Building a church that matters . . . I don't know why but this is the phrase that has gotten stuck in my heart ever since I've felt called to start this new church called The Watershed.  I'm not arrogant enough to say that God put it there, but still the phrase won't go away.  And it's not like I think this church will matter where others do not or something like that.  I just know that I will feel this church is a failure if five years down the road, I don't feel like this is a church that matters to God and this community.

 But how do you measure that?  Is it by worship attendance?  I don't think so because I see churches here and everywhere doing whatever they can to get people through a door to be counted as part of their statistics even when the things they do to attract them might not be healthy at all.

 Do you measure it by money in the bank or giving per week?  Of course not.  Although we're called to be generous givers of our tithes to God, a dollar figure doesn't take into account who is coming and whether what the church is doing is worth investing in.  You can easily a imagine a church in a third world country or even just up the road that takes in small amounts of money but which matters to God and it's community.

Size of the building?  I don't think anyone takes that seriously anymore.

How do you measure impact?  Personal stories?  Professions of faith and baptisms?  Number of small groups meeting?  What's the magic number to track?  As you might expect all of those numbers are important, but I don't think you can completely measure whether or not a church matters.  I think you have to look at all of those numbers, but you have to read between the numbers too.

The community being built around the coffee pot on Sundays or in living rooms throughout the week matters to God.  How generous the people are and where the money goes matters to God.  People being different when they leave than when they came in matters to God.  People being more familiar with the scriptures than the latest Max Lucado book matters to God.  Welcoming people who are not like us matters to God.  Balancing grace with truth matters to God.

 When all is said and done maybe God's church wasn't meant to be measured.  It was meant to be enfleshed.  A church is more than it's statistics, although there may be nothing wrong with looking at statistics.  A church is its people indwelled by the Spirit of God . . . imperfect, inspiring, generous, loving, countercultural.  The church isn't linear or easily measureable like we wish it were.

 So what is a church that matters to God?  Maybe we can't measure it.  And maybe we'll just have to trust that we'll know it when we see it. 

Peace,

matt