After a church signs on with CCB, the first thing we have to do is a database conversation. That’s a fancy phrase that really means we need to map one set of data from an existing database to our database structure. Most of the time, this is an easy process. (Admittedly, this is always the part that scares me. When you start manipulating a lot of data anything can--and does--happen.)

Bryan and Shannon Miles have become good friends. They founded Miles Advisory Group (MAG) to help churches address leadership needs without committing payroll dollars. Churches are benefiting from their bookkeeping services, virtual small groups pastors, and virtual executive assistant services. Most churches will have access to more qualified people working at a higher capacity for an overall lower cost than what they might be able to do on their own. That's my endorsement, so check them out!

If church leaders really want to see useful community-driven metrics, they must be willing to address a culture that thinks process and accountability equals "control." Here are four practical ways to overcome this.

As I stated in my previous post, I’m encouraged that more and more church leaders are becoming interested in using metrics to assist them in their programming, revenue planning, and overall ministry strategy development. This is a non-negotiable in the business world. Few people tolerate managers and executives who can’t substantiate their decisions with objective data. I know it irks some people to try and compare the church world with the business world but that is the lens God gave me and I think there are some powerful parallels. No one complains when a business succeeds using Biblical principles. Many of those same principles apply to the local church yet are often ignored.