AssessUMC

posted on September 06

Below is a letter recently sent to Uwharrie District clergy serving as senior pastor in their 2+ years in an appointment and SPRC chair persons. Please contact the District Office with questions.

Dear friends,                                                                                                                             August 25, 2022

Like last year, we will be using AssessUMC for the assessments of pastors leading local churches this year.  S/PPRC members in the Western North Carolina Conference should complete the AssessUMC questionnaire and hold the 2 follow-up meetings by February 1, 2023.  For this year, Associate or Assistant Pastors will not participate in AssessUMC.  In addition, if the pastor is new to the appointment and has participated in the New Pastor Assessment, he/she will not participate as well.

The AssessUMC questionnaire is straightforward and easy to complete. It asks each respondent to identify the issues and behaviors his or her pastor should focus on in the coming year. It focuses on the future, not the past. Most respondents complete the questionnaire in about 5 minutes.

Each Pastor and S/PPRC Chair are together responsible for achieving the following in their local church:

  1. Determine when the Pastor and S/PPRC will complete this process.  Set the deadline for when the questionnaires should be completed and the dates for the 2 follow-up meetings (Listening Meeting & Action Planning Meeting).  Everything should be completed by February 1, 2023.
  2. Request that each S/PPRC member complete the 5-minute questionnaire.  Attached is a sample email that Pastors and S/PPRC Chairs can distribute jointly to explain the process.
  3. Follow-up and verify that all questionnaires, including the Pastor’s self-assessment, are completed by the deadline. Pastors can log into assessumc.org anytime to see which respondents have requested and have completed the questionnaire.
All responses are confidential; individual responses are never disclosed.  Pastors and respondents will see the aggregated data for their church and have an opportunity to discuss it.

The AssessUMC questionnaire will be available beginning September 1. Below is a sample email or letter that you can send to the members of the S/PPRC to share with them how to complete the questionnaire.  It’s easy. Respondents simply register online at http://assessumc.org by clicking on the yellow Start Here button. Once registered, the respondent receives an email with a personalized questionnaire link within 24 hours and can then complete it.

If a S/PPRC member does not have an email address or a personal computer, either the pastor or another S/PPRC member with a computer and/or email address can allow the member to use their computer and/or email address.  (Surveys are identified by the First and Last Names of those completing them, not the email address.)

The AssessUMC report will guide the pastor through the Listening Meeting.  There will also be a short video available when the pastor or SPRC member logs in which will explain the Listening Meeting and the Action Planning Meeting.  A template for the Action Plan will also be provided. Once completed and discussed with the S/PPRC, pastors are asked to upload their Action Plan to their clergy dashboard. We will provide instructions about that upload at a later date.

Please contact the district office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Rev. Laura H. Auten, District Superintendent

Suggested email or letter for pastors and S/PPRC Chairs to CUSTOMIZE and distribute to S/PPRC members on September 1 (Important: The system will not open until September 1)
 
Dear S/PPRC Members,
 
The Western North Carolina Conference is continuing with a strategic shift in the assessment and development of pastors.
 
Rather than asking S/PPRC members to evaluate our pastor’s past performance, the Conference will continue to use the AssessUMC tool which focuses on the local church’s future.
 
We believe you will find AssessUMC a welcome change and remarkable improvement over previous years’ instruments. There are no numbers or scales to wrestle with, and most church leaders report that the short questionnaire can be completed in about 5 minutes.
 
The completed responses are then tallied and returned to our church to help the pastor and church leaders better plan for the coming year. Names are never associated with individual responses.  
 
Your participation is essential. Participation is as simple as this:
  1. Register online at assessumc.org by clicking on the yellow START HERE button
  2. Within 24 hours, the system will email your personal questionnaire link. Click the link to access the survey and complete it.
 
If you do not have an email address, (Insert appropriate contact name - Pastor’s name or S/PPRC name) can help you. All responses must be completed by ______________. Please respond now.
 
Thank you.  We are looking forward to new learning about ourselves and about God’s vision for our church!
 
Sincerely,
 
_______________________            
Pastor
 
_______________________                        
Chair, S/PPRC