Word Count: 333 – Est Reading Time: <2 Minutes
What’s Up
Churches that ignore those Church Numbers are usually the ones that stop growing … or start dying.
So What
If you’re not measuring what matters, you’re not managing what matters. And if you’re not managing it, you’re probably losing it … and not even realizing it.
The Point Is
Track What Matters
Attendance and offerings are a start, but not enough. What you really need to track is transformation, retention, and disciple-making behaviors.
Retention is a Health Metric
First-time guests who never return? That’s not outreach, that’s churn. Measure guest retention if you want to measure church health.
Baptisms That Actually Count
Biological growth is good, but conversion growth is better. If you’re not baptizing formerly unbelieving adults, you’re not reaching your community.
Discipleship Has Metrics
Spiritual maturity isn’t magic. Track year-over-year behaviors: prayer time, Bible reading, worship participation, evangelism, and acts of service.
And … ?
Let me be crystal clear: The New Testament Church counted. They counted salvations, baptisms, households, cities reached, and churches planted – and even the number of fish caught and distributed! And those weren’t random statistics … they told the story of movement, impact, and mission. When people push back on counting, it’s usually because they’re afraid the numbers won’t look good (and typically for good reason!). But refusing to count doesn’t change reality … it just keeps you in the dark.
Yes, butts in seats, bucks in plates, and buildings on property are classic “B metrics,” but they’re the baseline. It’s time to count beyond those. Want to see how healthy your church really is? Measure how many adult converts you’ve baptized in the last twelve months. Measure how many guests become regulars. Measure your leaders’ spiritual disciplines and actual missional engagement. Want a list of what mattered in the New Testament? Take a look at this blog post: https://effectivechurch.com/fish-to-faith-numbers-reveal-the-gospels-power/. Don’t lead by assumption. Lead with data.
Action!
Get the free workbook: The Numbers You Need to Grow Your Church. Download now at https://effective.effectivechurch.com/numbers-opt-in
