I performed my duty as a good American citizen a couple weeks ago and filled out the census report. The purpose of a census is to give our government officials a sense of where we are regarding the size of our population.

What would a census of our churches look like? Numbers aren’t everything, but they can help reveal strengths and weaknesses.

Here are some questions to consider:

1. How many official church members do you have on roll?
2. How many people attend your church on a typical Sunday?
3. How many staff members does your church have?
4. How many people have joined your church in the past year?
5. Of that number, how many are through baptism and how many are transfers from other churches?
6. How many races are represented in your church?
7. How many social classes are represented in your church?
8. What is the make-up of the immediate vicinity surrounding your church building? Is it reflected in your church?
9. How many people in your church were discipled by other members of your church?
10. How many people in your church engage frequently in evangelism and missions?
11. What age group is best represented in your church?
12. How many worship-attenders are currently enrolled and attending discipleship courses?