By Greg Curtis: Let’s face it. 2020 has taken a huge bite out of our volunteer apple.

As churches cautiously regather, many volunteers have chosen not to return because…

The spike in COVID makes them afraid to regather

They are in a high risk demographic

They are moving away due to the economic impact of 2020

They have gotten used to church online

They have changed churches during the shutdown

They felt the need for a break and now is their chance

Their reasons may vary, but the reality is that only 30% to 60% of church volunteers nationally are returning to serve at this point.

Because attendance averages are down as well, not quite as many volunteers are required to serve as before. But even before the pandemic, my church established a way of letting an overlooked group of people taste what it means to serve God and others. In fact, for years now we have earmarked volunteer positions in every ministry for this group of people. These are individuals who would not be allowed to serve in many churches.

Curious as to who they are? Meet Katie by clicking on the video before reading on. She represents someone from this group who recently begin serving at my church. I dare you to keep a lump from raising in your throat as you watch.

I love Katie’s story as she represents a group of people largely overlooked by churches: those who don’t know what they believe yet.

Many churches do not let people who are unsure about God or who have not made a commitment to following Jesus yet. I even know many large churches where you cannot serve unless you are a full fledged member.

I think this is a mistake for 2 reasons:

Jesus didn’t make disciples that way. In fact, his followers were serving alongside him for about a year and a half before one of them finally figured out who he was! (Matthew 16:13-20)/

Many people figure out who Jesus is by getting their hands dirty first. Seeing God move through them toward others (like Katie did) is what draws them to the discovery of who Jesus is for them.

As a result, I think serving is not for the discipled. It’s how you make a disciple.

Here are 3 things you can do over the next month or two to tap into this group for the sake of not just your church’s ministry, but for their own spiritual journeys.

Determine what qualifications are necessary for people who do not believe yet to serve at your church.

Our qualifications for them are these: they are regular attenders, they can show up on time, and they play well with others. If you have those 3 things going on, come serve with us. You can come up with your own. I just encourage you to define them.

Have each ministry leader at your church make a list of volunteer positions that could be filled by a “pre-christian”.

We call these “green level positions” I think around 20% of all your serving opportunities should be in this category. Here are the 3 levels of volunteers

Green means “go”: “Are you new to this, still exploring your faith but want to give back in some way?” These opportunities include things like data entry, tech team, playing a musical instrument, nursery, craft lab, facility maintenance, local compassion, greeting, and more.

Yellow means “caution”: “Do you consider yourself a new follower of Jesus or one who has not served through a local church before?” Let’s have you move into opportunities like being a next steps discussion leader, being a live chat moderator at our services, video editing, social media, info counter, virtually any team member.

Red means “stop”: “Have you been following Jesus for awhile now and want to expand his influence in a new way through your life? We would like to have some time get to know you and train you so you can consider roles like being a small group leader (in homes or online), Next Step Host, or a team leader of any kind.. Stoping allows time for these people to hav their readiness assessed so they and others do not have a negative experience serving or being served.

Communicate these opportunities where new people at your church gather.

I suggest communicating your entry/”green” level positions in these ways:

On your website. Make a webpage where people can not only see these opportunities, but sign up for them.

Through your team leaders. If they know which positions are “green” and know people that are still processing their faith in their relationship circle, empower them to invite them to serve on their team.

At your One Program for guests. We have a connection environment called Next Steps where new people to church can identify what they have to offer and match it to our entry level opportunities to serve. Watching this happen is one of the most meaningful things I get to witness in my role.

At physical Next Steps and at Next Steps Online, guests are given links to forms so a volunteer champ can set up an orientation, interviews, and training so they can be onboarded.

If this kind of approach to volunteering intrigues you, get my online course. Watch session 5 on volunteer placement processes and how to automate them for every department in your church through a volunteer champ system. You won’t regret acting on that concept.

In the mean time, try leading your team through the discussion below and land the plane on making disciples by creating volunteers out of people like Katie-people who are not sure what they believe yet.

