A Fresh Way to Measure Missional Effectiveness and Discipleship Growth
Knowing if what you are doing is effective and accomplishing the intended outcome is essential for leaders. Without a comprehensive and accurate method to measure, leaders are either guessing or ignoring their missional effectiveness and discipleship growth. A church can be extremely active and busy but not necessarily effective.
As discussed on the previous blog, Take an Orbital Approach to More Effectively Measure Health and Vitality, gone are the days of measuring membership and worship attendance to gauge missional effectiveness. And, neither one of those measurements really indicated whether those connected to the church were growing in their discipleship.
In considering measurements, it is important to understand the distinction of a lag measure versus a lead measure. Lead measures indicate predictive metrics of likeliness of achieving the desired outcome. Lag measures indicate if you’ve achieved the goal. Lead measures more current or in-process activities that will most likely predict if the lag measures the overall outcome is achieved. Lag measures how we performed.
It is recommended that an organization have a balance of lead and lag indicators. Having only lag indicators does not indicate the how and eliminates the opportunity to course-correct as needed. Having only lead indicators may keep your organization busy, but there is no method to determine if the desired outcome is achieved.
Professions of faith, baptisms, and growing disciples are lag measurements. A person has become highly engaged and growing in their faith if there is a baptism or profession of faith (infant baptisms aside). Lead measurements could include the number of new people added to the church’s orbit, growth in relationships, or people taking a next step in their discipleship journey.
Take another look at the Orbital Approach blog. The “orbital approach” is a fresh way to monitor and measure church effectiveness and church growth. It offers opportunities to monitor both lead and lag measures. The administrative council or leadership board is ultimately responsible for the organization’s missional effectiveness and discipleship growth. The purpose of all churches is identified in the Great Commission (making disciples to transform the world). Therefore, this leadership body needs to determine which lead and lag indicators will be measured to achieve the desired results. In addition, the leadership body needs to routinely (i.e. monthly) analyze the lead and lag indicators and make appropriate adjustments as needed.
While the lag measurements for the church don’t change (missional effectiveness and growing disciple-making disciples), the lead measures may need to shift. Identify your lead measures the best you can knowing you may need to tweak them or head in another direction. Ministry team leaders may have valuable insights for determining the best lead indicators. What is most important is that your leaders are paying attention to missional effectiveness and taking responsibility for ensuring the church is aligned and moving towards maturing and multiplying disciples.
