Tag: counting

  • When the lowest common denominator matters

    number-oneI often live in a lofty world of ideals, philosophy, whimsy, and sweeping generalizations. Phrases like “vision drives decision” and “you need to find a place where your dreams, skills, and income converge” all sound well and good. People like those phrases. They share them on Facebook and Twitter. They quote them in blogs posts. They fit nicely into talk outlines. They send me emails letting me know how meaningful that was in their situation. But there are definitely times when the lowest common denominator matters.

    – When your ministry is out of money…

    – When the boss is deciding the budget…

    – When no one shows up…

    – When moral is at an all-time low…

    – When you’ve just been laid off…

    – When your start-up is almost bankrupt…

    – When your child gets sick…

    – When war breaks out in your backyard…

    What’s interesting about a recession, about crisis, about personal turmoil– is that you learn that at the end of the day that the lowest common denominator is more important than ideals, vision, and philosophy. You could have a great vision for your church. But, without cash that vision is just a dream, that philosophy is just an academic exercise, and your ideals are just snotty.

    A person swears up and down that they are a pacifist. But when war rages in their neighborhood and takes the life of a loved one, they will fight. People will say that numbers don’t matter in youth ministry. But when no one comes to their retreat, the boss is looking to cut their budget, and the board is looking to fire them… they will quote numbers like a Baptist after and altar call.

    A person will say, “I’d never work do that kind of work.” But, if you get hungry enough you will.

    When crisis hits people get tribal. They protect what is most core to them. And they lash out to defend. They make decisions that seem out of character. That’s when lowest common denominator becomes all that really matters.

  • Why Do Church Leaders Count?

    counting-sheep

    If ministry is about people and not numbers, why do we count people?

    I’ve been going to church a long time. I’ve visited and been a part of probably a dozen churches. Typically, churches count heads either during the offering time or during the sermon of the Sunday morning services. And counting is a big part of everything else that goes on in a church as well. How many in Sunday school, how many at youth group, how many in the choir, how many pastors, how many chairs are unused, how many people cars in the parking lot, how many donuts, how many old ladies, how many envelopes were in the offering… the counting never stops.

    People in churches: I find it devaluing to be counted. If that’s you… communicate to your leaders to stop counting you. When people have to sit on the floors because the preaching or program is so good, we’ll know to give to a building campaign. Until then numbers mean squat. Tell your staff to focus on who does come to church and not how many more they need to reach a goal or propose their next fund raising campaign.

    People on church staffs: Stop counting stuff. Find something better to talk about in your team meetings. If you’re judging everything by a number then you’re judging things by the wrong denominator. I’m all for measuring success and failure. But find a measurement device that isn’t butts in seats or dollars in the plate. Don’t give me that crap about the parable of the 99 sheep. That’s not why you’re counting! Counting heads, cars, envelopes isn’t about finding lost sheep... it’s about ego.

    Admitting that is the first step towards recovery.

    You can have a church that doesn’t count. It’ll work. Trust me. Next time someone asks you how many ____ come to ____, tell them you don’t know.