FAQs
- About the LPLI
- What the LPLI Measures
- Reliability of the LPLI
- Who Uses the LPLI
- How the LPLI Process Works
- Technical Requirements
- Purchasing the LPLI
- About Login, User Names, & Passwords
- How to Respond to the LPLI's Demographic Inquiries
- How to Respond to the LPLI's Ministry Assessment Statements
- Observers
- Using the Results
1. About the LPLI
What is the LPLI?
The LPLI is a 360º leadership assessment instrument specifically designed for pastors to help them identify individual strengths and weaknesses in order to improve their ministry effectiveness. The LPLI identifies a pastor’s strengths and weaknesses as seen by them and others. LPLI users receive a personalized leadership profile based on input received through online questionnaires.
What is a 360º leadership assessment instrument?
A 360º assessment instrument integrates self-appraisal with feedback from others (called observers) who are familiar with a pastor’s work to provide a comprehensive, balanced appraisal of an individual’s effectiveness.
What is the purpose of the LPLI?
To provide feedback for improvement and growth in ministry. The results can be used for self-discovery, gathering feedback from others, setting goals for improvement, identifying continuing education needs, and even tracking progress over time. One of the most important benefits is the LPLI provides the basis for informed and objective conversations between a pastor, and his or her supervisor or supervising committee.
Should the LPLI be used for performance reviews or evaluations?
No. The LPLI is not intended for use in performance reviews or evaluations, but rather for leadership understanding and growth.
How is the LPLI administered?
The LPLI is administered electronically using online questionnaires and email messages. However written versions are available for those who do not have internet access. Written versions include instructions on how they can be returned by mail to the Lewis Center.
Is the LPLI confidential?
Yes. Your profile will not be released to anyone other than you, unless you specifically authorize the Lewis Center to release it. All individual records are kept private. In any published report, only composite results will be reported.
2. What the LPLI Measures
What does the LPLI measure?
The LPLI uses 75 specific criteria of pastoral effectiveness that relate to a three-fold understanding of fruitful leadership encompassing Character, Competence, and Contribution. LPLI questionnaires ask participants and their observers to rate performance on these criteria using a frequency scale. See sample questions.
How were the LPLI criteria developed?
The Lewis Center compiled the LPLI’s categories and criteria by analyzing definitions of effectiveness in ministry used by different judicatories and studying the literature of pastoral effectiveness. The process included review by theological educators and church leaders. The criteria have been further refined through two years of field testing. View more information about the LPLI’s validity and reliability.
3. Reliability of the LPLI
Is the LPLI reliable?
Before its launch, the LPLI underwent two years of extensive field testing that included over a thousand pastors from across the U.S. The results have been subjected to various tests of statistical reliability and verified through comparisons with external evaluations of effectiveness. View more information about the LPLI’s validity and reliability.
How does the LPLI deal with the “halo effect?”
A challenge for some leadership assessment instruments, particularly in the nonprofit sector, is the tendency for scores to skew toward the high end of the scale. This tendency can be exacerbated when assessing pastors, since a “halo effect” can color people’s perceptions of their pastor. Because responses to the LPLI tend to cluster at the top end of the range, differences that might seem slight – say between a score of 6.1 and 6.45 on a 7 point scale, can actually be significant. To help put scores in a larger context, individual LPLI results are presented side-by-side with a Standard Deviation Graph that permits an individual to gauge where his or her self-scores and observers scores fall within the range of national averages for those who have used the LPLI in the past. View sample report
4. Who Uses the LPLI
Who uses the LPLI?
It is for pastors serving in congregational settings. The LPLI is the only 360º leadership assessment tool designed specifically for pastoral leaders.
Can the LPLI be used by clergy of any denomination?
Yes, the LPLI is designed for ecumenical use and is appropriate for pastors of many different denominations and can be used productively by non-denominational pastors as well.
Can the LPLI be used by any clergy, including associate pastors or ordained deacons?
Yes, if they are serving in a congregational setting. However some portions may be less applicable to associates or deacons depending on their job responsibilities.
Can the LPLI be used by clergy serving in non-congregational settings?
The LPLI is not designed for clergy serving in non-congregational settings or extension ministries although some portions of it may be relevant.
Can the LPLI be used by non-English speaking pastors and observers?
The LPLI questionnaires used by pastors and observers are available in written form in Korean and Spanish. However the reports are produced only in English.
How can conferences and judicatories make use of the LPLI?
