When and How do you count attendance in sacrament?

[TinMan]

However, by the time a quarterly report identifies a trend, over half a year has gone by which can make a difference at the ward level.

Possibly. But I would like to see a real life example of a ward that spotted a trend in sacrament meeting attendance in this manner that they couldn't spot by quarterly figures.

Why does the church only plot it quarterly on their key indicator chart when they gather data every month?

[lajackson]

I would like to see a real life example of a ward that spotted a trend in sacrament meeting attendance in this manner that they couldn't spot by quarterly figures.

Most or our good bishops will look out over the congregation each Sunday and see which way the trend is going. They will have taken action long before the report comes out, and the report will merely confirm their understanding of what they have been seeing from week to week.

[aebrown]

But I would like to see a real life example of a ward that spotted a trend in sacrament meeting attendance in this manner that they couldn't spot by quarterly figures.

One of the ward clerks in my ward did some analysis and found that June (summer vacations) and December (vacations, visitors, C&E members, etc.) actually tended to be outliers (you can also find multiple threads on this forum that would concur). So looking at each month in the year made it easier to spot trends that were otherwise obscured by the limited quarterly data. And of course, that allows the trends to be seen much sooner.

Why does the church only plot it quarterly on their key indicator chart when they gather data every month?

The church (meaning Church headquarters) doesn't gather data every month -- they only gather data quarterly. So that's the only data available for the key indicator chart.

[TinMan]

The church (meaning Church headquarters) doesn't gather data every month -- they only gather data quarterly. So that's the only data available for the key indicator chart.

my mistake.

I thought my clerk and quorum/rs secretaries were inputting data every month. I will double check.

thanks

[russellhltn]

I thought my clerk and quorum/rs secretaries were inputting data every month. I will double check.

It's possible that they are gathering it each month. As pointed out, it far easier to make it a monthly habit then to try and start it up every third month.

[TinMan]

But instead of just gathering it, I thought they were inputting it into the same place they did for quarterly reports, which is where CHQ gathers the data.

The things I have always assumed...

sigh.

[jwtaber]

It seems to be hard enough for some clerks to get the report in every quarter.

[aebrown]

But instead of just gathering it, I thought they were inputting it into the same place they did for quarterly reports, which is where CHQ gathers the data.

Hopefully they are not putting it in the same place. That data exists only for the quarterly report. So in April, the March figures are put into the Q1 quarterly report.

If in May a clerk then tries to put the April figures somewhere, the only option would be the exact same place the March figures were put -- the Q1 quarterly report. That will have the effect of overwriting the April figures and submitting an adjustment to the Q1 quarterly report, which is not at all the right thing to do. The Q2 entry fields don't even become available until July, so there's nowhere to put April or May figures except for a place that will make a big mess of unit statistics.

[TinMan]

Nevermind.

[jasonfitt]

I get up and count right after the sacrament is passed. Several people usually get up and walk out (either to go to the bathroom, or to leave) and I count them. Then I walk up and down the aisles because it's easy to miss children who might be laying down, or kneeling on the floor coloring or something. Then I count anybody sitting in the foyer, or in the hallways that I didn't previously count. Then when I'm done, I take note who arrives late and count them as well.

We don't count cups. I wouldn't think that would be very accurate. What about children, or infants who didn't take it? What about individuals who couldn't take it, or people who came late after it was passed, or left before it was passed. We want to be as accurate as possible.

Our bishop also wants to know what the attendance is each Sunday, so I put it on a spreadsheet so he can take a quick glance. It takes 2 seconds for him to see how many people came last Sunday, or even the previous Sundays. It really takes no time at all for him to do that.