ACP, Anyone?

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ACP, Anyone?

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ACP, Anyone? - 9/11/2008 8:55:55 AM

KatMack

Posts: 1018
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: Along the Canopy Roads
Status: offline

For those of us in the Southern Baptist Convention, it's time for the Annual Church Profile! Woo Hoo!

Based on this year's resolution on regenerate church membership, are you changing how you report your membership numbers?

I'm compiling the report excluding anyone that we don't have a current accurate address for, who does not live close enough to actually attend and who has not been active here in the past year. It's going to make for a huge drop in "numbers" but I'm excited to actually start tracking what's REALLY going on in the life of our church.

--Kat

_____________________________

<-- My sweet blessings.

"God will do what God will do. What I'm responsible for is to believe he's all he says he is and obey what he tells me to do. " -magdaleine

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RE: ACP, Anyone? - 9/11/2008 10:04:51 PM

stimulus

Posts: 180
Joined: 6/4/2005
Status: offline

I had no idea what this thread was about when I opened it, but after reading the link, I have to say - kudos to you!

I work at the headquarters of a small denomination. This week, I've been trying to get a sense of the success of a program by looking at the number of people involved verses the number of members. Except it turns out that the membership count is horribly inaccurate. Don't get me wrong - no one is lying about the numbers and the math is right. But like the SBC, we apparently have lots of "members" who don't attend services. I was blown away to learn that it is just accepted practice in their fellowship that people don't have to actually attend to be members.

I understand that leaders don't want to show a decline in church membership. But accurately tracking what is really going on in a church, as you say, is important to identifying and responding to needs and adjusting ministries and programs. A number isn't positive or negative; it's just a fact. I can't do my job and apply basic marketing principles to make churches aware of great ministries and resources if the data is all fouled up. And I really don't understand how a church can say they have 5000 members when 800 people attend on a Sunday, or how the inflated membership number helps them win souls and disciple people. But what do I know.

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RE: ACP, Anyone? - 9/12/2008 8:34:01 AM

KatMack

Posts: 1018
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: Along the Canopy Roads
Status: offline

Sorry for the confusing title, but it makes sense to any SBC secretaries or pastors

I ran our initial numbers yesterday. Last year we reported 1800 members and this year we'll be reporting a hair less than 900. The graph will be pretty depressing, but it's what's really going on here.

Based on that we average 66% of our "membership" in church service every Sunday. We'll definitely be seeing that number go up over the next few years. We have a new discipleship pastor and he's working hard to get people involved. His first semester goal was to have 50% of our attenders involved in a discipleship/study/support group and we're at 45% in the second week! I'm so excited to see how our congregation starts growing spiritually as a result!

--Kat

_____________________________

<-- My sweet blessings.

"God will do what God will do. What I'm responsible for is to believe he's all he says he is and obey what he tells me to do. " -magdaleine

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