A Culture of Assessment

Orginally published on Monday, November 12, 2007 at 5:44 AM
by Earl Creps

Some aspects of ministry resemble those high stakes poker games on cable TV more than anything I’ve ever read about in a leadership book. A friend of mine recently pushed all the chips into the center of the table when he asked the leadership of his eight year old church plant this question: are we becoming the church we thought we were going to be? This pastor set up a series of “organized conversations” with his core leaders to explore, sometimes painfully, the question of whether their dream for the plant was really coming true at all. These dialogs were not stimulated by a crisis, but by a stirring in my friend’s heart that brought him to the conclusion that it was time for a full dress review. In our conversation we couldn't help but note the parallel to Willow Creek's recent self-evaluation in the Revealproject. While the process is ongoing, so far the results have been extremely positive despite some negative things that had to be surfaced along the way. This group has taken the time to build trust over the years so that this sort of talk can happen now. Probably one of the best outcomes to date is the pastor’s realization of the extent to which his key people had bought into what they were doing. Just as important was the realization of how much he actually liked these people and how close they had become by working together. In the past, I have thought of performance measurement for a ministry as an event. But my friend's experience has changed my point of view. Now, I’m thinking of ministry assessment as the product of a certain kind of culture that has traits something like this...

1. Honesty + Time: Rather than waiting for a formal performance measurement event to surface difficult issues, healthy ministries have the tough talks on a regular basis as the leadership works together. So when it comes time to do more formal evaluation a level of trust is in place that makes the group pliable enough to endure the stress of it without cracking.

2. Like + Love: It’s a wonderful thing to know that a group of leaders love one another, but then they sort of have to. It’s right in the bible. How different to be with people who like each other, too. Love is an obligation, like is a feeling. The tough talks I referenced above can be a step in this direction. Watch the non-verbal communication of any leadership team as they interact with each other and you can tell whether they are bonded only by common office space, by love alone or by like + love.

3. Talk + Action: My friend’s leadership conversations were structured by questions and events, but were wide ranging in their implications. Everything about the church, including issues like whether they should ever have a permanent building, and his own tenure as their senior pastor were on the table. He felt the weight of knowing just how much these people believed in him, but did not stop with dialog. Based on their evaluation of the congregation’s ministry, the team is forging ahead with practical discussions about how to invest in their community.

My sense is that simply announcing that performance measurement is now going to be part of a ministry’s culture could create something superficial at best and a train wreck at worst. Announcements don’t make culture.

One pastor’s experience would say that developing a real culture of trust, affection, and action in the prerequisite to measuring anything, and then being able to do something about it.

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About the Author: Earl Creps has spent several years visiting congregations that are attempting to engage emerging culture. Until recently he directsed doctoral studies for the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri (http://www.agts.edu ), where he spoke, trained, and consulted with ministries around the country. Having pastored three churches, one Boomer, one Builder, and one GenX, Earl and his wife Janet are now working on planting a new church in Berkley, California. Earl’s book, Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders, was published by Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network in 2006. Currently, he is working on another book about Reverse Mentoring. Connect with Earl at http://www.earlcreps.com

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