The Permanent Revolution & Measuring Impact

A thought came to me today while reading The Permanent Revolution and it was too long for a tweet. So I offer you my first blog post in a long, long time. 

As churches, we have to stop asking the question of “What do we get out of it” and begin asking “How is what we are doing impacting the kingdom”.

Leaders do this all the time. When we talk about our budgets, our leadership time, our “investments” one of the first things we ask is “What does this do for us?” We might not ask it out right, just like that, but we ask it.

The Well‘s involvement in the Ecclesia Network is a good example.  Early one we framed our involvement in Ecclesia as a network that we got something out of being part of it – and we do. But we had confusion as to why we were joining the network because frankly, its not a denomination that funnels lots of cash our way.

But, recently we’ve been reframing the way we talk about our involvement in Ecclesia. We’ve moved from “what do we get from being part of Ecclesia” to “What investment are we able to make in the kingdom because we are part of Ecclesia.”  The answer there is exciting: We get to be part of planting local churches all across the country that are reaching people with the hope of the gospel.

We do the same with leadership do we not? When our paid leaders are spending too much time outside of “our church” (usually with other area churches) we begin asking, “what do we get from them spending their time like that?”

Instead, don’t we need to be asking, “How is the Kingdom being impacted because our leaders are spending their time that way?”

Measurement needs to change from “what we get” to “what we give”.

This isn’t radical.

But it is.

  • http://lifeasmission.com JR Rozko

    Yo man, these are great words. Appreciate the sentiment and the spirit – two things we could use quite a bit more of. This perspective also helps (in my opinion) Ecclesia to think about reframing its own ambitions. Rather than thinking, from an organational perspective, how do we serve our member pastors/churches (in terms of – what do they get out of being a part of Ecclesia?), we can instead ask, what ventures can we explore and call others to join us in (in terms of – what do they get to be a part of by joining us?)

    What do you think? That sound like a fair appropriation of what you are articulating here?

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  • http://www.toddhiestand.com Todd

    JR, I think you are reading what I wrote perfectly. Great application of what I am thinking about here. Good stuff.