Growing Young Survey
Take 5-10 minutes to help our Growing Young team better understand the culture of our church and the impacts of our intergenerational activities and community efforts by completing a brief online survey. This survey is based on the Fuller Youth Institute’s research presented in the book Growing Young: 6 essential strategies to help young people discover and love your church. Please submit your response by Monday, September 8.
As one of the 20 INUMC churches selected for a Growing Young Bridge-Building grant for 2025, our St. Mark’s Growing Young team has been actively engaged in training and coaching to cultivate stronger multigenerational connections in our congregation. We know many of you share our desire for St. Mark’s to be a vibrant, relevant, and thriving spiritual home for generations to come—and our deep belief in the strength and richness that comes from intergenerational relationships.
About the Survey
We anticipate it will take you approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete, and your responses will remain confidential as they are incorporated into a larger report.
Based on the Fuller Youth Institute’s research presented in Growing Young: 6 essential strategies to help young people discover and love your church, this assessment will help our team evaluate our church’s culture and intergenerational & community outreach efforts.
Please complete the survey by Monday, September 8.
Growing Young Team
If you have any questions about the survey or our Growing Young training, feel free to ask our team members email Jennifer C-B at grow@stmarkscarmel.org.
Pictured (L-R from the top): Linda Schenk, Jennifer Cloud-Buckner, Robin Spyker, Pastor Karla Elliott, Scott Melvin, Terry Lewis, Lori Roberts, Caitlin Ptak. Not pictured: Annessa Miller, Jackie Rowell, and Jake Lawrence.
Growing Young Core Commitments
Follow along with the key concepts highlighted with Pastor Karla and Pastor Nathan’s sermons in August. These are the six essential strategies of Growing Young churches that the Fuller Youth Institute uncovered in their research (text courtesy of https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/growingyoung):
Unlock keychain leadership: Instead of centralizing authority, empower others—especially young people.
Empathize with today’s young people: Instead of judging or criticizing, step into the shoes of this generation.
Take Jesus’ message seriously: Instead of asserting formulaic gospel claims, welcome young people into a Jesus-centered way of life.
Fuel a warm community: Instead of focusing on cool worship or programs, aim for warm peer and intergenerational friendships.
Prioritize young people (and families) everywhere: Instead of giving lip service to how much young people matter, look for creative ways to tangibly support, resource, and involve them in all facets of your congregation.
Be the best neighbors: Instead of condemning the world outside your walls, enable young people to neighbor well locally and globally.