What’s the hardest thing thing for a Southern Baptist Church to do? Increase giving? Not particularly. Commit to supporting a church planter? Nope. Admit a problem and their need for help? Close, but no. At least based on the number of churches which have actually done it, the hardest thing for a Southern Baptist Church to do is complete an Annual Church Profile, or, as it was once known, the annual letter.
There was a season, when Southern Baptists were mostly growing, that churches rarely dismissed the ACP. In fact, many planned entire business meetings around its review and approval. But as churches across North America entered an extended season of decline, churches would increasingly ignore the report. Today roughly two-thirds of all SBC churches complete an ACP, though across the GTBN only half the churches do.
Why? My theory is that no one loves reporting bad news, and with so many churches struggling, much of the news is bad. By anyone’s measure, a large portion of churches are in decline. Like the family who turns off the TV because they can no longer cope with the steady stream of “bad news”, it’s tempting to ignore or dismiss numbers telling us that something’s off.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the ACP isn’t the best tool for measuring ministry effectiveness. Raw numbers tied to isolated activities never tell a complete story.
But measures are important, essential even. Measures tell you where your church stands in relation to its mission. They indicate progress, or the lack thereof. In the same way trends in your vital signs indicate illness or injury, certain measures will speak to the health and vitality of a given congregation.
And your commitment to taking the right measures indicates your commitment to healthy ministry. My friend Daren passed away several years ago due to colon cancer. Through his illness he pled with me to not make his mistake, neglecting regular physical exams until the cancer had well advanced. Time and again he said, “Don’t neglect your family or your ministry. See your doctor and have the screenings.”
Generally speaking, when you regularly monitor key health measures, problems are identified sooner so that appropriate action may follow. The same is true in the church.
In subsequent articles I’ll share with you key measures by which you can assess and shepherd your congregation toward healthy and vibrant ministry. In the meantime, drop a line in the comments below and share what measures you find most helpful.
Why? Because what you measure matters.
Blessings,
Bro. Jim