Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

How do we know if our congregation is doing what Jesus asks us to do?

Keeping members happy Keeping the institutional powers-that-be happy Counting nickels & noses

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

Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

# 2 What does fulfilling our mission look like? What does fulfilling our mission look like? The Five Practice of Fruitful Congregations ____ _____ The United Methodist Way of Discipling

# 3 How can we measure missional fruitfulness? One measurement for each practice which gives us the best indication of our effectiveness

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 prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (John 15:1-2)

The average number of persons worshiping at primary weekly worship services Percent of change from last year

The total number of persons received into membership by either profession of faith or reaffirmation of faith Number of persons in worship per profession of faith

The number of persons involved weekly in face-to-face discipling groups Percent of worshipers involved in discipling groups

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

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

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!

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”

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.

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.

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.

Organizations get what they measure Declining congregations are self-preoccupied Salty Service facilitates spiritual growth We have to earn back community credibility

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 Ministry Relationship Building Justice Ministry Earth-Care

Monthly, an will be sent to a designated person. 5 figures are plugged in for each week of the previous month Year-to-date trends can

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

It’s about congregations being faithful to Christ’s mission and becoming more missionally fruitful

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?

Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World