Okay, as promised, and in keeping with the focus of this site, jump-starting plateaued or stalled churches, we are going to start the diagnostic process.

[Disclaimer: If you are offended by discussions of numbers, analysis, score-keeping, do not read further, find another site to visit, don't send me long theological essays on the dangers of counting or the culture of American consumerism and it's desire to measure everything]

But, just a quick note, before we talk about the numbers, before we take a tiny ministry history: Let’s agree, God is the builder of his church. It is the enterprise of the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us and through our communities of believers to accomplish that which God has assigned us. If you want, just pray this quick prayer, "Come, Holy Spirit." I assure you, the Holy Spirit is vitally interested in you and your ministry and the divine nudging and whisperings will start right away.

Alright, let’s answer these questions:
1. How long have you been ministering in this assignment?
2. How old are you?
3. How many people were baptized last year?
4. How many people call your community of believers home? [However, you measure membership, that's the number we are looking for here]
5. On average, how many men, women and children (include teenagers in the men and women category, do not count small pets, or great Danes, for that matter) attend your weekend gathering?
6. On average, how many men, women and children (same provisos apply) attend a gathering during the week?
7. If you founded the church, how long has it been since your first public weekend gathering?

There you go, that’s the information, you need to start the ministry diagnostic. Why not take a notepad and 3 minutes and answer those questions? And just to make it more fun, why don’t you send me an email with the answers, to use in the next few posts? I will promise to keep your name, email and information completely private and confidential. Send me the email at charlie@kindness.com.