Check out this suggested list for determining successful ministry:
- The number of cigarette buts in the church parking lot.
- The number of adoptions people in the church have made from local foster care.
- The number of pictures on the church wall of unwed mothers holding their newborn babies in their arms for the first time.
- The number of classes for special needs children and adults
- The number of former convicted felons serving in the church
- The number of phone calls from community leaders asking the church’s advice
- The number of meetings that take place somewhere besides the church building
- The number of organizations using the church building
- The number of days the pastor doesn’t spend time in the church office but in the community
- The number of emergency finance meetings that take place to reroute money to community ministry
- The amount of dollars saved by the local schools because the church has painted the walls
- The number of people serving in the community during the church’s normal worship hours
- The number of non-religious-school professors worshiping with you
- The number of people wearing good, free clothes that used to belong to members of the church
- The number of times the church band has played family-friendly music in the local coffee shop
- The number of people who have gotten better because of free health clinic you operate
- The number of people in new jobs thanks to the free job training center you opened
- The number of micro-loans given by members in your church
- The number of churches your church planted in a 10 mile radius of your own church
It's certainly dynamic!
(via Integrating Missionally)
Hey Chris,
Bit late on this post, but it stuck in my head all week. I like it. But I'm not sure. ;)
We're in the process of having our minds blown open by seeing what church is like in amongst the poorest and most marginalised ethnic minorities in Bulgaria - the Millet (often referred to as Gypsies). There was a big revival in the Millet a while back and hordes of them converted from Islam (which was heavily mixed with occultic stuff). Their church started when Jesus simply revealed himself to people in dreams and visions (wha? not through the bible?? my hyper-evangelical brain says). So the nature of the church (and the inevitable problems) are completely different here.
Anyway... suffice to say that this list was exactly where my brain is at right now! Trying to work out what church should look like according to Jesus (rather than whatever preconceptions we have!)
Cheers
Stu.