Connecting reliable data with Kingdom growth

Over the past four years, I have written more than 100 columns for TAB Media Group through The Alabama Baptist and/or The Baptist Paper, focusing on congregations and associations.

Now it is time to make a shift. Beginning with this column, I’m writing about solid, informative research on what empowers congregations to be vital and vibrant and to reach their full Kingdom potential.

Often, congregations rely on friends who have tried various ideas, books they have recently read or the latest conference they attended rather than on research that has long-term viability, accuracy and appropriate empowerment for the future to which God is calling them.

RELATED: Check out more articles from George Bullard.

Where can pastors, staff ministers, laypeople and leaders in the association, state, regional or national denomination access research to help congregations reach their full Kingdom potential?

I have conducted research on vitality and vibrancy in congregations and denominations for more than 50 years. In future columns, I intend to draw on my experience, the sources I have used over the years and emerging research to provide insights that may not have been available previously.

There are different understandings of what makes congregations effective and how they can assess whether they are truly making progress toward fulfilling God’s empowering vision for them.

A certain percentage of research that congregations read is driven by the research sponsor’s desire to prove their point, promote their product or perspective on how congregations ought to be effective, extend their influence over other congregations or  highlight what’s wrong with congregations more than what’s right about them.

Reassessing effectiveness

My goal will be to provide research insights from diverse sources to help congregations affirm or rethink what makes them effective in fulfilling the Great Commission and the spirit of the Great Commandment. I also will seek to provide strategies that accurately reflect congregations’ desired level of vitality and vibrancy.

Finally, this information will help congregations think in different terms about how they measure their effectiveness, which may have more of an impact on their future than the typical metrics they use (or are asked to use) to complete denominational reports.

In writing these columns, I welcome your questions. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll be glad to do the research for you. Send your question to me at ForthTellingInnovation@tabmedia.group.

Measuring engagement

To start, let’s consider best practices in counting membership, attendance and overall engagement within your congregation. Do you count every individual involved in the various activities and events in your congregation’s life and ministry?

Every person is a person of worth, created in the image of God to live in love. We would not want to miss any individual. Would that be your perspective?

But are there other ways to count people and measure their engagement in the life and ministry of your congregation that are equally valuable for assessing the effectiveness of your congregational ministry?

I will introduce some of them in the next several columns. I will also suggest real-time, practical methods for gathering the additional information you need without overburdening your congregation or staff with unnecessary work.

Research insight: In addition to counting the individuals connected to or engaged with your congregation, why should you also count the number and types of households? What are the benefits of better understanding the households in your congregation? How might knowing this make your congregation more effective?

Look for my insights in the next column on this research topic.