Dimensions of Religiosity Scale – DRS

I believe in God as a Heavenly Father who watches over me and to whom I am accountable.

I know that I need God's continual love and care.

I believe in eternal life.

I believe that Christ is a living reality.

I believe in salvation as release from sin and freedom for new life.

I believe that God revealed himself to man in Jesus Christ.

I believe that the Word of God is revealed through the Scriptures.

I believe in the Church as God's agent of salvation in the world.

I know that God answers my prayers.

I believe that the Bible provides basic moral principles to guide every decision of my daily life: with family and neighbors, in business and financial transactions, and as a citizen of the nation and the world.

I think of the Church as a place where I can hear God's Word for me.

I believe that lay men and women, as well as clergy, are called by God to a ministry of witness and service in the world.

The purpose of worship and prayer is to find out what God wants us to do.

The main purpose of the Church is to reconcile men to God and each other, thus establishing the conditions for 'newness of life.'

Property (house, automobile, money, investments, etc.) belong to God; we only hold it in trust for Him.

How would you rate your activity in this congregation?

During the last year, how many Sundays per month on the average have you gone to a worship service?

How many Sundays out of the last four have you attended worship services?

How often do you spend evenings at church meetings or in church work?

How often have you taken Communion during the past year?

How many times during the last month have you attended Sunday School or some equivalent educational activity?

I keep pretty well informed about my congregation and have some influence on its decisions.

List the offices, special jobs, committees, etc. of either the congregation or denomination in which you served during the past church year.

Church activities (meetings, committee work, etc.) are a major source of satisfaction in my life.

I enjoy working in the activities of the Church.

I try to cooperate with the pastor in his program for the congregation.

All in all, how well do you think you fit in with the group of people who make up your church congregation?

When church activities conflict with your community responsibilities, how do you handle the situation?

I know what it feels like to repent and experience forgiveness of sin.

How often do you pray privately in places other than at church?

How often do you ask God to forgive your sins?

The idea of God often seems vague to me and distant from my everyday experiences.

The idea of sin means very little to me.

When you have decisions to make in your everyday life, how often do you try to find out what God wants you to do?

Life has no meaning apart from a relationship to God.

To what extent has God influenced your life?

I find myself believing in God some of the time, but not at other times.

Private prayer is one of the most important and satisfying aspects of my religious experience.

I frequently feel very close to God in prayer, during public worship, or at important moments in my daily life.

The truly religious person has the joy and peace which come from recognizing that he is a forgiven sinner.

Think of your five closest friends. How many of them are members of your church congregation?

Of all your closest friends, how many are also members of your local congregation?

How long have you been a member of this congregation?

List the church organizations to which you belong.

Church membership has helped me to meet the right kind of people.

My understanding of the central doctrines of the Church has changed considerably since I first joined.

How often do you read religious non-fiction books, other than the Bible?

The truly religious person is likely to have sincere and searching questions about the nature of a life of faith in God.

I enjoy the intellectual stimulation of learning about the Bible and about the history and doctrines of the Church.

Usually the Communion Service does not mean very much to me.

The truly religious person is sure that his beliefs are correct.

My interest in and real commitment to religion is greater now than when I first joined the Church.

The truly religious person steadily strives to grow in knowledge and understanding of what it means to live as a child of God.

The truly religious person feels compelled to continue growing in understanding of his faith.

The truly religious person is so secure in his faith that his mind is always open to explore new religious ideas.

The truly religious person strives to be moral in all aspects of everyday life.

The truly religious person is likely to have sincere and searching questions about the nature of a life of faith in God.

The truly religious person is sure that his beliefs are correct.

The truly religious person is sure that he is living in right relationship to God and men.

The truly religious person believes honestly and wholeheartedly in the doctrines of his church.

When a congregation or its pastor are frequently criticized by respectable citizens of the community, that church is probably not preaching the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Being confident that I am saved, I do not need to change or increase my religious knowledge and belief.

The purpose of worship and prayer is to gain personal security and happiness.

Religion helps to keep my life balanced and steady in the same way as my citizenship, friendships, and other memberships do.

The Church is most important as a place to formulate good social relationships.

The purpose of worship and prayer is to ask God to help us.

The main reason I attend Church is to help me live a better life during the week.

Church is important as a place to go for comfort and refuge from the trials and problems of life.

The main reason I attend Church is to learn more about religion.

Church membership has helped me to meet the right kind of people.

The Church is important to me as a place where I get the understanding and courage for dealing with the trials and problems of life.

During the last year, what was the average monthly contribution of your family to your local congregation?

Last year, approximately what percent of your total family income was contributed to the Church?

In proportion to your income, do you consider that your contributions to the Church are:

Are your financial contributions to the Church: a planned amount, irregularly but fairly often, irregularly several times a year, or seldom or never?

During the last year, how often have you made contributions to the Church in addition to the general budget and Sunday school?

I enjoy giving money to the Church.

Churches talk too much about money and not enough about what it means to be a Christian.

The more liberally I support the Church financially, the closer I feel to it and to God.

How often do you talk about religion with your friends, neighbors, or fellow workers?

How often have you personally tried to convert someone to faith in God?

When faced by decisions regarding social problems and issues, how often do you seek guidance from statements and publications by the Church?

In talking with members of your family how often do you yourself mention religion or religious activities?

How often in the last year have you invited someone to join or visit your church?

How often do you read religious non-fiction books, other than the Bible?

How often do you read the Bible?