When I posted last time about rethinking church subsidies, I mentioned investing in leaders that have fruit rather than just potential. Some readers wondered how I would define fruit. Many of us are rightly skeptical of a system that counts success as full pews and full offering plates. Those are the easiest things to measure, but not necessarily the most reflective of kingdom work. After all, how many cults and health-and-wealth schemes are successful by this measure?
So the question remains– how do we more accurately measure the fruit of true kingdom ministry? Here are some of my ideas… please add your ideas in the comments section.
- People hours spent in direct service being the hands and feet of Jesus
- Number of inclusive parties thrown involving people who are not yet followers of Jesus
- People expressing their faith in Jesus through baptism
- Communities of Jesus followers established
- Leaders raised up to start new faith communities
- Redemptive stories of God transforming lives
Jesus told us to make disciples. We count disciples in terms of changed lives… lives marked by the work of the Holy Spirit. From there, we will see more communities of gathered disciples… and those who sojourn alongside us to find out more about what this God of ours is like. I want your thoughts too. What do you think? What have you measured?
Thanks Bob. Excellent clarification.
Great addition to the conversation about developing a new scorecard beyond nickels and noses. Thanks
Good list. I think I would clarify/add that inclusive parties and being the hands and feet of Jesus should take us to people who are “not like us.” Too often in my tribe, we reach out only to folks that look like us.
Love it Bob. We must have a way of determining fruit/health that has very little to do with raw numbers. An additional form of measurement would be percentages. Can we see a higher percentage of our people involved in outreach, giving, bible-reading, etc. than we saw the year before. It is possible for a church to see little numerical growth on Sundays but show signs of health if their percentages of participation are going up in the areas that are important to them.
I agree whole-heartedly! Too often I find myself trying to connect with people who already have the look and smell of being “almost converted” instead of going after those that have a lot of dirt (fertilizer) in their lives that shows and smells.