Complete Survey Results:

There are a total of 649 surveys completed of 6110 solicited.

This is 10.6 percent. A total of 296 (46%) left comments.

Evaluate The Finishers Initiative

Recall how you first learned about the Finishers Project
35	5 %	Attended a Finishers Forum
49	8 %	Church
66	10 %	Mission Organization
19	3 %	Radio
104	30 %	Friend
197	30 %	Web Search
85	13 %	I cannot recall
94	14 %	Other
What features of the Finishers Project are most valuable to you?
36	6 %	Conferences
139	21 %	Web Matching Service
266	41 %	Information from/about mission agencies
107	16 %	Mission agency contacts
23	4 %	Information for my church
78	12 %	Not applicable
How satisfied are you with your experience with the Finishers Project?
243	37 %	Extremely satisfied
204	31 %	Somewhat satisfied
158	24 %	About as expected
33	5 %	Somewhat dissatisfied
11	2 %	Very dissatisfied
How do you view the Finishers Project? (Check all that apply)
302	46%	As a tool to facilitate my missions interest (as an individual from the marketplace)
285	44%	As a tool to facilitate my missions interest (as an individual in ministry)
128	20%	As a tool to facilitate missions interest for my church
144	22%	As a mobilzation organization I would like to know more about
161	25%	As an organization I would like to work for or assist in some way
161	25%	As an organization I might support in prayer
34	5%	As an organization I might be willing to support financially
Your ministry/marketplace experience (Check all that apply)
123	19%	Have moved from the marketplace into full-time missions ministry
31	5%	Have moved from the marketplace into full-time local or church ministry
22	3%	Have moved from full-time missions ministry into a full-time marketplace career
10	2%	Have moved from full-time local or church ministry into a full-time marketplace career
20	3%	Have been in full-time missions ministry much of my adult life
55	8%	Have been in full-time local or church ministry much of my adult life
297	46%	Have been in the marketplace much of my adult life
110	17%	Now serving part-time in missions ministry
151	23%	Now serving part-time in local or church ministry
178	27%	In a career transition
140	22%	Separated or retired from my primary career
67	10%	None of the above apply
If you have taken a ministry assignment since your first contact with Finishers, what was the length of your assignment? (Check all that apply)
72	11%	One month or less
49	8%	1 - 6 months
43	7%	6 months - 2 years
60	9%	Longer than 2 years
68	10%	During this assignment I served part-time
431	66%	During this assignment I served full time
0	0%	None of the above apply
If you have taken or are planning short-term trip(s), the sponsor(s) are: (Check all that apply)
248	38%	My church
42	6%	A church I do not attend
147	23%	A missions agency
113	17%	On my own, alone or with an ad hoc group
118	18%	On my own, with family and friends
219	34%	None of the above apply
Planning short-term trip(s)? (Check all that apply)
144	22%	Expect to go by the end of 2008
189	29%	Expect to go by the end of 2009
352	54%	Not sure for 2008 or 2009

Rank each item as to what hinders you from serving full time in missions:
	Extremely useful	Probably useful	Somewhat useful	Not very important	No opinion
No sense of calling into missions.	19 11%	9 5%	19 11%	95 57%	26 15%
Willingness to move in the US, if needed	13 8%	31 19%	39 23%	62 37%	22 13%
Willingness to move overseas, if needed somewhere	21 13%	41 25%	26 16%	62 37%	17 10%
Adapting to a new culture and language	12 7%	31 18%	44 26%	63 38%	18 11%
Providing my own financial support	255 39%	126 19%	127 20%	95 15%	46 7%
Raising my own financial support	239 37%	155 24%	131 20%	78 12%	46 7%
Finding adequate medical care in a new location	74 11%	121 19%	199 31%	191 29%	64 10%
Separation from friends and family	62 2%	166 5%	217 6%	148 10%	56 3%
Not feeling close to God	15 2%	24 4%	66 10%	467 72%	77 12%
My spouse's feelings about serving in missions	72 11%	67 10%	85 13%	281 43%	144 22%
Giving up convenience of living in North America	16 2%	82 13%	189 29%	295 45%	67 10%

