Our friend Jay Hardwick had this to say several months ago and I’m still wrestling with its application in my life.
From Jan. 17, 2008:
Success in launching a movement that really does lead people to Jesus and transforms cities one life at a time is largely determined by the scorecard we carry around with us. Let’s face it, we all want to know if we’re winning…and we should. But, what’s on the scorecard is the first priority.
My new friend Hugh Halter is leading a movement in Denver, CO and around the world. I’m still getting to know Hugh, but he has already stretched my thinking and helped solidify some things in my mind. He recently posted some new scorecard items to consider:
In the past, the Christendom report cards measured numbers in attendance, number of salivations, number of small groups, number of new churches, or budget numbers. Essentially “numbers.” Even though we all felt as though this can’t be God’s measurements, we found it hard to break free and find other thing to look at to see if we were being good leaders for God.
Without getting into too much detail, let me throw out a few ways we evaluate our faithfulness to God’s call. Because most of us are dysfunctional westerns who can’t count movement, I’ll guise it in the idea of numbers. These will be in no particular order of importance.
- Number of new relationships formed where I know their names and they know mine.
- Number of people who have been uniquely blessed by me and my community.
- Number of people who invite me to be with their friends who don’t follow Christ.
- Number of ways, my street, neighborhood, or community are more livable because of my influence.
- Number of Christians that are actively confronting their consumerism and making adjustments at the life level.
- Number of Christians that I ask or persuade NOT to go on mission with us.
- Number of incarnational communities that commit to form around benevolent action instead of just a bible study.
- How long people remain at our weekly gathering after the formalities are over.
- Number of community-based initiatives our people are supporting with their time or money.
- Number of young leaders we’re intentionally developing.
- Number of people baptized: Still is a great guide to judge a persons commitment to follow Christ with the community.
- Number of Bibles purchased because someone asked for one.
Long term, we do expect that churches will be born and that financial statements will increase and that conversions will be easy to find. But we don’t start there or expect it prematurely. If you begin with the old goals in mind, you won’t live out the incarnational presence of Christ one person at a time. If you start with the latter, you’ll eventually find that people are following you and that they stay together in a missional form called…a church.
Make sure you read the entire post so you get the full context.