Church Assessment

Click here to take our church assessment specific for Central Texas.

Dear Ministry Friend, 
The questions below are to be completed by pastors or lay leaders of any church interested in creating, improving, and/or increasing its care for children and families who are at risk of or are already involved in the child welfare system. This assessment will refer to these children and families as "vulnerable." This assessment will help the Harvest Family Life team know you and your church better and how we might be able to serve you best. Upon submission, the team at Harvest Family Life will contact you to take the next steps. Please note, this assessment will be kept confidential and it is just a tool for which there are no grades. 

GETTING STARTED

Please indicate to us the current size (members and regular attendees) of your church.
Do you currently have foster, kinship and/or adoptive families in your church?
Does your church have an orphan care ministry? If so, is it primarily international, national, or local?
Does your church have an active partnership with CarePortal?
Which of the following describes your experience with orphan care (Check all that apply):
Does your church observe Orphan/Stand Sunday (Nov.), Blue Sunday (April), or Foster Care Awareness month?

Regarding your church's MINISTRY APPROACH

Does your church include local community engagement in its missions/evangelism strategy?
Does your pastor/church staff have both passion and compassion for ministry to vulnerable children and families?
Does your church have a benevolence fund/budget for families in need?
Does your church have a budget set aside for local ministry outside of your church memebrship?
Does your church allocate ministry efforts to children, youth, and their families?
Does your church have a dedicated missions minister or missions lay committee?
Is pastoral staff supported by other churches or ministry organizations to better equip them for ministry to vulnerable children and families?
Does your church have a benevolence fund for non church members in need?

Regarding your church's LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

Is your church primarily led by a bivocational pastor or pastors?
Who in your church makes decisions regarding local ministry opportunities?
Is/would your church's local orphan care ministry be supported by which of the following pastoral staff member?

Regarding FOSTER & ADOPTION

Is your church involved in local foster care & adoption, international orphan care, or special orphan care events?
Is any training currently available at your church for families interested in engaging in foster or adoption?
Does your church provide wrap-around family support for those taking foster child placements or adopting?
Have any of your members been cared for is foster care or adopted?
Does your church have an established relationship with a Child Placement Agency?
Does your church host foster/adoptive parents respite events (i.e., “parent’s day or night out”)?
Is any financial support available through your church for those fostering children or seeking to adopt?

Regarding ORPHAN PREVENTION & FAMILY PRESERVATION

Have any of your pastors or staff attended family court sessions in your local community?
Does your church have existing support groups/Bible studies/programs for single parents?
Does your church have youth mentoring programs in place?
Is your church closely involved with the local schools in your church's neighborhood?
What percentage of your congregation receives or would qualify for federal food or housing subsidies?
Have the ministry leaders in your church participated in poverty awareness training or simulations?
Does your church have any after school or tutoring programs or partner with other ministries or community programs who do?
Is your church within a 10 mile radius of a food desert?
Does your church partner with other churches in your community to care for vulnerable children and families?
What percentage of the children in your local school qualify to receive free or reduced lunch?

Thinking about NEXT STEPS

Would you like to hear more about how your church could observe Stand Sunday (November) and Blue Sunday (April)?
Would you like to discuss having the Harvest Family Life Team come and share the Church To Child Vision in your church?
Would you like to discuss having the Harvest Family Life Team come and share or train your church staff for implementing an orphan ministry/ministry to vulnerable children and families?
Are you interested in any of the following additional ministries?

Thanks for submitting!