I had high hopes. I stepped onto the tee and eyed the distant fairway with optimism. One dodgy whack of a driver later, however, and the ball went flying towards the rough; my effectiveness evaporating like the crisp, summer dew of a northern Ontario morning. “You’ll nail that drive on the next hole, Ross,” my golf partner said encouragingly. And then the conversation turned towards effectiveness of a different kind—not on the golf course, but in the pulpit and pew.
By God’s providence, I was blessed with a retired Presbyterian moderator in my first church following ordination. I was in desperate need of “pastoral seasoning” but self – aware enough to know that my new Master of Divinity degree did not mean that I had mastered divinity. Therefore, weekly on the golf course I sought out Rev. Dr. Bruce Miles for advice and support. Bruce’s encouragement and honesty about his own pastoral strengths and weaknesses were such gifts to a young person in ministry. Further down the fairway I asked Bruce, “How do you know whether you are being effective in ministry?”
Bruce paused, debating between a 7 or an 8 iron, before saying, “Well, ministry is a little bit like sand between the fingertips. Some days it’s hard to know how to measure whether you’ve been faithful and effective.”
And that’s just it. As we look towards a future of nourishing Christian communities and making disciples for Jesus in a post – Christendom Canada, part of our “leadershift” is in forming teaching and ruling elders who are evangelical, entrepreneurial and effective. But how do we know if we are effective in ministry? If gospel service can feel like “sand through the fingertips,” how do we measure the impact of our Kingdom work?
Many congregations default to what I like to call “noses and nickels.” The ecclesiastical math usually goes something like this: Sunday attendance + offering = effectiveness.
Now, don’t get me wrong, numbers matter. After all, behind every number is a person who Jesus died to save. But, numbers alone are not everything. Just ask Gideon, who had to send home most of his warriors and become an underdog so that God (and not people!) might gain the glory. No, perhaps we should say that certain kinds of numbers matter more than others.
The Lilly Foundation – supported Mainline Evangelism Project, which resulted in the popular “Unbinding the Gospel” series, uncovered a certain kind of number that matters a great deal. The research found one factor in common among healthy, growing mainline congregations whether large or small, rural or urban: the number of adult baptisms. In other words, congregations that had a dedicated catechesis, taking pre – Christian people and leading them into a profession of faith and relationship with the risen Christ, were healthy communities of faith. Hmm. Some numbers do matter.
Therefore, in addition to noses and nickels, we can add any number of “measurable outcomes” when considering effectiveness in ministry today from adult conversion to Christians’ on – going sanctification/spiritual depth towards the full measure of Christ to enhancing God’s reputation in the community through our words and actions. “Outcome” language has become popular in education circles, including theological education, over the past several years. I worry, however, that in theological education we measure our effectiveness in producing leaders based on the outcome of graduation day.
Wouldn’t it be far better to measure the effectiveness of our leadership preparation five or 10 years later by studying what kind of Christian communities our graduates are shaping? That same question of effectiveness can be shared by all—pastors, ruling elders and laypeople—do our congregations reflect a more mature, passionate trust in Jesus Christ more today than five years ago? Is the Kingdom space we hold in Canada forming the kind of disciples who join God in the neighbourhood where they live, work and play to help bless and mend God’s broken, yet beloved world?
When I think back to my early years in ministry I had high hopes, but no way of measuring my effectiveness. Somewhere on that northern Ontario golf course week after week, God revealed that effectiveness is not measured by human standards but Kingdom goals. Our part includes the desire to passionately follow the risen Christ and trust in his eschatological hope that is both beyond and alongside us in a real and meaningful way.
As I wacked the next tee shot that day on the golf course I observed a more encouraging result. “The Lord giveth…” I said in appreciation as the ball went straight down the fairway past the 250 – yard sign.
“And the Lord taketh away,” teased my golf partner. And perhaps somewhere in between lies our effectiveness in ministry.
