Mike Bonem, a former executive pastor who now serves as an organizational consultant, wrote an article entitled “Measuring What Matters” in the Spring 2012 edition of Leadership Journal. He names several barriers to generating helpful metrics including two that are especially problematic in a church setting:
- Not clearly defining what should be measured
- A perspective that measurement is an unspiritual discipline (p.72)
So What?
In my experiences very few congregations effectively leverage the proper evaluative tools as a part of their regular course of business.
- The majority err on the side of under-utilizing metrics. These congregations measure a small number of matters (e.g., worship attendance and income) without giving any or much attention to others. At the extreme these congregations suffer from ignorance of what is really happening within the life of the congregation, including blind acceptance of whatever leaders claim as true.
- A minority err on the side of over-utilizing metrics. These congregations measure everything and are hesitant to try new endeavors until clear metrics are in place. At the extreme these congregations suffer from considerable analysis paralysis and are unable to discern the Spirit’s leading when such is not immediately substantiated numerically.
What barriers have you experienced to the right role for metrics within the life of your congregation? What safeguards should be used to ensure your congregation does not find itself moving toward over- or under-utilization of metrics?