Measuring the number of first time visitors tells us much about the health of a church. Particularly when you also study how many of your visitors are not Christians. Who you invite and attract is as important as how many. A high number of visitors generally reveals a selfless character within the church. New people on your church property communicates that you care about people not yet part of your church family and that you are willing to make room for them. This sends a strong message to both those who are already part of your church as well as those who are not.

Keeping track of the number of new converts is not a cold-hearted, mechanical thing. It's the primary way to measure the faithful obedience of your congregation to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. Keeping track the right way means far more than just counting numbers. You need to know the name of every new convert and where they are in their new faith journey. For example, have they been baptized? Have they started some kind of new Christian training classes or small groups? In other words, what follow-up do you do to encourage and strengthen their faith?

The number of people involved in strategic, spiritual gift-based ministry helps you measure the "muscle" of your church. God's plan in Scripture is clear in Ephesians 4:11-12: The pastors are to equip the saints to do the work of ministry, not just do all of the ministry themselves. This is a key ingredient of a strong church. We all know churches with superstar pastors; the kind that when the pastor leaves, the church basically collapses. This is not true for all such churches, but unfortunately, it is for most. The difference between one that does and one that does not is how many committed and trained volunteers are part of the ministry. The number of people equipped for meaningful ministry can and will transform a local church. Measuring this number will give you insight to the responsible gratitude of the congregation. I'm not talking about works of righteousness. We are saved by faith, not by works. I'm saying that when the people of God begin to mature in that faith, they can't help but express their gratitude for what God has done for them through Christ. They then begin to become more responsible for their faith. They begin to understand that it was never meant to be kept all to themselves, but to be shared with others. And whatever part of ministry they help with, it's part of the church reaching out to those who are spiritually unresolved.

Real life change takes place best in the context of a small group of people who are open and honest and engaged in healthy relationships. The larger a church gets, the more important this number becomes. I will admit that it is difficult to get a handle on who is and who is not in an "authentic" relationship. But difficult or not, it is vital that we press the issue. This is done through top-notch and ongoing training of your small group leaders. When people are offered healthy and productive relational environments where they can be honest with each other, it is a tremendous help for them to become honest with God about who they are and what He wants them to become.

You didn't think I would leave out money, did you? The reactions to measuring money matters vary greatly from hyper-interested to avoidance and denial. Neither are healthy or wise. Just face the reality of where you are financially. Whether you like it or not, ministry costs money, and it's not cheap. Churches with strong general fund per-capita giving ($20.00 and up per person, based on average attendance per Sunday) have stronger ministries because they are able to do more and hire quality staff. At a deeper level, however, your church income gives you insight to the level of spiritual maturity level in your congregation. Although we don't like to talk about it because it doesn't feel spiritual, mature Christians give more money than immature Christians. That's just a fact. So while it might feel like business, it's more about the growth and commitment of your people to God and His work.