In medicine vital signs are key indicators of health. They readily provide a red flag for various types of problems—pulse, respiration, blood pressure, body temperature. What are the vital signs for your ministry?

  1. Most ministries have financial vital signs. That doesn’t mean that more money equals more health, but rather that whatever money is coming is being spent well and on things that directly contribute to the accomplishment of the mission.
  2. Human resources vital signs are measured by indications of burnout such as lack of follow through on commitments, morale, and the inability to cover key tasks. Volunteer health is essential to any ministry.
  3. Ministry vital signs are the fruit we’re seeing from our endeavors. What’s the quantity and the quality of our fruit like? Examples of ministry vital signs might be relationships with those being ministered to and accomplishment of stated ministry goals.

Define your ministry vital signs in these three areas. What are you measuring? If problems arose in your ministry, where would you be likely to see changes in the vital signs? Build a system that allows you to regularly and easily check the vital signs in your ministry.