sPIRITUAL hEALTH aSSESSMENT: rOOTS, mISSION, AND mULTIPLICATION
By Andrew Penie, Intermission & Discipleship Intern
Editor’s Note: The following is an executive summary of a report analyzing the data of the spiritual health assessment that was performed three months ago. Click HERE for the full report.
The 2025 Spiritual Health Assessment reveals a church that is spiritually alive, deeply rooted in core Christian practices, and richly strengthened by the work of the Holy Spirit. With 65 participants completing the 36-question instrument, the results present a reliable, comprehensive picture of New City Church’s spiritual life in this season. The data leads to one unmistakable conclusion: New City is a congregation with strong roots but needs to cultivate branches that must now reach farther outward.
A Spiritually Healthy Core
Across all categories, New City demonstrated a strong and steady average score: 3.85 out of 5. The highest strengths appear in the inward disciplines that sustain Christian maturity:
Prayer Life — 4.10 (Highest category)
The congregation overwhelmingly believes God hears when they pray and maintains strong personal prayer rhythms. This was the single strongest signal in the entire report.Fellowship & Care — 4.05
New City is a church where people feel connected, cared for, and spiritually supported.Scripture Engagement — 3.95
There is a clear desire for the Word and evidence of consistent Bible reading and application.Gospel & Transformation — 3.90
Respondents show a strong grasp of the gospel’s transforming power and identify evidence of spiritual fruit in their lives.
Collectively, these results paint a picture of a church that is theologically grounded, prayer-saturated, and relationally healthy.
Where the Church Needs to Grow
While inward strength is high, the assessment identifies a consistent pattern of underdevelopment in outward, missional areas:
Service & Stewardship — 3.70
Many serve faithfully, but fewer are equipped to train or mentor others into serving.Evangelism & Mission — 3.40 (Lowest category)
This is the clearest growth opportunity. Respondents express desire for evangelism but lack confidence, practical tools, and readiness.
The lowest-scoring question in the entire survey—Q35 (≈2.90)—concerns leading others to faith and training them to share the gospel.
This gap reveals what the report describes as the “Strong Roots, Thin Branches” dynamic: New City is spiritually robust internally, but less mobilized externally.
Key Correlational Insight
The data shows that the strongest spiritual practices fuel the weaker ones:
Scripture ↔ Prayer (r = 0.69)
Prayer ↔ Fellowship (r = 0.61)
Service ↔ Evangelism (r = 0.58)
Gospel ↔ Evangelism (r = 0.52)
This confirms a crucial pastoral truth: If New City strengthens evangelism, it must do so by building on its existing strengths, especially prayer, Scripture, and gospel clarity.
The Spiritual Story Behind the Numbers
The report reveals that New City is not lacking in spiritual life, only in spiritual multiplication. The congregation is a praying church, a learning church, a connected church, and a faithful church. But the call of this assessment is to turn inward depth into outward mission.
The heart of the church is strong; now its hands and feet must go further.
The Spirit has made New City a place of refuge—now He is inviting it to become a launching place.
Strategic Ministry Implications
The report recommends three priorities for the next ministry season:
Elevate Evangelism & Outreach
Practical training, testimony development, and confidence-building workshops.Develop Leaders & Mentors
A Discipleship Mentor Training program to move from faithful participation to faithful multiplication.Strengthen Corporate Intercession
Turning the congregation’s greatest strength—prayer—into the engine that fuels mission.
Pastoral Meaning
Far from exposing weakness, this assessment highlights divine readiness.
The Holy Spirit has already built the foundation. The invitation now is to take steps of obedience toward mission, mentorship, outreach, and leadership reproduction.
New City Church stands at a pivotal moment: The Lord has solidified the roots—now He is calling the church to bear fruit for the city, the region, and the world.
Andrew
See below for the full list of questions asked.
Full List of Questions
This appendix contains the complete 36-item questionnaire used for New City’s 2025 Spiritual Health Assessment. The tool was designed to measure key dimensions of discipleship and communal health across six spiritual domains.
All questions are rated on a 1–5 scale:
1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Neutral 4 = Agree 5 = Strongly Agree
Category 1 — Gospel & Transformation
I have a good grasp of the transforming nature of the gospel.
I am learning how to overcome bad habits and put on the nature of Christ.
I can see the fruit of the Spirit growing in me (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).
I am learning to steward my time and resources under the Lordship of Christ.
I encourage people, by example and speech, to be faithful in their walk with Christ.
Others see in me a faithful life that is identified as one who walks in the Spirit of Christ.
Category 2 — Scripture EngagementI desire to read and hear the Bible and honestly look into it.
I am learning how to read the Bible and apply it to my life.
I am reading the Bible regularly, personally, and consistently trying to apply it to my life.
I am able to study the Bible and teach it to others.
I am able to “rightly handle the word of truth” as “a worker who has no need to be ashamed” (2 Tim 2:15).
Others see me as able to biblically defend doctrine and conduct, and I am able to train others to do the same.
Category 3 — Prayer LifeI believe that God is listening when I talk to Him.
I have a growing prayer relationship with God.
Personal prayer (praying alone) is a regular part of my life.
Corporate prayer (praying with others) is a regular part of my life.
I am able to pray with others and lead them in a deeper prayer life.
I enjoy a relationship with God through a consistent, fervent prayer life, and want others to enjoy the same.
Category 4 — Fellowship & CareI want to be part of the church through friendship and the care of believers in Jesus Christ.
I feel connected to the church through worship and other ministries with believers.
I consistently meet with, care for, and get involved in the lives of other believers.
I take initiative to connect people to the Body of Christ and provide opportunities for others to do the same.
I pursue peace and purity of the church through active repentance, confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
I am able to counsel and care for those in need, and equip others to provide care to the Body of Christ.
Category 5 — Service & StewardshipI am interested in helping out with a service ministry of the church.
I am giving time to serve in a ministry of the church.
I am using my personal and spiritual gifts to serve others in the name of Christ.
I am actively caring for the poor and needy.
I am serving others by helping them to serve in their areas of giftedness.
Others look to me to equip them to serve with their God-given abilities and spiritual gifts.
Category 6 — Evangelism & MissionI am growing in my desire to share the gospel with non-Christians.
I am learning how to talk about my faith in Jesus and overcoming the inherent fear of doing so.
I talk to others about my relationship with Jesus, and have led others to faith in Jesus.
I am actively sharing my faith with non-believers and encourage and lead others to share their faith.
I have relationships with non-believers, lead people to faith in Christ, and I am training others to share their faith.
I have a strong desire to reach the unreached peoples of the world with the gospel of Christ.