Church metrics don’t measure the things that matter. Because the things that matter – like love, faith, holiness and hope – are not quantifiable.
Since we’re unable to measure things of real value, we measure things that are values-adjacent. Like church attendance, offerings, small group involvement, and the like.
Those metrics are important. But we should never forget that, at best, they’re stand-ins for the real thing.
Author
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Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of four books on church leadership. His fifth book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, releases on April 2, 2024.
He also hosts a bi-weekly podcast,The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry. Episodes feature in-depth interviews about the topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context.
Karl has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience. He and his wife, Shelley have three children and two grandkids.