By Peter Reuss, FaithX board member and partner at GSB Financial

As Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota engaged in the Season of Renewal planning process through the Saint Paul Area Synod, they ‘knew’ it would lead them to deeper engagement with community partners. Then the Holy Spirit laughed.

To begin, Gustavus Adolphus identified a few key leaders to take the Congregational Vitality Assessment (CVA) from FaithX, an online diagnostic tool designed to provide a congregation with an assessment of its Vitality (how healthy it is) and its Sustainability (whether it has the people, financial, and contextual resources necessary to survive).

John Hierlinger, Senior Pastor, noted, “The CVA was a helpful tool to put some framework around where we were starting.”

With that, Gustavus Adolphus fully engaged in the Season of Renewal process. Through it the Holy Spirit surprised them, leading them to significant work in deepening relationships within their congregation.

After a year, the same key leaders once again completed the Congregational Vitality Assessment, revealing that the congregation had grown in every measurable area.

“I just preached a sermon about how we often won’t see the fruits of the seeds that are planted,” Pastor John shared. “It was very validating to be like, ‘All right. There’s fruit. We haven’t just been meeting for a year, and nothing’s really changed.’”

Those results propelled Gustavus Adolphus into a second year of the Season of Renewal. They stand ready to take bold action, confident that the process leads to measurable results.

“We don’t want to just believe we know the next best step… and everything will be fixed,” Pastor John commented, “From a vitality standpoint, we’ve identified space where there could be more fruitful soil.”

While Gustavus Adolphus engaged in the CVA through a synodical program, FaithX makes the Congregational Vitality Assessment available to all congregations here. Some congregations look for a one-time snapshot of their ministry. Others utilize it before and after a visioning or vitality process to measure their growth. As Pastor John reflected, “It gave us the motivation to say, ‘This stuff is important. Let’s keep at it.’” How might the CVA impact your congregation?