Indicate when you plan to retire or separate from your current career
210	32 %	Already retired/separated from my first career(s)
40	6 %	Will retire/separate within the next 12 months
84	13 %	Will retire/separate within the next 1-3 years
90	14 %	Will retire/separate within the next 4-6 years
225	35 %	Conventional retirement is a long way off
If a compelling opportunity were to be presented to you, indicate when you could depart from your current career?
234	36 %	Already departed from my first career(s)
179	28 %	Could leave my career within the next 12 months
117	18 %	Could leave my career within the next 1-3 years
76	12 %	Could leave my career within the next 4-6 years
43	7 %	I could not depart from my present career
To what degree would the availability of someone to assist with making the transition be helpful to you?
293	45 %	Extremely helpful
242	37 %	Somewhat helpful
114	18 %	Not Helpful
By submitting my Personal Profile on the web ...
86	13 %	I have made a successful connection with a ministry role
55	8 %	I have discovered one or more roles that I am actively pursuing
41	6 %	I have discovered one or more roles that I am interested in pursuing within the next year or two
79	12 %	I have discovered one or more roles of interest, but so far none fit as hoped
176	27 %	The time is not yet right for me/us to actively pursue a role in missions
73	11 %	The time is right, but finances are a major issue preventing me/us from pursuing a role in missions
44	7 %	The time is right, but family matters are a major issue preventing me/us from pursuing a role in missions
30	5 %	I have not completed a profile on the web, but plan to do so in the near future
65	10 %	I have not completed a profile on the web and do not plan to do so in the near future

Since you have completed a personal profile on the Finishers or MissionNext website in the past, please respond to the following questions

Is the information provided on the website clear and understandable regarding what happens when you submit the profile? 213 40 % Extremely clear and understandable 296 56 % Reasonably clear and understandable 21 4 % Not very clear and understandable How many responses did you receive from mission agencies? 45 8 % None 243 46 % A few 208 39 % A good number 37 7 % Overwhelming number Did you research the organizations listed as a match for your profile? 106 20 % Throughly 313 60 % Somewhat 107 20 % Not really How many mission agencies did you take the initiative to contact? 197 37 % None 229 43 % A few by email 52 10 % A good number by email 51 10 % A few by phone 0 0 % A good number by phone Did you find the agency representatives who contacted you helpful in your search for ministry opportunities? 262 55 % Most were very helpful 184 39 % Most were somewhat helpful 29 6 % Most were not helpful Were some opportunities presented by the agencies a good fit for what you have in mind? 146 29 % Yes 230 45 % Somewhat 130 26 % Not really How "user friendly" was your experience with the Finishers website overall? 154 30 % Very user friendly 239 46 % User friendly 107 21 % About as expected 14 3 % Frustrating 2 0 % Very Frustrating How "user friendly" was your experience submitting a profile? 142 28 % Very user friendly 264 51 % User friendly 94 18 % About as expected 13 3 % Frustrating 2 0 % Very Frustrating

I would like to see the following on the Finishers website:
321	49%	More information about possible positions
180	28%	More information about agencies
110	17%	More information about upcoming events
195	30%	More information about making the transition from the markeplace to ministry
212	33%	More stories from those who have made the transition from the markeplace to ministry
0	0%	Other (Add coments below)
0	0%	None of the above
Have you ever attended a Finishers Forum?
104	40 %	Yes
539	56 %	No
If so, where/when?
17	3%	Chicago, IL 1998
0	0%	Austin, TX 1999
12	2%	Dallas, TX 2000
0	0%	Detroit, MI 2000
3	0%	Minneapolis (Roseville), MN 2000
3	0%	Denver, CO 2000
10	2%	Lancaster, PA 2001 or 2003
0	0%	Fullerton, CA 2001
11	2%	Indianapolis, IN 2002
10	2%	Atlanta, GA 2002
5	1%	Phoenix, AZ 2003
4	1%	Charlotte, NC 2003
7	1%	Danbury, CT 2004
0	0%	Omaha, NE 2005
8	1%	Colorado Springs, CO 2005
25	4%	Fort Wayne, IN 2007
170	26%	None of the above
Have you ever attended a Missions Conference with a Finishers Track?
65	20 %	Yes
571	60 %	No
If so, where?
11	2%	ACMC National Conference 2003, Atlanta, GA
6	1%	ACMC Conference, Bethel, CT
1	0%	ACMC Conference, Delaware, MD
6	1%	ACMC Conference, Modesto, CA
11	2%	ACMC Conference, Pasadena, CA
4	1%	ACMC Conference, PA
17	3%	MissionConneXion (Mission Fest Northwest), Portland, OR
0	0%	ACMC Conference, San Diego, CA
7	1%	Missions Fest Seattle, Seattle, WA
2	0%	ACMC Conference, Wichita
65	10%	I cannot recall
If you visited a Finishers display or representative at a conference, did you find your experience to be:
60	9 %	Very helpful
51	8 %	Somewhat helpful
19	3 %	About as expected
7	1 %	Not helpful
418	64 %	Not applicable
If you attended a Finishers event, select the best response:
21	3 %	I discovered one or more roles that I am now working in
9	1 %	I discovered one or more roles that I am actively pursuing
11	2 %	I discovered one or more roles that I expect to pursue within the next year or two
26	4 %	I discovered one or more roles of interest, but so far none fit as I had hoped
61	9 %	The time is not yet right for me/us to actively pursue a role in missions
361	56 %	No answer above is applicable