The traditional parameters used to gauge church health have often been boiled down to a simple equation: butts and bucks. The equation represents the number of people attending (butts in seats) and the amount of money coming in (bucks). However, it's essential to acknowledge that a healthy budget and robust attendance are not the only indicators of church health.
As we navigate the changes posed by the pandemic, attending numbers in person may have dwindled while budgets may have remained stable. Effective leadership requires us to readjust our perspective on what indicates church health.
Believe it or not, budget health can sometimes be a lagging indicator of church health. There could be times when your attendance numbers see a diminishing trend, but your budget remains unaffected. This scenario doesn't indicate robust health but rather a pause before the budget starts reflecting the actual church situation. In such cases, you may be resting on the deceptive comfort of a healthy budget while your church health metrics are slowly declining.
While the budget could be the lagging indicator, attendance often acts as a leading indicator of church health. A continuously falling attendance graph could be an early sign of a problem that needs immediate correction.
An inward focus is often mistaken as a growth engine for the church due in part to a rise in per capita giving which may result in a temporary budget surge. However, an inward-focused church may see a decline in attendance numbers as it may fail to attract new followers, thereby impacting long-term church health.
In conclusion, to assess church health, we need to look beyond budgets. Church health is a multi-faceted concept encompassing aspects like active discipleship and participation, apart from attendance and giving. These varied indicators provide a more holistic view of the direction your church is taking.
Remember that the imperative for a church is not just to maintain a robust budget or high attendance but to foster a healthy, growing community.
For more on assessing and improving church health, tune into today's episode of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. By developing a more comprehensive understanding of what constitutes church health, we can not only navigate but thrive amidst the challenges ahead.