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To: Priests, Deacons, parish communicators, bulletin editors
From: Maureen Smith, director, Office of Communications
Beginning Saturday, March 8, every parish in the archdiocese will have the opportunity to share the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) with the faithful.
The Disciple Maker Index (DMI) is an anonymous survey of parishioners that provides insights into the level of missionary discipleship in the parish in addition to the effectiveness of the Mass experience, preaching and other aspects of the parish.
The DMI was developed by Catholic Leadership Institute in 2013 with the guidance and input of our bishops and priests, and the expertise of professional survey teams to be an instrument that is statistically sound while at the same time focusing on important aspects of our Catholic Faith. It is one component of CLIs Called for More. Called for More is a set of tools that CLI will provide to the archdiocese to help the archbishop come to know his priests and the parishes better.
Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv., first introduced this program at the priests’ convocation in the fall. Since then, Catholic Leadership Institute has been working to identify and train a representative in each parish to assist with the survey.
Each parish should have a link and a QR code to their specific survey as well as resources on a landing page to help promote the DMI within the parish community. If you missed the training video from CLI or if you need a refresher, you can watch the recording here.
The archdiocesan communications team will support these efforts with a video from the archbishop you can use on your website, social media, e-newsletters or other distribution methods. We have posted to Vimeo and You Tube. You can also download these social media (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) and video screen graphics. You can add your parish logo to any of these or you can get your own blank graphics from the CLI resource page.
The survey is designed to be comprehensive yet user-friendly, taking approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. It covers a wide range of topics, from personal spirituality and sacramental life to parish activities and community outreach. It will only be open for about a month, from March 6 to April 6.
Here are some suggestions for increasing participation in your community.
- Place the QR code in the bulletin, the video monitor in the narthex and on any materials distributed to those involved in faith formation or fellowship opportunities.
- Ask your finance and pastoral council members to reserve time during their next meeting to ask members to take the survey as part of the meeting. Then, ask them to send a survey link to their friends and fellow parishioners.
- Ask your youth, young adult, OCIA, Confirmation and marriage prep teams to ask their classes to take the survey as part of any gathering they have.
- Lenten fish frys present an opportunity to ask people to take the survey while they wait for their food or while they are gathered.
- Post encouragement on your parish social media pages for people to go to your website to take the survey specific to them.
- Provide paper versions of the survey or have volunteers with tablets or computers at social gatherings for those who do not wish to take it online or who are not very experienced with technology.
Every voice is important.
Data from the Disciple Maker Index is intended to be used as input to planning, to help parishes identify key strengths and areas of opportunity, which can be further refined into priorities and goals for the parish. CLI Leadership consultants guide parish leaders in the process of reviewing the data and identifying possible goals.
CLI provided some frequently asked questions and answers here. If you have any additional questions about the Disciple Maker Index, reach out to onlinesupport@catholicleaders.org. If you need help with promotion, contact Maureen Smith in the Office of Communications at msmith@archatl.com.
