Good Numbers, Bad Numbers

Axioms, Hybels describes his initial discouragement when he was presented with the results of Willow Creek’s Reveal study. This data came from a congregation-wide survey that explored the spiritual habits and maturity of the church’s members. Even though he didn’t like what he saw, Hybels explains that the church took a hard look at this data and made positive adjustments in its ministries as a result. This is a great picture of the power of numbers. They help us define reality so that we can make appropriate adjustments. Without a blood glucose meter, my child would just be guessing at the amount of insulin to inject needed to keep blood sugar in range and to have good health. And without some sort of meaningful data, you’re just guessing how to lead your ministry.   For more information on this topic, see my article on “Measuring What Matters” in the current issue of Leadership. The online version can be found at http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2012/spring/measuringmatters.html.]]>