please visit the website. For media inquiries, contact Steve Matthews, Senior Missional Consultant, at 804-402-2599 or [email protected].
The CVA-P is the first research-grounded, subscription-based online tool specifically created for dioceses seeking to support their congregations' long-term health and growth. With its focus on context awareness and inclusion, the CVA-P is a valuable asset for any religious governing body striving to foster vibrant, sustainable congregations.
