WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED: More results from our weekly survey …

Every week the Scott Free Clinic has posted on its website a new survey question, and then we invite our audience to participate with their answers. The survey is very short, sometimes just a single-sentence question.

So, what are the responses to all those surveys?

Let’s find out!

Before sharing the survey results, keep in mind a few things. First, our surveys aren’t — and don’t claim to be — scientifically conducted research. Also, it’s unlikely that the exact same people completed all of the surveys; in fact, since the number of people participating in each of the surveys varied, we can assume all of the survey participant groups were different one from another to some degree. These surveys help us gain insights about you, our friends and audience.

Now, let’s find out how you’ve responded to all those surveys!

QUESTION:
How do you develop your opinions of others?
* I build assumptions from what I hear about others
* I build assumptions from what I observe and hear about others
* I ask other people to see what others think about a person
* I base my opinion about someone largely on my interaction with that person
* Other
Results: 100% I base my opinion about someone largely on my interaction with that person.
If only everyone answered like our respondents did! It can be easy to listen to others about others, but to understand someone for ourselves, we need to personally interact with them.

QUESTION:
Sex can be a wonderful part of marriage or it can be overstated and overrated, yet it’s a leading cause for divorce. How would you describe the sex life you have with your spouse?
* Fun, vibrant, and healthy
* Good, enjoyable
* Good when we have it, which isn’t enough to be what it should be
* Lacking in multiple ways
* A negative experience
* Mostly non-existent
* Other
Results: 67% Good, enjoyable, 33% Fun, vibrant, and healthy.
Sex can be a touchy subject for some, and one that needs to be approached appropriately when questioned or discussed publicly. But it’s also important that we not be afraid to properly talk about the subject. This question caused some to shy away, as we had fewer responses than usual. As a therapist, I’ve discovered a fear or inappropriate shyness about broaching the subject of sex has resulted in couples waiting until they were on the brink of divorce over this issue before admitting to a counselor or pastor they have dissension regarding this subject.

QUESTION:
Our President, Dr. James Scott, Jr., has been writing a blog for years and has posted more than 1,700 articles to the blog on a variety of topics. If you’re a reader of our blog, or might be interested in checking it out, which of the following topics would you most like to read?
* Spiritual, Bible, theology
* Disciple-making
* General Christian living
* Spiritual development
* Clinical, mental illness
* Personal development
* Communication
* Fitness
* Professional development
* Church leadership
* Other topics:
Also, is there a way you think we could better serve you through our website?
Results:
28% Spiritual development
19% Spiritual, Bible, theology
11% Disciple-making
11% General Christian living
11% Personal development
8% Church leadership
4% Professional development
4% Communication
4% Clinical, mental illness
Our readers are most interested in topics relating to effectively living life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Even though many of our readers follow this blog because of the clinical services of our ministry, only 4 percent said they’re interested in specifically clinical subjects or topics related to mental illness. That could be because our audience may be more informed on these topics already. Considering many of our followers are pastors and other church leaders, it was refreshing to see only 8 percent were interested in topics about church leadership, which seems to dominate so much of available reading for church leaders. One surprising change is that, in past surveying of our audience, several responded that they wanted articles relating to personal fitness available; this time, we didn’t have any respondents note fitness as a preference for posts. That may not mean a change to disinterest, but rather, a focus on primary preferences.

QUESTION:
What one thing causes the most dissension between you and your spouse?
*Money/finances/budgeting
* Work (jobs)
* Household responsibiilties
* Parenting
* Poor communication
* Sex
* Goals
* Other
Results: 63% Poor communication, 25% parenting, 12% money/finances/budgeting.
The leading area of dissension in marriage among our respondents was poor communication, and that’s something we can help with significantly. We will soon be rolling out our Couple Communication I training program, the leading training program for couple communication anywhere. Almost 700,000 couples around the world have taken this training, and we’re excited about offering it as a regular service of the Scott Free Clinic. Also a source of dissension was the issue of parenting; we noted in previous survey questions this issue seems to be one that some of our followers need greater equipping in.

QUESTION:
In all honesty, who do you love the most?
*God
* Self
* Spouse
* Significant other
* Children
* Other
Results: 55% God, 18% children, 9% self, 9% significant other, 9% Other: Parents.
What an interesting question! This really cuts to the heart of living life, doesn’t it? Who you love the most will have an immeasurable impact on your life. Only a little over half of the respondents said they love God most, while 18 percent stated they most love their children. The elevation of children over God or spouses causes great spiritual problems and sometimes marital distress. Nine percent of respondents were honest enough to say they love themselves the most, an answer many would likely join in if taking the survey.