Many conferences and judicatories make the LPLI available to some or all of the pastors in their area, thus becoming eligible for group discounts. Also, the Lewis Center can provide analysis and interpretation of aggregate LPLI data to judicatory leaders to help them understand trends, patterns, and leadership development needs. To learn more click here.
5. How the LPLI Process Works
How do I get started?
Once you have purchased the LPLI you will be sent a User Name and password. Getting started is as simple as logging on to LPLI.org, answering a questionnaire about your own effectiveness and entering the email addresses of your observers.
How long does it take to complete the LPLI?
Participants and observers can generally complete the LPLI questionnaire in less than 45 minutes. The time between when a pastor begins the process and when he or she receives the results depends on how quickly the observers complete their questionnaires. The Lewis Center generally issues a report within thirty days of the observers completing their work.
How do I receive the results?
You will receive a personalized LPLI Leadership Profile report. It will be sent to you electronically as a PDF file. In situations where an LPLI participant does not use a computer or email the report will be mailed.
Does anyone else receive my results?
No, unless you specifically authorize its release.
6. Technical Requirements
What Are the System Requirements to Run the LPLI Online?
Pastors using the LPLI will need a computer with internet access and an email account. The basic computer requirements necessary to run the LPLI online are generally present on computers with web access. However, if you encounter problems, you will want to make sure your system has the following characteristics.
Both Windows and Mac Computers will need:
- 56K Modem (DSL or Cable high-speed connection recommended)
- Adobe Reader (only needed to view LPLI report.) This can be downloaded at http://www.adobe.com
Windows users will need:
- Intel Pentium™ processor
- Microsoft Windows 98™, Windows XP™, or Windows Vista™
- 256 MB of RAM
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or 7; Mozilla Firefox 2.x or later; or Netscape 7.x or later
Macintosh users will need:
- PowerPC™ or Intel Core™ processor
- Mac OS software version 8.6 or later
- 256 MB of RAM
- Safari 1.x, 2.x; Mozilla Firefox 2.x or later; or Netscape 7.x or later
What if spam filters present a problem?
The LPLI relies on email for notifications and reminders. Spam/email filters may interfere with the delivery of these notifications. If you do not receive an email from the Lewis Center within 48 hours of initiating the LPLI process, it is likely that the email has been filtered out. Please check your junk email folder. If it is in your junk folder, please designate the email address info@lpli.org as from a trusted source and activate your account by selecting the link in the email. If you need assistance in getting around spam filters, contact the LPLI staff. However, the Lewis Center is not responsible for missed emails due to spam/email filters.
How do I get help with technical problems?
If you are unable to resolve your problem with guidance from these FAQ’s, please contact the LPLI staff at 1-877-LPLI-360 or lpli@wesleyseminary.edu. The staff is available Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
7. Purchasing the LPLI
What do I receive when I purchase the LPLI?
- A license to use the LPLI. This license will be issued electronically as soon as the LPLI is purchased. The license authorizes the purchaser to initiate the LPLI process any time within one year of purchase. Once the process has been initiated, the user has 60 days to complete his or her profile.
- A UserName and password. These will be sent to you my email. They allow you to log in to the portion of LPLI.org where the online questionnaires are administered.
- A weekly reminder email to update you on your progress and the progress of your observers so that you can complete the process in a timely manner.
- A personalized leadership profile report. After you have completed your online self inventory and at least five observers have completed their inventories, you will receive your personalized leadership profile report summarizing how you rate yourself and how your observers rate you on 75 criteria of effectiveness in ministry.
- Suggestions for using your results. Your profile report includes information on interpreting and using your results and guidelines for using them in conversation with your supervisors.
How long is the license valid?
The license authorizes the purchaser to initiate the LPLI process any time within one year of purchase. Once the process has been initiated, the user has 60 days to complete his or her profile.
How much does the LPLI process cost?
The price for an individual to use the LPLI is $110. Discounts are available to denominations, judicatories, or educational institutions that purchase the LPLI for groups of individuals. Group rates are as follows:
- $99 (10% off) per license for groups of 10 to 25 participants
- $88 (20% off) per license for groups of 26 to 75 participants
- $77 (30% off) per license for groups of 76 or more
How do I pay for the LPLI?
LPLI licenses can be purchased online. Go online to purchase the LPLI. Billing can be arranged for group or institutional purchasers.
Can I get help paying for the LPLI?
Many pastors can use continuing education or professional development funds to cover the expense of the LPLI. Check with your congregation or judicatory officials.