Once they see God use them, the game could change forever.

1. What qualifications for serving do you think Jesus has for new people exploring faith at your church? List them.

2. What kind of volunteer roles are appropriate, even advantageous for people still exploring faith to serve in?

3. How will you make these easily available to this group of potential volunteers so they can jump in easily?

4. When will you have this new recruitment emphasis in place?

If you would like more resources like this delivered to your inbox 2or 3 times a month, let me know here:

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Source: A way to add new volunteers to your teams this year that you are probably overlooking.

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by Greg Curtis: It’s a humbling experience to be speaking alongside thought leaders of this caliber. I am so excited about this conference and the help it will give to all of us who strive to serve and connect guests….and it’s coming in just a few weeks from now!

Are you concerned about the number of guests you are able to connect in the current and post COVID world?

Sherpas leading guests on their climb to connect at your church will benefit greatly from this conference.

Register for the conference now and enter promo code CURTIS to save $20!

I will be doing a session on how to create an online program that actually connects guests to small groups and ministry teams. Others in the line up will be bringing their A-game on other topics that are crucial to understanding guests in the New Normal. With people like Rick Warren, Carey Nieuwhof, Nona Jones, and Bob Goff speaking reality and empowering insights to steady us and our teams, this conference is not be missed.

So, if you want to become a more welcoming church and help your in-person and online guests take their next steps, then click here to get your ticket for the First Impressions Conference.

Can’t wait to see you there, my friends,

Here are just some of the others in the line up…..

P.S. Click here and enter promo code TEXT to save $20 when you register for the First Impressions Conference so you can lead your church with innovation, purpose, and clarity.

Source: Ideas and strategies for church guests in the “New Normal”.

The post Ideas and strategies for church guests in the "New Normal". appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: New Life Christian Church

It has been almost 5 months since this pandemic has impacted and altered our way of life in so many ways. That is almost half a year! And, by the look of it, this pandemic will continue to impact us for many more months to come.

At first, it was an interesting challenge to be inside and to watch Church Online and connect with others on Zoom. Now, that has tired. People want to get out and resume some sort of normal life, a life like we once had.

But what if this pandemic was a blessing? What if it was a wake up call that the life we once had was not good enough? What if it was God trying to refocus us on what matters most?

The Bible says in Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” So what does that mean in the midst of this pandemic? How can you stay strong in your faith and encouraged at what God is doing around us? At this time, let’s draw close to God and see what He does in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Here are some ideas:

Pray. Prayers are powerful and make an impact, not just for the situation we are praying about, but for us as well as we give our thoughts and concerns over to God, letting Him take control. Pray that God would provide you with opportunities to minister and serve your community. Also, pray for the Church, both New Life and all the Churches around the world. Take time also to listen to God’s voice as you pray allowing God opportunities to speak to you.

Stay Engaged. Let’s be honest, being online all the time is hard. But in order to stay connected in community, it can still be very valuable to your spiritual growth. Experience Church Online every Sunday or throughout the week here or get plugged into an online prayer or Small Group here. As you feel comfortable, also look for opportunities to stay engaged in person as well. You can have an in person group or experience Church in person each week. These are great ways you can still stay engaged no matter what is happening around us.

Act on Opportunities. As you pray, ask God to open your eyes to opportunities. While some of the old opportunities we had no longer exist, there are plenty of new ones right in your community.  For instance, have you heard about the Neighborhood Champions opportunity? Our Family Minister, Elinor Kinnier, is working on ways communities can come together and support each other during this time, especially as school starts. Find out more about this amazing opportunity by emailing her.

Keep Giving. Even if time is hard and you cannot personally act on some opportunities, stay committed to giving financially. The needs are different now but ministry is still happening. We have all been blessed by God, keep giving sacrificially to the different ministry opportunities happening now and in the future. If you would like to give today, you can here.

