- 3 Questions About Measuring Servant Involvement In Your Church
- Two Metrics For Measuring Volunteer Service
- Tools For Tracking Servant Involvement
There was a shift in mentality brought upon by the Industrial Revolution. People moved from the farms to the factories. This move brought with it the shift from seeing results of hard work on the farm to the results of a paycheck in exchange for hours clocked at the factory. The effects of that shift have been felt in factories, office buildings, and churches as the focus moved more towards hours than results.
How has this affected serving in the church? How is this thinking different today than it was just a decade or two ago?
Two Metrics
The two metrics that combine to provide a more clear picture are the time and the stories of changed lives. By themselves, each has it own benefits and pitfalls.
1. Time
Pitfalls of Tracking Time
- It can lead to attitude of “doing my time” instead of “being” an ambassador for Christ.
- The focus becomes on getting the most time in rather than doing the most good.
- People serve the clock.
- People serve for show.
- People stop serving because it feels like a job with a time clock.
Benefits of Tracking Time
- It can be an encouragement to a person to realize how much time she/he has served.
- If a person's serving hours dramatically drop, she/he may be experiencing a difficulty in life, and it could indicate an opportunity to minister to that person.
- It can be inspiring for a congregation to know the total number of hours served in a year.
- The hours can be turned in to participating employers who provide the church money for the service hours.
2. Stories
Pitfalls of Stories
- People can serve just for show.
- Care has to be taken not to exploit the recipient of the service just for the sake of the story.
- People won't always tell their stories.
Benefits of Stories
- Learning about how lives have been changed for the better provide inspiration and cause for great celebration.
- It creates ideas for others on how they can serve.
- It fosters an environment of service.
- It builds community.
Which Method Is Best?
When looking through the Bible, we find good uses of both. How many did Jesus feed with the loaves of bread and fish? How many were added to those following Christ on the day of Pentecost? However, the Bible is full of stories of changed lives. So I believe we should be using both methods.
Questions
How do you see numbers and stories working in tandem? Are they both needed? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.