"Track, Review, and Assess"

How often have we heard pastors and religious leaders say, "It's not about the numbers"?

These ministers are correct because God can do a lot with just a few. Consider Gideon's battle with the Midianites (Judges 7:1-7) when God insisted that Israel's army be reduced from 32,000 to 300.

God's purpose was to keep Israel from claiming victory as a product of their prowess. Their numbers triggered sinful attitudes and behaviors.

In modern church management, there are two unrighteous attitudes about tracking numbers.

1. Believing the bigger the crowd, the more righteous the church. Assuming a church is spiritual or in right standing with God, based on their numbers. The Bible is replete with examples of the righteous minority favored by God when they stood in defiance of the unrighteous minority. Noah and his family stood for righteousness despite the whole earth being wicked. Elijah alone challenged the 850 pagan priests and prophets at Carmel. Our Savior stood against the multitude, forsaken by all, yet came forth victorious. It is wrong to assume that God is on your side because you have a large crowd.

2. Believing the smaller the crowd, the more righteous the church. If we think God does not care if our churches grow, we have missed the heartbeat of the first-century church. Numbers represent souls, and God wants us to win souls. Church leaders can become complacent and lazy when the church becomes self-sufficient. There may be peaks and valleys in attendance, but generally, healthy things grow.

Why should I track numbers?

1. To partially determine the effectiveness of ministry. Not all metrics of spiritual health can be qualified by numbers, but numbers can hint at the overall point of the church mission.

2. To identify normal or abnormal trends in attendance. Our third year after planting the church, we noticed a repeated spike in attendance on the third weekend of August. The attendance spike was usually equal to the previous year's Easter Sunday numbers. We theorized that the high attendance was due to kids returning to school and a normal schedule. The following week the attendance trend dropped back down. The drop was likely related to kids getting involved in school activities and missing service. We used this information to plan a promotional "Big Sunday" for the last week of August or the first week of September. We implemented several ideas before we settled on having a "Friend Sunday." We succeeded in getting many return guests from the previous week, which boosted attendance.

3. To be a source of encouragement. Churches typically grow through a process of ebb and flow. It isn't easy to see progress if you only look week to week. The best way to measure progress is by comparing a Sunday to the same Sunday of the previous year. Think of tracking church growth like watching the rising tide. It isn't easy to see progress without perspective. Your staff can become overly excited about a particular spike in attendance and create unrealistic expectations that become a source of disappointment. When we share the growth reports based on yearly progress, it helps everyone to stay focused on long-term sustainable growth.

4. To recognize staffing or motivational issues within individual ministries. Sometimes a drop in a ministry like youth or preteen can reveal a need for staff encouragement, challenge, or change. By tracking individual department attendance, you can compare the annual growth to determine if changes are needed. Without the specific class numbers, growth or decline can be masked by the metrics within other departments. In most churches, pastors or church administrators are the only staff members accessing the organizational growth or decline. Recognizing negative trends allows leaders to evaluate what changes are needed.

5. To help senior leadership determine elements that limit attendance. Pastors can compare various criteria to see if it is causing a drop in attendance. This information can be essential. For example, Low attendance every time a particular evangelist speaks may give a pastor reason to reevaluate the effectiveness of their ministry. Low attendance when it rains may indicate a need for a covered drive or ushers waiting in the lobby with umbrellas.

What numbers should we track & assess?

1. Weekly attendance of all services. Track the overall numbers and individual class numbers. Include any elements that may have affected attendance numbers (Ex. "pastor out of town, evangelist, rain, weekend after youth event, sickness epidemic, holiday weekend, wedding, etc.).

2. Tithing and Offering. Most churches do this anyway, but having this information in a larger monthly or quarterly review spreadsheet could indicate positive or negative trends. Knowing this information might prompt a need for teaching a series on stewardship.

3. Small Group Attendance. The church needs healthy relationship fellowship. Tracking these important but smaller attendance groups can reveal spiritual distress or misplaced priorities of church members. Tracking small group numbers can also indicate strengths or weaknesses within groups.

4. The number of Monthly Volunteers. Serving is a spiritual discipline that helps disciple individuals. A large percentage of members who serve is an important metric of a healthy and engaged congregation. Providing updated and enforceable ministry covenants creates an easy on-ramp for new converts within the context of an Apostolic church. Pastors who create a shallow end of the volunteer pool where everyone can serve will discover an easier path to discipleship. All new volunteers can sign a ministry covenant made by senior leadership before assignment to a ministry team.

5. Prayer Meeting Attendance. The church will become nothing without prayer. Tracking prayer meeting attendance reveals the spiritual hunger and health of a congregation. When attendance at prayer meeting drops, you may need to refocus the congregation.

Tracking key metrics is essential for church planters to evaluate their ministry's growth, health, and effectiveness. By monitoring attendance, offerings, Sunday School participation, small group engagement, and the number of volunteers, planters can make informed decisions and adapt their strategies to foster a thriving and impactful church community. Regularly analyzing these metrics provides valuable insights into the church plant's trends, strengths, and areas for improvement. It helps planters understand the dynamics of their congregation, identify potential challenges, and seize growth opportunities. By combining data-driven analysis with prayerful discernment, church planters can better serve their communities and cultivate a vibrant and flourishing church.

-Dr Rob McKee