Look to serve. Were you serving at New Life in some capacity before the pandemic hit? Even though that role may no longer exist or has changed in some way, that doesn’t mean we don’t need you! It’s simply a new game with new roles and opportunities. Can you hold a camera? Are you willing to learn how to edit video? Would you be willing to serve the homeless population? Can you help collect hygiene products for children in need? Find out where the serving needs are and be part of the solution by clicking here.

While the world has changed, God is still at work and there are lots of different opportunities for you to grow in your faith in the months ahead.

What will you do?

Source: Next Steps You Can Take During this Pandemic

The post Next Steps You Can Take During this Pandemic appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: Stan Rodda

Every now and then someone has asked me a question along these lines, “How do I know when someone is ready to be discipled?” The short answer is simply discernment. We need to be in tune enough with the Holy Spirit to know when someone near us is ready to be challenged and invited into a next step. But without discernment, there are some qualities to look for in a person to know when they might be ripe for harvest.

But if you are looking for a practical tool, I like a simple tool called, “FATSO.” This tool will work for you whether you are a pastor, ministry leader or a lay person simply trying to make disciples in your workplace or neighborhood. It helps you identify people in your sphere of influence who are ready to be invited into a next step or to ultimately say “Yes” to Jesus.

Let’s walk through through this tool together. FATSO stands for…

Faithful

People most likely to follow you into a next step of being discipled or saying “Yes” to Jesus, are people who are already faithful to you. They believe in you. They have attended your church for some time and are the first to arrive and the last to leave. They are all in on the ministry God has given them. They show up every time. They are faithful people.

Available

Available people are the “anytime, anywhere” kind of people. You tell me what to do and I’m on it. What time do you want me there? I’ll be five minutes early. Oh, you’re having a meeting? Count me in. They are available to the ministry or church you lead. Or they are the neighbor that always shows up. If you host a cook out at your home, they can’t wait to be there. They are available to you when you move toward something. Look for people who always show up.

Teachable

We all have things to learn when it comes to disciple making and following Jesus. None of us is perfect or knows all the answers 100% of the time. So when looking for someone to disciple, you’re looking for a teachable person. When someone simply wants to get together with you to argue theology or to point out a mistake you made in your sermon when you called out a reference and were off by one chapter, they may not be a teachable or humble enough person to move to the next step. Disciple making requires teachability.

Sendable

The sendable person will go where you point. It’s the example of Jesus with His disciples in Luke 10. Go to those villages over there. He pointed and sent them. Sendable people are with you wherever you go. If you need them somewhere, they get there quickly. They are sendable.

Obedient

Similar to sendable are obedient people. When Jesus sent His followers to villages ahead of Him, they not only went, but were obedient in proclaiming the message He gave them. Your obedient types will not only go where you point, but they will share the Gospel, tell their story or pray with a neighbor on the sidewalk. But far more important than them being obedient to a homework assignment or next step, is them being obedient to the voice of God in their lives. As they hear God’s voice and obey, they start to hear the unique calling and direction God has for them. And when God calls, they are obedient to His voice.

Some of the people most likely to walk with you in a disciple making relationship are FATSO’s. Obviously, this isn’t a foundational truth across the board. Sometimes outliers will surprise you when they show up and you’re shocked they are there. That has happened to me before. But overall, FATSO is a great identifying tool to help you discern who is ready to be discipled.

I hope this tool helps you make disciples right where you are. If you find it useful, I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment and share your story of how FATSO helped you identify someone who was ready to make disciples and what God is doing in their life now.

Let’s take Kingdom territory!

Source: 5 Ways To Know Someone Is Ready For A Next Step

The post 5 Ways To Know Someone Is Ready For A Next Step appeared first on Passion for Planting.

By: Stan Rodda

A preacher stands up in front of their church and says, “We need to go out and make disciples. Here’s how we’re going to do it.” What’s your first thought?

Or maybe it’s in your small group. You have been through a study on the Great Commission and the leader decides it’s time to do something. They say, “We’re going to take some practical steps forward and begin reaching our community with the Gospel.” What’s your first thought?

