Bulletin 112 Date : 28th Sep 2007
Measure your Effectiveness A few weeks ago I was asked to attend the Missions Committee of a church in the district to help them move forward in their ministry. In order to help people focus on the subject, I asked them to discuss in pairs the question, ‘How do you measure the effectiveness of a church?’ This led to a vibrant discussion and made people reflect upon what is most important about their life and witness.  Note: I didn’t ask them how busy or how large or how evangelical is your church but how effective is it. We can often be fooled in our personal lives as well as our church lives by equating busyness with effectiveness. However we can be very busy doing the wrong things and making little impact upon those we are called to serve.
So how do we measure the effectiveness of our churches and, more important, who should do the measuring? So often we look at our communities through the eyes of the church. Perhaps a good starting point is to look at our churches through the eyes of the community. Ask people who live near by to come to your church to try it out and ask them to complete the following questionnare:-
- How approachable is the church (would a newcomer feel comfortable walking in one Sunday morning or would they feel that they 'stand out')?
- How inclusive is the church (does it welcome different kinds of people with different shades of belief)?
- How appealing is the worship to all ages (or does it generally appeal to an older age group who prefer a certain style of worship)?
- Are children genuinely welcomed as part of the church family?
- Does the church actively listen to the needs of the community on a regular basis?
- How communicative is the church in terms of explaining why it is here and what it offers?
- How easy is it to become part of the church’s community?
- How good is the church at explaining Christianity to those who don’t know Jesus yet?
- How regularly does the church attempt to present the Christian faith to those who don't come to church?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, would you wish to join this church?
I remember that when America was attacked on September 11th 2001 and the twin towers were destroyed by two jumbo jets, the first people on the scene were the emergency services AND the Salvation Army who were providing support in terms of drinks and food as well as spiritual support to the emergency services especially. No reward was sought and no prizes expected.
When Marian Bates was gunned down in broad daylight in her jeweller’s shop in Arnold a few years ago, one of the first people to show support to the family was the local Methodist minister who stayed in close contact with the family all through the harrowing weeks which followed the shooting.
Both of these incidents demonstrate ‘God’s love in action where it is needed most’. Jesus was often criticised for the company he kept but He was motivated, not by a desire to be respectable, but by the needs of the people around Him. How many people across the globe looked with absolute respect upon the late Mother Teresa for her self-sacrificial work amongst the disadvantaged people of Calcutta?
The church is most effective when it is responding lovingly in the power of God’s Spirit to the needs of the community in which it is placed. This brings glory to God and transformation to the world around us (Matthew 5:13-16). It is through such effectiveness that people outside of the church may say to themselves, ‘I want to be part of this’. |
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