True or false: More congregants equals more disciples
FALSE!
While we all are excited to welcome more people through our doors – especially welcoming more than we lose – those numbers don’t necessarily translate to more disciples. Walking through the door is one step, but intentional discipleship is a continued commitment to the ‘next steps’ in spiritual growth.
Intentional discipleship is more a reflection of what people are doing, rather that what they’re saying; behavior reflects the truth in our heart.
And technology can convert members into metrics. It’s not just about tracking attendance, mailing information, and contribution records; it’s about managing our relationship with each member.
Technology enables leaders to find ways to measure what’s working and what isn’t. With metrics, you have a better idea of how ‘healthy’ your members are – a quick ‘welfare check’ of your numbers can tell you if people who have attended a new membership class are giving, serving, and connecting to a small group.
And if they’re not, you can identify the issues and sources of disconnect, evaluate the content and structure of the program, and strategize accordingly.
But you won’t know that if you aren’t measuring; you can’t manage what you don’t measure.
Do you know:
... who has been connected in small groups for at least six months?
... who has been missing from small groups for four consecutive weeks?
... who has attended every class on missions but never taken a missions trip?
... how each member prefers to contribute to your church?
With technology, the answers would – literally – be at your fingertips in your church membership system, and would provide critical insight into the life of each member to ensure they are growing spiritually.
Your next move:
Learn more about how technology can improve the way you steward and disciple the people God has entrusted to you in our free ebook, "Getting Disciple Making Right."