If you’re like many followers of Jesus, fear has already set in just thinking about this idea. Talk to a neighbor/friend/co-worker about Jesus? Share the Gospel? But I’ve never been to Bible College. I don’t know how to preach. I haven’t studied enough. That’s the preacher’s job.

This isn’t an uncommon thought nor is it anything to shy away from. Jesus lives this out very simply on more than one occasion. It seems he makes it a regular part of His strategy to reach people. You’re going to be surprised how simple it is to take a strategic step forward in sharing the Gospel. Ready to hear the answer?

Eat a meal with someone who needs Jesus!

Let’s look at one biblical example of this.

Zacchaeus was up in a tree trying to just get a glimpse of Jesus as He walks through town. Jesus stops in Luke 19 for this encounter, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today I must stay at your house.” [Luke 19:5 CSB]

One of Jesus’ first steps when it came to introducing people to the Gospel was to simply eat with them. And in the climate we are currently experiencing in the United States, this simple step has the power to disarm and unite all of us around the message of Jesus. I was extremely encouraged by this recently while watching New Life’s livestream chat on a Sunday morning.

One Sunday Morning on the Livestream…

Each week on Sunday morning, our church utilizes a livestream to share our services with the world. That livestream comes with a chat feature where our chat hosts monitor and connect with people who are chatting back and forth during the service.

After the murder of George Floyd, many people were looking to the church for answers to their questions, to see how followers of Jesus would respond. And I want to share with you a great example of what this strategic step in disciple making looks like. One lady was asking questions and making statements about George Floyd in the chat. She was hurting and for good reason. I was so encouraged by the response of New Lifers.

New Lifer’s Response:

“I can sense you are hurting and you have a story to share. Would you be willing to get a cup of coffee with me soon so we can talk personally?”

“I am so sorry you are hurting. Would you send me a private message on Facebook so we can talk more?”

Way to go, New Lifers!! I was so encouraged by this.

Sometimes in a digital world when everyone is looking for a quick sound bite or meme to prove their point, followers of Jesus can use it to open a dialogue and share the love of Jesus. I want to encourage you by saying, “Don’t over complicate disciple making.” Sometimes it’s as simple as sharing a meal with someone who is hurting, who needs Jesus, who needs a friend. Maybe for you the first step of making a disciple happens online, engaging in a conversation with someone and simply responding, “I would like to hear your story. Can we meet up to talk?”

How do you hear God asking you to obey?

Maybe it’s the name of a friend you can hear in your ears. The face of a co-worker that is coming to mind. Pray for God to go before you, to give you boldness as you invite them to more. If you do, I’d love to hear how it goes. Please share your stories in the comments or message them to me here.

Source: When Eating A Meal Turns Spiritual

The post When Eating A Meal Turns Spiritual appeared first on Passion for Planting.

Source: How to Help People Take Next Steps During COVID-19

The post How to Help People Take Next Steps During COVID-19 appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Greg Curtis: Here is a photo of Michelle and I once we made it down the long road to the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane. We are standing in front of what is the oldest Olive Tree in the garden, around a thousand years old.

I recently got back from a bucket list trip to Israel. This is the kind of trip you hope you will get to go on someday and pray it doesn’t let you down.

It did not.

People asked me what I was looking forward to seeing the most. I told them I didn’t want to even go there mentally because I suspected that what I was looking forward to might be eclipsed by things I didn’t even know we were going to see.

That is exactly what happened.

One of those surprise locations was discovered when we got off the bus in Jerusalem. We were on a bluff with a fantastic view of the old city. With a guide ahead of us, he got us access to an old stone road, framed in high walls with a steep decline down toward the valley in front of the city. It had security cameras, occasional wood doors that seemed to offer some kind of access to the kind of stone homes you would visualize a scene from the Bible to take place in. Parts were asphalted, some parts not.

Long, uneven, winding and descending, this was the road that Jesus came into Jerusalem on, riding a donkey the Sunday before his execution.

