What’s Your Church’s Footprint?

By Robin G. Jordan

In Jennifer Kabbany’s article, “Outreach … And Grace: theChurch.at,”  posted on the Outreach magazine website, senior pastor Alex Himaya responds to the question, “If your church disappeared tomorrow, would your community notice or care?” His answer is a resounding “yes.”

Whether we are a church leader, we should always be asking this question.

Not too long ago the lead pastor of the Journey, the church with which I am sojourning, invited all the members of church’s small groups to ask themselves the same question, “If the Journey disappeared tomorrow, would anyone notice or care?”

This question is a useful one to help church leaders assess their church’s “footprint,” its impact on the community, the region, and the world. It is also a useful one to help church members assess their own contribution to their church’s footprint.

Some churches leave such a light footprint, make so little an impact, that no one would miss them. Except for the handful of people who attend their worship gatherings, no one may know that they even exist. They may go through their entire life cycle—from birth to death—and no one may be aware of their existence. They do not make disciples; they do not transform lives.

If your church disappeared tomorrow, would anyone miss it? Who? And why?