How Does a Church Measure Success?

How do we know when a church is successful? It seems that the most common measurement of success is how large a crowd we attract. We try not to do this but it is always the pastors of the largest churches that are asked to speak at conferences and write books for the big name publishers.

On the other side of that coin, often pastors of churches that do not attract large crowds tend to discount any significance to how many people come to worship as important or meaningful as to the impact of their ministry. Honestly, in many ways, this is just a case of sour grapes. If we did begin to attract a large attendance we would suddenly see such “success” as a result of the many things we were doing right. Several years ago I read of a researcher who interviewed pastors of two churches that were within a mile of each other. The first was the pastor of a church with over 2000 in weekly attendance. When asked the secret of his success he replied, “It is because we unashamedly preach the clear word of God.” Next the pastor of a church will an average attendance of well under 100 per week was asked, “Why do you think so few people attend your church?” His reply, “Because we unashamedly preach the clear word of God.” You see, whether attracting a crowd or not, most of us preacher types believe that how we are doing church is the “right” way to do church.

Most of us, in a fit of honesty, would answer the question of does attracting a crowd for worship services mean a church is successful, with a resounding “No!” We would say that but we don’t act much like we really believe that. Churches rarely begin a search for a new pastor when the attendance numbers are climbing. Board meetings are seldom as contentious as board meetings can tend to be when the budget is being met. Pastors of declining churches are not often considered as candidates to pastor of larger churches. Just as in most of our culture, in the church, more is better.

And it seems we will do almost anything to attract more people and bring in more money. Please understand, I am not against the church I am serving attracting larger worship attendance or having more money to invest in doing the ministry God has called us to do. But are we attracting an audience? Are we attracting club members? Are we attracting the uncommitted and unchanged? Are we making members (Whatever that means.), or are we following the Biblical call of Jesus to make disciples. Some would say you have to attract them before you can change them. And that is true. I am a great believer that to be a God honoring church does NOT mean the church must be boring, judgmental, out of touch, technologically challenged, stiff and humorless. The church needs to be as attractive as Jesus obviously was.

But when push comes to shove we, the church, are ultimately called to make disciples. And a shallow, fuzzy, easy come – easy go, indifferent, what’s the least called for approach is not going to produce what God is calling us to do and be and produce. Not everyone, and probably not the majority, are going to be willing to become a disciple of Christ. For that entails accepting Jesus, not as a friend or a good idea or even as a savior. The Biblical model calls for accepting Jesus as Lord. Frankly, I find it easier to accept Jesus as Lord of the universe than to accept him as Lord of my life.

With whatever means we are using to attract and win people to Christianity, what exactly are we winning them to? Club membership in the “We’re all going to heaven club.” Or the “We are going to be politically active and thus change the world club.” Or the “We are right and everyone else is wrong club.” Decades ago A. W. Tozer addressed the question of what is the church doing – what are we winning people to. He wrote: “Winning them to what? To true discipleship? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world? To crucifixion of the flesh? To holy living? To nobility of character? To a despising of the world’s treasures? To hard self-discipline? To love for God? To total committal to Christ? Of course the answer to all these questions is no.”

We, the church, will continue to struggle with how to measure our success. Perhaps we need to figure out what we are supposed to be doing, what we are supposed to be producing, before we will know if we are succeeding or not. Peter Drucker has said that the product of any not-for-profit organization is changed lives. The church calls that making disciples. So, church, how are we doing?

Copyright © 2015, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved

Bill McConnell is Senior Minister at Lindenwood Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee and is a Church Transformation consultant and a Christian Leadership Coach. He is a frequent speaker at Church Transformation events. His latest book on church transformation is DEVELOPING A SIGNIFICANT CHURCH and is available at Westbow Press. He can be contacted @ bill45053@gmail.com. Connect with him on Facebook @ William T. McConnell or on Twitter @billmc45053 or visit his Amazon Author Page @ Amazon