As I descended, I was awed that I was actually walking the road I had seen on flannel graphs in Sunday School growing up so many Palm Sundays. I had no idea this was what we were going to do on this particular day. But as I watched people from all over the world walk this road with me, a couple principles about connecting with people came to mind.

Two principles to keep in mind for connecting people at your church:

I took this photo on the same road that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on. Picture palms and praise happening on this road, but also note how it had no other options but down through the Kidron Valley and up to the Eastern Gate into the Old City. Our connection path for guests to enter into our church community should be as singular and clear as this.

Make your connection path clear and singular.

I was struck by the high walls and the narrow road that formed this old road into Jerusalem. As it exists now, there’s really no escaping it. Once you go through its locked entrance gate, you will walk this road until it reaches its destination, period. Walking downhill like this, it is also difficult to turn back and go uphill against the crowd.

This made me think of a warning I find myself sharing with Sherpa Leaders who want to create engagement pathways for their guests. The warning is this: Don’t offer guests multiple choice. If you do, they will always choose D) None of the above. Like this road into Jerusalem, offer one connection path they can say yes or no to.

We live in an age where we are inundated by information and options. As a result, we are often in a state of decision fatigue. The “Have it your way” Burger King approach to customer service has been replaced by the “In & Out experience”. In California where I live, In & Out Burger pretty much offers just one thing to order. The only choice is whether to make it a double.

People are paying now for information to be distilled into decisions for them due to decision fatigue. Some have their groceries delivered and chosen for them by others via an app. Some now do this with clothing and wine. Others just stay with the tried and true, foregoing a cheaper price at the Costco-type warehouses around them, opting instead for a smaller less overwhelming market where the choices may be more expensive, but fewer and known.

Please hear this: The same is true for your guests this weekend at church. Trust me: they don’t want to hear about your women’s retreat, men’s work day, every kind of small group, and multiple ways to serve and get involved. They just want to connect and in order to do so, they want one option that looks like it will deliver on that. One option that they can say yes or no to. That’s one option. One.

As a leader, this should inform you in multiple scenarios in your entire church, especially when it comes to growing a follower of Jesus: Have only one ask at the end of any event, program, or environment you create. The good news about this is that you get to decide what you want them to say yes or no to. 100 people saying yes to one thing beats 5 groups of 10 saying yes to 5 things. Yes the number of responders are cut in half because people don’t come to church to evaluate choices you lay before them. They are looking for hope, comfort, grace and God…not a menu.

Offering multiple options creates sidewise energy. Having one clear path you point all guests to that they can choose to walk or not allows you and them to put all your energies into that option and the results become exponential.

For example: At my church, we have no info material at our info counter. None. Why? Because the answer to every question (except “Where’s the bathroom?” and “Is there a doctor in the house?”) is “Next Steps” which is our connection pathway. We’ve designed it to answer every question a guest has.

Similarly, at each of the 4 weekly steps of Next Steps, there is only one ask:

Week One: Follow Jesus

Week Two: Join a small group

Week Three: Serve on a ministry team

Week Four: Try a Compassion Project

Leveraging this simplicity, this year (2020) in Next Steps campus wide we have…

Week One: 31% making a decision to follow Jesus

Week Two: 59% sign up for a small group

Week Three: 73% Choose a ministry team to serve on

Week Four: 65% Express interest in a Compassion Project

Some years we have bested that. If we promoted everything at our church with several asks, I believe those responses would be less than half of what they are. So hear me on this. We cannot afford to dilute a guest’s focus, energy and effort. We must decide what is important and build walls on either side of the pathway so that it leads to just one important step, the best step for them as new or growing Christ followers.

On the road that Jesus came into Jerusalem on, there was only one option: down to the valley that leads to the old city. Our connection path for guest should be that simple. Which leads me to the 2nd principle…

Make your connection path simple, not necessarily easy. There’s a difference.

I took this shot shortly after we began descending toward the valley on the Palm Sunday route. That’s Diane with her cain holding the railing that soon disappeared as we made the descent.

