Making Disciples with Replicate Podcast
#193: Why Measuring Program Activity Isn't Enough - and What to Measure Instead
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- Program activity isn't a true measure of spiritual growth. Effective disciple-making requires a transformation-focused scoreboard.
- Traditional success metrics like attendance and budgets are shallow; churches need to adopt metrics that measure personal spiritual health and discipleship roles.
- A clear vision and definition of discipleship help align efforts and communicate the true goals of faith formation.
- Transforming the church's measurement approach involves assessments, role-based goals, and family practices like blessing rituals.
- Start where you are—use available tools and resources to begin measuring spiritual transformation and move toward a culture of authentic discipleship.
Summary
Introduction and Podcast Setup
Jeremy Smith, lead pastor of Cross Point in Northwest Florida, introduces the episode alongside Vic Green, CEO of Replicate, setting a casual tone. They joke about coming up with nicknames for Vic and discuss the importance of identifying and correcting ministry myths, particularly the engagement myth.
The Ministry Myth of Engagement
The hosts explore the false assumption that program activity equates to spiritual transformation. They share stories about how engagement metrics can be misleading, citing examples such as Scotty, an atheist, who is highly engaged through church activities but doesn't share the same faith, versus a faithful disciple making impact outside the church. They emphasize that activity does not necessarily lead to personal growth or maturity in faith.
The Problem with Current Success Metrics
Jeremy and Vic critique the traditional church focus on metrics like attendance, budgets, and building size, describing these as 'easy-to-measure' but shallow indicators of health. They advocate for shifting to a transformation scoreboard that measures personal spiritual growth and discipleship, likening the current metrics to measuring hits instead of runs in baseball which can distort the true game being played.
Transitioning to a Transformation-Based Scorecard
The conversation highlights the need for a new success measure rooted in personal transformation. Examples include defining discipleship through roles like faithful followers, helpful neighbors, deployed disciples, and kingdom builders. They discuss practical tools like assessments, self-evaluations, personalizing growth goals, and integrating disciple-making into all church processes, including kids' ministry.
Implementing a Culture of Discipleship
The hosts describe how their churches incorporate this new vision through ongoing assessments, personal roles, and family practices such as blessing cards, encouraging parents to speak life and purpose into their children. They stress that measuring spiritual health requires ongoing effort and intentionality, but ultimately leads to a healthier church and more meaningful disciple-making.
Conclusion and Action Steps
Jeremy reminds pastors to start measuring transformation using available tools and provides resources like free guides and assessment tools available through their ministries. The goal is to change the scoreboard to reflect true discipleship, which fosters authentic spiritual growth and mission fulfillment.
Sponsors
- Replicate Ministries · Most churches have a passion for multiplication but struggle with the how. Pastors with a disciple-making burden often find their vision and strategy ineffective. After 17 years working with over 4,000 churches, their team offers the Movement-Ready Church process to create a disciple-making culture tailored to each church’s unique context. Learn more by grabbing the book 'Movement-Ready Church' or joining their training sessions, including one-day events and on-demand courses. All links and resources are available in the show notes.
Show notes
In this episode, Jeremy Smith and Vick Green challenge the “engagement myth”—the idea that church activity equals spiritual growth. They unpack why traditional metrics fall short and how shifting to a transformation-focused scoreboard can reshape your church’s culture and mission. A must-listen for leaders ready to move from busyness to real disciple-making.
Click here for the Podcast Notes
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