Invite Welcome Connect Launches Free Online Assessment Tools to Support Congregational Growth and Discernment
- Steve Welch
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Invite Welcome Connect has announced the availability of a suite of free, online assessment tools designed to help congregations strengthen their ministries of invitation, hospitality, and connection.
The Invite Welcome Connect Assessment Tools provide congregational leaders with practical, accessible resources for reflecting on how their churches welcome newcomers, engage members, and foster meaningful relationships. Rooted in the ministry’s widely used Invite Welcome Connect framework, the tools support churches in identifying strengths, recognizing challenges, and discerning faithful next steps for growth.
Available in multiple formats, including tools for small congregations and comprehensive assessments for larger settings, the resources are designed for use by vestries, ministry teams, committees, and congregational leaders. The assessments can be completed online and compiled automatically, allowing leaders to review results visually and use them as the basis for prayerful conversation and strategic planning.
The free, online assessment tools from Invite Welcome Connect help congregations gauge the strength of their ministries in real time.
“These tools let you discern how people see how you’re doing evangelism, hospitality, and belonging,” said Steve Welch, Executive Director of Invite Welcome Connect, in a webinar recorded Feb. 4. “They help congregations understand what’s really happening in their life together and how they can respond faithfully.”
The assessment tools focus on three interconnected dimensions of congregational life:
Invite: How churches extend authentic invitations into Christian community
Welcome: How newcomers experience hospitality and care
Connect: How people find belonging, purpose, and pathways into ministry
By encouraging honest reflection across these areas, the tools help congregations move from general impressions to shared understanding and intentional action.
Diocese of Southwestern Virginia’s Canon Jenni Faires, who helped develop the digital versions of the tools, emphasized their practical value for leadership teams. “Being able to see your data all collected at one time is helpful for a larger group setting,” she said in the same Feb. 4 webinar. “It allows us to spend our time together wisely and focus on what matters most.”
To support congregations in using the assessments effectively, Invite Welcome Connect has also released a recorded webinar, Nurturing What God Is Growing Among Us, featuring Steve Welch, Canon Jenni Faires, and Mary MacGregor. The webinar demonstrates how the tools can be implemented in local contexts and how results can be used pastorally in leadership and discernment processes.
The assessment tools are available free of charge at:https://www.invitewelcomeconnect.com/assessment-tools
The recorded webinar may be viewed at:https://www.invitewelcomeconnect.com/post/recorded-webinar-nurturing-what-god-is-growing-among-us
Invite Welcome Connect encourages congregations of all sizes and settings to explore these resources as part of their ongoing commitment to faithful evangelism, hospitality, and community-building.