Two days before we got on the plane for Israel, I looked down and one of my knees was swollen. I don’t know why. It just puffed up like a blowfish for reasons unknown to me. So armed with a knee brace I bought at CVS, I slid it on and started the paths and narrow stone stairways that are the ancients ways of getting around in Israel.

It hurt when we went down the Palm Sunday route toward Jerusalem, especially due to the decline. But my challenge was nothing compared to a very fun older lady (let’s call her Diane) who due to her age had a walker or a cane for the entire trip. She is in the photo to the right, holding onto the railing, a railing that was only present for a few yards of the long journey down. But we waited for Diane when we needed to, and her family helped her as well. It was a lot more challenging for her than for me.

What made Diane, myself and others struggling with pain continue on this road with enthusiasm despite our issues? The destination. We were headed to the Garden of Gethsemane, an olive grove where Jesus wrestled in prayer and was arrested. So much of our story begins in this grove that wasn’t really a Garden as we would think of it. It was a working farm that produced the olive oil that was fuel for all their lamps and gave light to the city.

Here’s what I want to remind you of: Where your connection path leads allows you to ask more of those walking it. When you are leading them towards an environment they want to experience or even feel a need for, they will do what you ask, even if its not easy.

When we transitioned from a quarterly 7-week connection experience to a 4 week monthly one, there was some vital content that guests found valuable in making a connection with us that could no longer fit. Rather than throw it away, we took a risk. We added 2 additional “Go Deeper” opportunities to the 3 assignments they already get to complete each week at Next Steps. These “Go Deepers” come in the form of 9 to 30 minute long videos with blanks in their books to fill in. I incentivized the completion of them with a swag gift for everyone at the table with the highest percentage of completion, evidenced by all the blanks filled in. When we launched it, I told myself that I would have been thrilled to have 20% to 30% of guest complete them each week. I was shocked to see 80% to 100% complete them (much to the depletion of our swag budget!).

We discovered that guests love investing an extra hour each week in these Go Deepers because they contain some life giving information that helps them in their journey (not a walk through our statement of faith or our church’s position on specific issues). They come back describing their value, many times through tears.

My learning to pass on to you is this: Though your connection path needs to be simple, do not shrink away from tasks or assignments that have real and obvious value to them because if the destination is desirable, they will do it.

Just ask Diane and I. We would both say yes to a challenge that leads to something meaningful. We powered through our bad knees and got to a section of the garden that not everyone gets to see. It was a part cared for by the Franciscans and we were allowed to explore it and find a our own niche in it for a prolonged period of solitary prayer like Jesus did. It was sooooo worth it.

Make sure what you ask of guests is worth it too, even if it’s not easy. They will do it.

This photo is of a small corner of a large section of the Garden of Gethsemane walled off for private prayer. This was why we ignored our swollen knees and kept walking downhill and it was so worth it.

If you were to ask the following people how a guest can connect and get involved at your church, what would they say?

The Senior Pastor

A random staff person

The average church member

A guest

If there are different answers, why is that? Is it…

a) There is no specified way to connect and get involved

b) There are multiple ways for them to connect and get involved

c) There is a specified way but it is not promoted well

d) Other

What needs to happen next in order to have a singular well promoted and effective connection pathway for guests at your church?

a) Have someone meet with our staff this year to form a more effective connection path for our church (click here for my best resource for that)

b) Learn all the necessary ingredients of a successful assimilation strategy so I can evaluate where we are really at (click here for a resource I have for learning this quickly)

c) Get more education and training about what it takes to even have a successful assimilation strategy (click here for my best educational resource)

d) Learn some dos and don’t for effectively promoting your connection pathway. (click here for help with that)

To receive more resources and ideas on connecting people well at your church each month, let me know briefly who you are below:

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Source: Two principals I learned in Jerusalem that will help you connect new people at your church

The post Two principals I learned in Jerusalem that will help you connect new people at your church appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Rich Birch: Too often, church leaders only pay attention to weekend attendance and revenue patterns at their churches. Sometimes these numbers are referred to as “nickels and noses” or maybe the slightly more vulgar “butts and bucks.” However, there are many other factors to consider if we’re trying to understand what’s really happening inside our churches.

