Create a scorecard for measuring ministry

It’s important that we evaluate the impact and reach of the ministries we offer so that we know what we should KEEP doing, STOP doing, or perhaps START doing. As church leaders, being good stewards of what God has given us, requires that we must evaluate the value of our existing ministries. When evaluating ministries, we need to gather BOTH quantitative and qualitative information. I invite you to create a ministry scorecard and suggest several numbers you may wish to track but it's important that we recognize that we can't measure ministry by numbers alone. In addition to keeping score (with numbers) consider a few additional options below.

Most churches offer Sunday school classes to help people build a vibrant faith but we can't assume that when people show up to classes, that it is automatically transforming people's spiritual lives. As leaders, we must ask, "Is it working? How do we know?" And, "How can we find out?"  The evaluation process begins by focusing on outcomes. Clearly defined outcomes are critical for several reasons:

• They make our work purposeful. When we can name and describe the change we feel called to make in our churches, our people, and our communities, we gain a sense of purpose, identity, and meaning.
• They force us to confront the danger of “doing things” that may not get us anywhere. They invite us to ask what needs to happen to move us from our present reality to a preferred future that continuously transforms people's lives change we are seeking to make.
• They focus us to find better ways to be church and fulfill our ministry outcomes. Ask people when an event is wrapping up, "What was most impactful for you about this event?" Ask, "If we were to repeat, what changes would you suggest that we make?" or "What did you experience during this event that helped you connect with God or with other people?"

Review your mission, vision, and values. List the outcomes that are mission-critical if the mission is to be fulfilled. Then start asking questions that keep people focused on what matters most.  If we're building disciples, a good question might be,  "What are the marks of a disciple?" If we're seeking to help build meaningful relationships at church, we might ask, "Who have you recently met at church that you've become friends with?" 

Some things are difficult to count or measure but matter a lot. This is where stories, especially stories of transformation, can be valuable. Collecting and sharing stories of transformation can help others understand more deeply what change is like. Stories can, for example, convey the richness of an outreach ministry’s interactions with families in need, the human impact of a recovery ministry’s engagement in faith formation, or the joy of growing into more faithful giving and what experiencing that joy has felt like for an individual or a family. Stories can be remarkably effective at clarifying detail, nuance and meaning, and helping a listener or reader gain empathy for another’s experience. Collecting and sharing stories of transformation will help leaders to better understand the people they serve, the needs they face, and the possibilities for impact.

If you're a church leader,  I encourage you to track many of the items listed below. The use the responses to the questions you ask and the stories you capture to add new insight to what the numbers actually mean. Consider ways you'll share the numbers with your leaders and infuse them with new insights that come out of the interviewing and story capturing process.