Evaluating Your Church’s Ministry

by James W. Moss, Sr.
How well is your church doing? How do you know that? I think a pastor and church council need to constantly be evaluating the ministry of the congregation. I don’t think it is easy to do. The results may not always be what we want to hear. Will the church be willing to take the conclusions of a sound evaluation and make appropriate changes to increase the quality of ministry?

What does God want your church to do? Any serious evaluation has to begin here. I am a firm believer that the Lord will reveal his will to any people serious about serving him. Is your church being obedient to the Lord’s will? That can be a challenge when God’s will isn’t our will. Prayer is the essential ingredient to discerning and doing God’s will.

What is the state of worship? Are people able to experience the presence of God in your services of worship? Do the people of your church emerge from worship challenged and uplifted? Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

Does your church serve people? Describe special ways that your church uses to serve the people of the congregation? Describe special ways that your church uses to reach into the community to serve none attendees. Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

Is your church winning new people to Christ and his church? How many new people have begun attending in the past year? What strategies have been employed by the church to walk new people through the door? Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations …” (Matthew 28:19).

Do your new people feel as if they belong? What percentage of the people who have joined your church in the past seven years are still active? What percentage of the people who joined in the last seven years were not related to persons already in the church? Jesus said, “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit …” (Matthew 28:19).

Describe the state of the teaching ministry of your church? List the various teaching opportunities available to the people of your church? What percentage of the people in your church are participating in some teaching ministry of the church? Jesus said, “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20).

What is the attendance pattern for your church? Your people also tell you how they feel about the state of the ministry of your church by their attendance or lack of it. Do you take attendance in worship? Whose attendance patterns have changed in the past year? Who has become more regular? Who has become more irregular? Both indicate spiritual changes. We are not taking this walk alone. That is important to remember. The church is God’s! Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

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