Attendance and revenue numbers are limited indicators; they are simply the result of other things taking place. To have a true understanding of how our churches are growing, we need to dive into leading indicators.

Leading indicators are numbers that demonstrate what’s happening under the hood of your church and reveal the direction it’s heading.

We measure and study those numbers because we believe that if we focus on measuring, we will see a greater difference in the lives of the people in our church and in the community that we serve. It’s been said that what we measure is what really matters to us. If we consistently only report on attendance and revenue numbers, then we send a subtle message to our leadership team that at the end of the day the only thing we care about are bigger numbers and more money.

We also need to move beyond how we feel about what’s happening at our church and look at the truth of the situation. Part of being a leader is defining reality, and numbers have a way of both doing that and sobering leaders in the process. Too many times I’ve heard church leaders talk about how they feel about what’s happening in their churches, but those feelings aren’t connected to reality in any way. Instead, we should be looking at numbers that reflect the truth about what’s actually happening at church.

An executive pastor or key team member should undertake the important practice of examining these numbers on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. Keeping these metrics in front of your people can help the church develop strategies and approaches that drive your church to be more effective. Prevailing churches often have dashboards that they generate internally and distribute (via email or through other reporting mechanisms) that present these numbers graphically in order to keep people who aren’t interested in spreadsheets keyed in on what’s happening at the church.

The question for us is what numbers should we be looking at outside of attendance and revenue? Here are seven other areas that you can regularly study to help you understand what’s taking place in your ministry.

New-here Guests

When a church leader talks to me about growth, I frequently find myself asking them about their new guest numbers. Understanding the ratio of new-here guests to your total average attendance can provide a clearer picture of what’s happening from an evangelistic perspective. This important indicator demonstrates whether or not the church is drawing in new people on a regular basis.

A good rule of thumb to follow is this: The yearly average number of new-here guests should be equal to the average number of regular attendees on a single Sunday at your church.

Example 1: If your church averages 200 people on a Sunday, then every weekend you should be averaging about four guests per weekend.

Example 2: If your church has 500 people in attendance on a regular basis, then every weekend it would be reasonable for you to see 10 new guests.

If your church typically averages less than that ratio, it could be that your new-here process isn’t robust enough or you’re not effectively gathering information from your new-here guests to get them connected. Likewise, it could be that your front door simply isn’t wide enough and that you need to spend more time reaching out to your community.

Year-to-year Growth

I’m constantly surprised that many church leadership teams fail to reflect on what their regular attendance was a year ago in comparison to today. This is a relatively simple way to see what’s happening in the life of your church. By comparing numbers from year to year, you can quickly get a sense of the momentum that has been gained or lost in your church over the last year.

I suspect many churches don’t report their year-to-year attendance numbers because they’re concerned that it will show that their church has flatlined or is in decline. However, keeping that number in front of leaders will force people to ask, what are we doing to reach more people this year than we did last year? If, in a worst case scenario, your church is in decline, ask yourself, “why aren’t we growing, and why aren’t we impacting more people than we did at this point last year?”

Percentage of Volunteers

This is an important health metric for the church. In fact, I see this number as a core reflection of growth and potential for the future of a church. Oftentimes, churches that have plateaued or are in decline see somewhere around 20% of their people serving on a regular basis. You’ve heard the old adage that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. Well, that’s not a good percentage ratio for your church.

Engagement is critically important to a growing church and ensuring that your community has a high percentage of people serving regularly is an important factor that ensures engagement is possible. Tony Morgan states that 45% of your adults need to be serving in one way or another. This percentage is relatively consistent with numbers I’ve seen in growing churches; on any given weekend, 30% of the adults are volunteering in one way or another.

Let’s do the math: if your church had 300 people in attendance last weekend, it would be reasonable and appropriate to see 100 people serving next weekend.

