An Alternative to Strategic Planning: How Will We Know We are Making a Difference?

Although I am not certain, I believe it was W. Edwards Deming said, “What gets measured gets done.” The grammar seems a bit tortured, but the idea is clear—unless you have some measurement for an activity, you probably won’t do it. This applies not only to jotting down on a calendar or logging in an app how much you exercise, but we what do in ministry as well.

If we are going to take the time to plan and execute a ministry, shouldn’t we take the time to measure its effectiveness? The problem is that the church is behind on identifying, keeping, and celebrating metrics for effective ministry in the twenty-first century.

The default for most churches is usually “nickels and noses”—what are our offerings and how many are in the pews? I won’t argue that stewardship and participation are not important, but how do we measure Christian growth and missional engagement among other things?

Let’s acknowledge that this is an issue for the church at large; however, in the context of planning, how will we measure the effectiveness of a new process or ministry? The metrics arise out of the nature of the activity.

Perhaps we are offering a tutoring program in a local school in order to increase student achievement and accountability. We might ask the children’s teachers to provide feedback, even if it is anonymous. Have the children’s grades improved? Do they relate to their peers in healthier ways?

We may be providing a program to assist the working poor to increase their job skills and find more remunerative positions. How many have been able to do this? Have their living conditions improved?

The activity may be something we are doing within the walls of the church. For example, we are helping church members develop spiritual practices to enhance their growth as believers. We can always check in with them about what they are doing and how often they do it, but here is where more subjective measures might be used: What is God teaching you through your spiritual practices? What are you being led to do that you have never done before?

As we reflect on such measures, we learn what we can celebrate, what we should change, and what new ministries we might pursue in the future.

Just as the church’s ministries have been evolving over the last two thousand years, they will continue to change and grow if we pay attention!

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