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Meaningful Record Keeping

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Meaningful record-keeping becomes more difficult in a digital age. How do we use those records to assess what’s happening in our churches and where we should go from there?

In an age of streaming worship services, zoom meetings, and the like, what measure should we use? What kind of records should we keep?

number of views?
how long they stayed on?
engagement of some sort?

In using the above statistics, we must keep in mind that even though people may be getting on our digital platforms, they are probably more distracted than when attending in person.

And, then there’s the issue of blending a mixture of online and in-person records to arrive at an accurate total.

Meaningful Record Keeping Must Be About More Than Numbers

Whether in-person, online, or a combination, what we really should want to see in our churches is the power of God at work in people’s lives.

  • How many people are coming to a saving knowledge of the Lord?
  • What indications do we see that people are growing in their relationship with the Lord?

We must remember that whatever we’re measuring, it’s not just about attracting numbers of people. Rather it’s about making disciples who are becoming more and more fully devoted and growing in their love for Him. If we set our sights merely on the numbers, we may end up with a shallow and compromising church.

So, while statistics can be helpful, to be meaningful, we must get beyond the numbers to real engagement and effects of our ministries on people’s lives, whether online or in-person.

Church Leadership Bundle for Meaningful Record Keeping
(Click image to learn more about the Leadership Bundle to steer the church in these directions.)

What do our records tell us about how well we’re …

accomplishing our purpose to love God and people?

functioning within God’s design for the Body to be interdependent?

fulfilling God’s mission to make disciples?

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