More Numbers that Count

Here is a quick review of some really important numbers that really count in your church - from William Hoyt's book Effectiveness by the Numbers.

• Visitor retention rate - do you keep track of the people who visit your church? More importantly, do you know if they return? What kinds of actions do you need to take to keep track of your guests and insure they return? A target goal would be 30% of your guests in a year's time become actively involved in your congregation.
• Ministry involvement - how can you measure the degree to which the people of your congregation are mobilized for ministry? There are three broad areas of involvement: in the church, in the community, and in the world. All three are important, and all three need to be lifted up as models for service in your church.
• Leader development - the strength, vitality, and longevity of a church is dependent on leaders who understand and follow God's vision for the church. How do you recruit, train, and release leaders for service in ministry? A critical component is deciding what a ministry role is. The best and brightest should serve in ministry leadership rather than sit on committees.
• Small groups - continued growth and health beyond 200 or so requires a healthy, robust small group system in your church. Do you have groups that put people into relationship with a small enough number of people that they can be known, cared for, encourages, challenged, taught, helped, and held accountable by others in the group? Do you have categories of small groups that exist in each of your major organizing principles?
• More Important than dollars - it's easy to count the income of the church. But are you a growing, giving, generous church? You can't measure that unless you have method of determining numbers of givers, goals to increase that number, and methods to help people understand and practice biblical stewardship.
• What business are you in? - this question by Peter Drucker cuts to the core of businesses - and the church. If churches cannot articulate the essence of their ministry, and demonstrate tangible what they are trying to accomplish and produce, then it is doomed to mediocrity at best.

The book is Effectiveness by the Numbers: Counting What COUNTS in the Church. Put your numerophobia aside and dive into what really counts at your church.