Measuring growth

In the first Learning Community, we looked at some of the ways that churches can grow and how we can choose to expand or replicate. We noted that the number of relationships a person can have is limited and that in a larger group, the number of relationships tends to reach a limit of about 150 (Dunbar’s number).

But how will we know if we are growing in numbers, depth and impact if we do not measure it?

In the book of Acts and elsewhere in the Bible, there are lists of people and numbers showing what is happening. We also see how people are growing in depth of relationships and the impact that they are having through caring for others and being generous. Whole cities were changed from the activities that were happening. Numbers matter in scripture and therefore they should matter to us also.

Measuring change helps us to see how far along our trajectory we are, and rather than beating ourselves up when we don’t see what we hope for or expect, we can use this information to understand and make decisions which will impact the future.

What can we measure?

Numbers. Remembering that each number represents a person with their own unique story and experience, some of the things you may want to count include:

• Worshipping community – those who attend at least once a month or would if they could
• Average weekly attendance – the number of people who attend activities throughout the week

Depth. Stories are a good way to measure how people are growing deeper in their relationship with God and others. Some of the quantitative measure can include:

• Midweek groups – the number of people attending
• Bible studies, prayer groups or home groups
• Those attending baptism or confirmation classes The number of regular givers each month

Impact. How are we seeing people reached, and needs met? Collect stories and count how many people have interacted with your mission activities such as coffee mornings, foodbanks etc.

• The number of people receiving from / attending different activities
• The number of people volunteering or helping with each activity

Tracking, not just measuring

Is it possible to track an individual’s journey rather than just outcomes? Maybe consider a way to track how someone has interacted with your church over time. What events do they regularly attend? Are they giving to the work of the church? Have they attended any courses or training? One way to do this is using church management software such as ChurchSuite or iKnow. By keeping our data up to date, decisions are made on facts, and knowledge can be passed on to others over time.