Missional Vital Signs

1. Missional Vital Signs Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

2. How do we know if our congregation is doing what Jesus asks usto do?

3. How are we doing? • Keeping members happy • Keeping the institutional powers-that-be happy • Counting nickels & noses ? ? ? Congregational Vital Signs

4. Some Ministry Reports What is the average number of one-legged, left-handed, blonde Lithuanians worshiping in your congregation every third Sunday last year?

5. Are We Being Faithful? #1 What is our mission? #2 What does fulfilling our mission look like? # 3 How can we measure missional fruitfulness?

6. Are We Being Faithful? # 1 What is our mission? Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformationof the World

7. Are We Being Faithful? # 2 What does fulfilling our mission look like? The Five Practice of Fruitful Congregations_________The United Methodist Way of Discipling

8. Are We Being Faithful? # 3How can we measure missional fruitfulness? One measurement for each practice which gives us the best indication of our effectiveness

9. Measuring Ministry . . . AAAH!

10. Everyone knows thatNumbers Don’t tell the whole story

11. So, Why Measure Ministry? • Jesus cares about fruitfulness • Measuring keeps us focused on what’s important • A congregation’s trends help leaders know if they are becoming more fruitful I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesso that it will be even more fruitful.(John 15:1-2)

12. Passionate Worship • The average number of persons worshiping at primary weekly worship services • Percent of change from last year

13. Radical Hospitality • The total number of persons received into membership by either profession of faithor reaffirmation of faith • Number of persons in worship per profession of faith

14. Intentional Discipling • The number of persons involved weekly in face-to-face discipling groups • Percent of worshipers involved in discipling groups

15. Salty Service • The number of persons in worship who say that they have been Salty Servants to persons outside their congregation for at least one hour last week • Percent of worshipers who say they have been Salty Servants weekly

16. Extravagant Generosity • Total amount of congregational giving weekly for budget capital & missional concerns (excluding memorial funds, rental income and equitable compensation funds) • Amount given per average worshiper

17. Good News: Four out of five of these Missional Vital Signs every congregation already reports annually! We now have a website with the last ten years graphed for every congregation! http://www.flumc2.org/yearly.asp

18. Click on Missional Vital Signs logo on either the conference or congregational transformation website. • Select the district and church • Select the data range and click “Get Report Data”

19. Each of the five practices has both a graph and a data chart • The blue line graphs the primary data. • Click here. The orange line graphs the comparison data.

20. The graph and chart can be printed by clicking here. • A PowerPoint slide can be created by using “Alt,” “Print Scrn,” paste image into Paint, save and paste it into PowerPoint.

21. What is an Intentional Discipling Small Group? • 2 to no more than 15 persons • They meet at least monthly • They share a commitment to training to follow and to be more like Jesus. • They read and reflect on Scripture. • They discuss how to apply God’s Word in their everyday lives. • They share honestly and openly, giving and receiving feedback. • And they pray for one another, both during their meeting time and while apart.

22. Why Measure Salty Service? • Organizations get what they measure • Declining congregations are self-preoccupied • Salty Service facilitates spiritual growth • We have to earn back community credibility

23. As Part of the Offering Worshipers Self-Select: This last week, I joined Jesus as a Salty Servant to persons beyond our congregation for at least one hour in one of the following ways: Mercy MinistryRelationship BuildingJustice MinistryEarth-Care

24. Weekly Missional Vital Signs Will be reported monthly Monthly, an email will be sent to a designated person. 5 figures are plugged in for each week of the previous month Year-to-date trends can seen @: http://www.flumc2.org/yearly.asp

25. Gathered Weekly, Reported Monthly • In February, 2009 every congregation will begin reporting the previous month’s weeklyattendance, professions of faith and offering. • Before July, 2009 all congregations will begin tracking and reporting Intentional Discipling and Salty Service.

26. It’s Not About the Numbers! It’s about congregations being faithful to Christ’s mission and becoming more missionally fruitful

27. Suggestions for Using the MVS to improve ministry effectiveness • Share the MVS in your bulletin, perhaps focusing on one practice each week. • During staff and congregational leader meetings, print off graphs from the MVS website, identify trends and discuss implications. • In addition to the MVS, what information might help you evaluate how your congregation is living into the 5 discipling practices? • How might you celebrate positive trends and address declining trends?

28. Missional Vital Signs Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World