8. About Logins, User names, and Passwords
How do I login to start the LPLI process?
Once you are registered as an LPLI user, the Lewis Center for Church Leadership will send you a User Name and Password. This will allow you to log into portions of LPLI.org where the inventory process is administered.
What is my user name?
The user name is an identification name that, along with a password, allows you to enter the LPLI. The user names are assigned by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. The Lewis Center for Church Leadership sends a user name by email when someone is registered as an LPLI user.
What if I forget me user name?
Send an email to LPLI@wesleyseminary.edu and your user name will be sent to you.
What is my password?
When you first receive your user name from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, you will be asked to select a password. Simply type your chosen password on the screen and press enter. Be sure to write down your password. The Lewis Center keeps no record of passwords to ensure the secure and confidential nature of the LPLI.
What if I forget my password?
When you are on the log in screen, underneath the area where you enter user name and password, you will see a link asking if you have forgotten your password. Click on the link and follow the instructions on the page. An email will be sent to you allowing you to reset your password.
9. How to respond to the LPLI’s demographic inquires
What is the purpose of the introductory demographic questions about me and my ministry?
The LPLI begins with a short series of questions about you and your ministry setting. The responses to these questions will not appear in your personalized leadership profile. They are for research verification purposes only. This information does not impact your LPLI results.
How should I answer the demographic questions if I serve more than one church?
If you are serving multiple congregations, answer the questions about your ministry setting using the largest congregation you serve as the point of reference. If the two are comparable in size, simply select one.
What if I don’t know the answer to a demographic question?
Make an educated guess, if you can. If you cannot make an educated guess, leave it blank.
How should I respond to the 75 ministry assessment statements?
Pastors taking the LPLI should respond based on how you perceive yourself in your role as pastor, not on how you think others perceive you.
What if some of the questions do not apply?
If any of the questions do not apply to a current ministry role, provide your best guess as to how you think you/your pastor would do in these areas based on your assessment of skills and abilities.
Do I have to respond to every one of the 75 statements?
Yes. To provide the most comprehensive feedback possible it is important to answer every question to the best of your ability. Experience indicates that allowing those using 360˚ inventories to skip questions "gives them an out" to avoid difficult subjects or making a negative evaluation. It makes the evaluation less candid and reliable.
What about areas of ministry not covered by the LPLI?
The LPLI is designed to be as comprehensive as possible, but it is not exhaustive. The statements represent a core group of behaviors and practices that our research has shown are important to the effectiveness of clergy serving in congregational settings. The LPLI is not designed for pastors serving in non-congregational or extension ministries.
11. Observers
How do observers participate?
Participants choose 6 to 10 individuals to serve as their observers. A participant simply enters the email addresses of the observers into the LPLI online system and the system automatically generates an email message to them asking them to complete the LPLI. The pastor can log back into the system periodically to monitor whether the observers have completed their inventories and follow up as necessary.
How many observer responses are necessary?
While the system allows you to receive input from as many as 10 observers, a minimum of 5 completed observer inventories is necessary to generate an LPLI profile report. The Lewis Center has found that a minimum of 5 observers are needed to provide accurate and reliable results.
How do I select observers?
It is recommended that your observers include:
- Your denominational supervisor
- The chair of your congregation’s governing council
- The chair of the congregational committee responsible for supervising the pastor
- A staff member from your church. If you have no staff, choose instead a volunteer with whom you work on a regular basis.
- The senior pastor of your congregation, if you are an associate or staff pastor
- Other lay officers who work most directly with your ministry responsibilities
Is an observer’s input anonymous?
Yes. A participant’s LPLI report indicates the average observer response to each question, but not how a particular observer answered questions.
What about people who don’t use email or computers?
Written questionnaires are available for participants or observers who do not use computers. These forms can be downloaded by LPLI users and mailed to their observers. They include instructions on how they can be returned by mail to the Lewis Center.
What about non-English speakers?
Translations of the self and observer inventories are available in written form in Spanish and Korean. These forms can be downloaded by LPLI users and mailed to their observers. Non-English versions of the inventories can be done only in writing, not online.
12. Using the Results
How do I use the results of the LPLI.
The personalized leadership profile received by LPLI users provides step-by-step instructions on how to interpret and use the results of the inventory to gain self awareness, facilitate communication with supervisors, improve performance, assess strengths, establish priorities for continuing education, facilitate coaching, and measure progress. Read more.
