tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869085139381442747.post5120594683779204962..comments2023-09-25T12:18:32.890-04:00Comments on NITROREV: Left Behind Ministry ConcernsStephen Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15008518390654592200noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869085139381442747.post-287204635783455452007-12-15T10:58:00.000-05:002007-12-15T10:58:00.000-05:00Numerical factors are but one of many signs of chu...Numerical factors are but one of many signs of church vitality. Just as a doctor looks at several vital measurements in assessing the overall health of a patient, so too the Church in general needs to look at numbers as part of the assessment of effectiveness of a local congregation. Yes, those numbers may not change in some settings, but that is not cause to throw them out.<BR/><BR/>The problem is that numbers have been the only measure of vitality for too long. That needs to change, but numbers (attendance, membership, budget) cannot be ignored.Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11480981723819128754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869085139381442747.post-25123402339390112942007-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:002007-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00Stephen,Good thoughts. I appreciate your insight a...Stephen,<BR/><BR/>Good thoughts. I appreciate your insight and challenges about rethinking the "status" and "progress" of the small church. If the conference approached the small church more this way the pastor would probably feel more enthused in his ministry, feel more support from the conference, and the church would see themselves in a more positive way. <BR/><BR/>I would like to say that my church has grown since I've been here and when I do the numbers game it's easy to get discouraged, and when I do conference it's easy to get embarrassed and worried.<BR/><BR/>However, my wife reminds me from time to time that there may not be much in the way of increase in numbers but our attendance has held consistent for that last year after some significant losses and struggles. It's easy to lose sight of that when asked, "what's you attendance been?" or "how many new members?" or "how many conversions?"<BR/><BR/>It also helps when a conference takes a serious look at the "personality" and "cultural" background of a pastor when they are looking to place him/her at a church. I've often wondered how they can place so-and-so who was born, raised and lived most of their lives in the suburbs at a church that is in the country, or whose personality is so different that the pastor's. <BR/><BR/>I know God transcends these differences, and that's the miracle of it all, but the appointment can be frustrating, difficult, or there's an internal sense of "disconnect" for the pastor.<BR/><BR/>Keep asking the questions and keeping raising these issues with those in leadership positions.Jim Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11400982015917310878noreply@blogger.com