You can’t measure anything unless you count. How do you know if a diet is working – count the pounds. How do you know if your car is getting optimum gas mileage – count the miles per gallon. How do you know if you baptized 10 people this year – count!
Numbers are important. They are not the definition to everything. There are times that growth is occurring in the life of a congregation and the numbers might not show it. Unless of course you count the increased number of people praying – studying – meeting together. Ahh, you see even when some numbers don’t show growth other numbers do. You can’t get around it – numbers are important.
Numbers are important in the Bible – we shouldn’t be scared of them… 10 Bridesmaids, Forgive 70 times 7, Peter denied Jesus 3 times, Jesus spent 3 days in the tomb. There are 10 commandments and the shepherd left 99 sheep to search for 1.
How do you know if God is moving? I’ve heard, “we feel that God is moving.” That’s weak because some will say, they don’t feel a thing. Feelings are too subjective when determining if things are moving forward. You have to know numbers. It’s a strong method of determining if things are working.
In India – 30,000 people a day are being added to the church. That number is doubled for China. In Pakistan one church planted 6 more churches in one week! While in America – 16% of people far from God are saying – no thank you! But think about that before you shake your head in disgust. 84% are thinking about it.
Reggie McNeal recently said, the church should be like an airport – it helps get people to the right destination. The airport is never the destination. Growing the church is not the mission. The church doesn’t have a mission – this mission has the church.
How can we count if the mission has us?
No comments:
Post a Comment