Pastor, what if your most important contribution isn’t the weekend sermon?
And what if the most important measurement isn’t the number of people that come to hear that message?
Churches are searching for more meaningful metrics. The old way of measuring the ABC’s (Attendance, Buildings and Cash) clearly does not capture the true impact of individual expressions of the church in their communities and around the world (see my post from last November). We need new metrics that shift the focus from internal numbers to discipleship development and external impact.
Lois Swagerty notes the shift in her
article “The New Metrics: How Do They Look in Your Church?" A shift recognized and propagated by Reggie McNeal (author of "Missional Renaissance") among others. The article quotes Gary Dolan who notes two forms of measurement: “like a scientist – nickels and noses, or like an attorney – with a preponderance of evidence.” Gary is the XP from one of my favorite churches, RiverTree Christian in northeast Ohio. They are a little under the radar but initiating major missional efforts. One of the approaches they're using to develop a breadth of leadership is called a "Huddle" (from Mike Breen's book "Building a Disciplines Culture") where individual leaders take responsibility for developing other leaders. They are also actively devoting staff and resources to developing missional communities. RiverTree and the senior pastor, Greg Nettle, are one of the players in the innagural Future Traveler effort.
Some churches are taking steps to make the shift by collecting stories instead of numbers. Another church uses 5 questions regarding spiritual formation to assess disciplemaking:
1) How do you see God at work in your life?
2) What is God teaching you in his word?
3) What conversations are you having with pre-Christian people?
4) What good can we do around here?
5) How can we help you in prayer?
The first step to new measurements involves new paradigms. If we are perfectly designed to get the results we're getting, then different results demand different thinking. Isn't God more interested in disciples than members?
You can get the full article here: http://leadnet.org/resources/download/the_new_metrics_how_do_they_look_in_your_church/
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