QUESTION:
How do you spend your free time?
* Doing chores
* Do something with your spouse/significant other
* Doing something as a family
* Enjoying a hobby
* Participating in a sport
* Watching TV
* Other
Results:
50% Other, with such notations as:
– Going to coffee shops to enjoy music or going to festivals of all sorts.
– Mixture of things from family to hobbies and ministry.
– Down time, recouping from over interaction with others. Reading deep soul touching books, praying, pondering the depth of meaning in life, the Bible, etc. This is a requirement for me in my alone time. It recharges me, helps me refocus, put things into proper perspective (your perception is your truth) and recharge for being around others to be the light and strength this dark world needs.
17% Doing chores
17% Do something with your spouse/significant other
16% Enjoying a hobby
It was interesting to see the majority of respondents did NOT answer they use their free time laden with chores and responsibilities. Instead, the responses seem to indicate taking time for self, other activities, personal refreshing, and some time with others.

QUESTION:
Besides reading the Bible, do you study the Bible? * Yes * No.
Results: 80% Yes, 20% No.
It was encouraging to note the large majority of respondents not only read the Bible, but study it as well.

Has anyone ever taught you how to study the Bible? * Yes * No.
Results: 70% Yes, 30% No.
It was also encouraging that so many of our respondents have actually had someone teach them how to study the Bible. Still, nearly a full third of those responding haven’t been taught how to study the Bible.

Do you know how to effectively study the Bible on your own? * Yes * No.
Results: 60% Yes, 40% No.
In spite of 70 percent of respondents saying they have been taught how to study the Bible, 40 percent answered that they don’t know how to effectively study the Bible on their own. This is a topic often missed in the church, and one that should be basic teaching in every church.

QUESTION:
As a follower of Christ, have you ever been personally discipled by a mature Christian? * Yes * No
Results: 100% Yes.

As a follower of Christ, have you ever discipled someone else? * Yes * No
Results: 100% Yes.

The responses to both of these questions are great news (!) and very unusual among Christians in general. Studies regarding discipleship routinely show that most Christians have not been discipled personally, and have not discipled someone else. We’re very happy that our audience has experienced both!

QUESITON:
If you could make one change in your church, what would it be?

Since this question didn’t offer a selection of possible answers, here’s a sampling of some of the responses from those participating in the survey:
* Let Christ be the focus rather than programs and personalities.
* Help develop a meaningful discipleship vision.
* Pastoral accountability.
* By home visiting.
* By loving and care.
On the surface, these seem to be very positive responses, and if these things are missing in the churches respondents are a part of, it’s no wonder they would want to see this kind of change happen in their local congregations.

QUESTION:
How do your local church leaders influence your life?

This was another open-ended question for respondents to provide their own answers to. Here’s a sampling of what they shared as their answers to the question posed:

* They don’t. I gather some insight through their teaching, otherwise they don’t. I’m not saying they aren’t impactful at all, just not impactful for me at this time in my life.

* They help guide the steps along the journey. Course guides as such. In this, their influence is critical next to the paramount leading of the Spirit.

* Influence is a vacuum: if there’s not a positive, supportive, and meaningful influence, then there is the opposite action – not merely an absence of positive influence. I’ve left churches for this reason, though I realize that it’s an issue with the clergy rather than the church or denomination. I admire and respect numerous leaders, and seek their guidance, insight, and inspiration. But what I’ve found is that I seek out people who provide guidance, offer insight, and seek to inspire rather than looking for a church which has clergy who might fit the bill.

* The sermon is good! One of the pastors that influenced my life has retired, he is missed very much. He had a funny sense of humor and makes everyone feel welcome. There’s a huge hole in that area and I almost changed churches because of it. He had a knack for remembering names and no one else has even tried to take his place. We no longer have Wednesday night studies since he retired.

This is a great question — and some interesting responses — for both church leaders and for Christians in general to ponder. What influence and impact should leaders have in our lives? What influence and impact should we leaders seek to have/make?

QUESTION:
Are you a “reader”? * Yes * No.
Results: 100% Yes

If yes, which genre of books do you most read?
* Fiction
* Non-Fiction
* Christian living
* Biography
* Classical literature
* Comedy
* Fantasy
* Mystery
* Romance
* Self-help
* Other
Results:75% read Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Christian living, 12.5% read Fantasy, and 12.5% read Mystery.

From that last question, it’s obvious our respondents are readers, and we’re grateful and appreciative that you’re readers of this blog as well!

We want to say THANK YOU to everyone who participated in these surveys. We also want to invite and encourage ALL OF YOU to make it a habit of stopping by the Scott Free Clinic website every week to participate in the weekly surveys.

Dr. James Scott, Jr.
Founder & President,
Scott Free Clinic