The problem with numbers

[Jamie]

Other biblical passages that come to mind as I read this: John 15 – fruit results from abiding in Jesus, the True Vine. Apart from him we can bear no fruit. We are fruit-bearers, not fruit-producers, fruit trees not fruit factories. Also Gen. 12 – God blesses Abram not just to make him great, but so that he can be a blessing to others (like us!).
I do think as Americans we have to be oh-so-careful here as our business model of the church makes us especially prone to making numbers and metrics the bottom-line measure of productivity – buildings, budgets and butts. There is nothing wrong with counting, of course. But it’s just too easy for us to equate numbers with success. A common first question pastors often ask each other when they are introduced is, “What are you running?� (translation: what’s your attendance?) As if it’s a way sizing the other guy up.
But what does “productivity� look like according to Eugene Peterson or Dallas Willard? Are we being increasingly conformed to the image of Christ? Of course there should be fruit that we can see as evidence of said conformity (and even measure, if we so desire). Are we as Jesus’ apprentices increasingly learning and walking in the ways of our Master? Are our communities growing deeper as well as wider? Are we being productive if we attract a large crowd each Sunday but during the week those folks don’t really follow Jesus and treat people the way he did?
To be clear, you’ve also made this point quite well in the closing paragraphs here, I guess I’m just re-phrasing some of it in my own words and thoughts.

[corinthpastorbob]

To piggyback on your observations, Jamie, perhaps the hidden danger of success is the delusion of divine validation. This is true of any success, but it is especially true when success is measured statistically.

We tend to think, "The numbers are up, so I must be doing something right." That may well be true, but doing something right is not the same as doing everything right. Rising success in a competitive environment is kin to rising power in a totalitarian environment. It corrupts the heart and mind, and breeds resistance to introspection and openness to learning more and growing.

Statistical indicators are important, of course. It is just as wrong to insist that my ministry is faithful because it is small or declining as it is to believe it is faithful because it is large or growing. Productivity in the world of ministry is about so much more than numbers.