I left you hanging yesterday with the question, “What is an appropriate tool for measuring the effectiveness of a church’s ministry?” I feel the need to investigate that question and maybe come up with some answers. It is so hard to step away from numerical growth because that’s most visible and easily measurable. And bigger is better, right? Growth equals success. If you’re growing, you must be doing something right. We’ll model you. If you’re not growing, you must be dying.
The other day, my friend Jay wondered, “Where is the church” when spring break alcohol arrests quadrupled this year at Panama City beach? You can read his thoughts here. What kind of influence does or can the church have in the lives of young adults? How can we help them pursue a different kind of spring break that benefits both them and others? Isn’t there something the church can do? Is anything different in your community or community because you’re church is around? That maybe one way to measure effectiveness.
You can ask that question another way: if your church folded tomorrow, would anyone in the community miss it? That’s a painful question, because there are some days when you’d have to answer, “nope.”
Waite for it... 