What that number of volunteers does is provide a high level of service for your guests by aiding and driving growth. Volunteer percentage is a critically important piece of the puzzle that is necessary for us to understand what’s happening in the lives of our churches.

First-time Volunteers

An even more granular number to look at is the inflow of volunteers that serve on a regular basis. If you are not seeing a consistent increase in the number of people volunteering, it is clear something is happening to stunt engagement and the future health of your church.

If your volunteer influx reaches zero, you have a pipeline problem that you will not necessarily feel the pain of today but certainly will in six months to a year. In fact, by the time you feel that zero new volunteers are serving, it’s too late, and you’ve already entered into a volunteer engagement crisis that is difficult to recover from.

Ask yourself this question: how many first-time volunteers have we had in the past, how many do we have today, and is that number growing? If you’re averaging one new first-time volunteer every weekend, the question becomes how can you increase that percentage in the coming year? The trajectory of this number is more important than the absolute number.

Next-steps Indicators

Are people responding to what’s happening in the life of your church? Is there tangible evidence that the ministry is making a difference in people’s lives? Are people taking steps closer to Jesus? Where in the life of your church can you see new spiritual development? Are people signing up for your new believers’ class? What are the baptism numbers this year?

Finding a way to track next-steps indicators is an important way to examine the softer side of our ministry. Again, if these numbers atrophy, it’s an indicator that we need to change and adjust what we’re doing. We won’t feel the pain right away, but a year or two down the road our ministry will stall and begin to recede.

Gallons of Coffee Drank

This one’s a little bit tongue-in-cheek, but I do think there’s something important about trying to quantify and track community that’s taking place at your church. I know for us, offering coffee after our services provides a quantifiable number that shows how many people slowed down to talk to each other on a Sunday morning. If people aren’t taking the time to interact with one another, it indicates that we have a larger community problem.

While I understand that gathering in small groups develops a greater sense of community than a Sunday morning gathering, we don’t want our Sunday mornings to feel like a show. We don’t want people to arrive and feel so rushed to leave that they can’t slow down, grab a coffee, and talk with members of their church family. So, while gallons of coffee drank may seem like a funny metric to keep an eye on, the question I would have for you is what are some other ways that you could quantify community happening within your church on a Sunday morning?

Kids to Adults Ratio

Looking at the broader impact of your church, we need to consider how we’re reaching the next generation. Churches that are impacting their community are obsessed with reaching the next generation. They spend a lot of time, effort, and energy on reaching young people and getting them connected to the church. They spend resources to ensure these ministries are led and funded well and that should translate into regular interactions with the kids.

I’ve spoken with a number of church leaders whose churches are in the final gasps of death, and one commonality between all those conversations is an expressed sadness over the fact that there are no kids left in the church, that the Sunday school or kids’ ministry is sitting empty. Keeping a close eye on this ratio over time will give you a sense of the long-term trajectory of your church.

Tony Morgan states that 20% of your community needs to be reflected in your kids’ ministry. I’ve seen these numbers grow as high as 30%, or even close to 40% in some churches, which (to me) represents a healthy future. It says that this church is attracting young families and people who are in some of the most important decision-making times of their lives. In fact, 50% of all people who make decisions for Christ do so before the age of 13; as such, our churches need to think clearly about how we’re reaching and affecting the next generation.

What are some other numbers you’re tracking?

Looking just at “nickels and noses” gives you a flat indication of what’s happening in the life of your church. Taking a step back and looking at these other indicators gives you a fuller picture of what’s happening in the life of your church. It’s the difference between a black and white picture and a 3-D image.

What other metrics are you tracking in your church? How are you getting these metrics in front of people? What ways should you be presenting these numbers so that they tell the story about what God is doing in the life of your church? Every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story matters to God. Tracking numbers is ultimately about getting a clear picture of what God is doing in the life of people in our community.

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Source: 7 Other Weekend Metrics Church Leaders Should Study Regularly – unSeminary

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