How are things going at church? Pastors often get that question. Sometimes we like answering it, and at other times, we don’t.
Actually, the answer to that question depends on what things you’re asking about. The Great Commission is a disciple-making mandate, and disciple making is a multi-step process.
For example, one important metric in that process is baptisms. In Matthew 28, Jesus commanded His disciples to baptize new believers. We rightly celebrate new life in Christ through baptism. So, if we want to know how things are going at church, we look at the number of people baptized in a given year. This means we must focus on discipling our churches in the way of evangelism—especially since just two years ago, more than half (55%) of churchgoers said they hadn’t shared the gospel in the past six months.
The Great Commission, however, also includes other metrics. Jesus told the disciples to teach new believers all that He had commanded them. So again, in church life, another measure of health is how many people attend small groups or other Bible study opportunities.
There are a number of vital statistics that mark the health of a church and its impact in the kingdom. Read More
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