PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR LEADING CONGREGATIONS
 
I love evaluation. Yes, that's right. I love evaluation.

I realize that many people in theological circles would equate program evaluation to St. Paul's "enduring all things." But I think we should instead consider it a "more excellent way."

Paul might take exception to relating evaluation to the more excellent way of the spiritual gift of love. But perhaps one could consider that providing excellent ministerial programming is a way that pastoral leaders show Christ's love.

For 35 years, I've heard colleagues complain that evaluation is basically hoop-jumping to appease others. And I understand this -- many theological leaders don't see the benefits of evaluation.

But I love evaluation, because I've seen how it can be an astonishingly effective tool in building excellent ministry. I want to share four steps to developing a "more excellent way" of ministerial leadership through evaluation.

 
RELATED: ARE CHURCHES COUNTING WHAT COUNTS?
The question came at the end of a workshop from a senior pastor of a large New England congregation. "If average Sunday attendance means less than what it once did, then what do we measure now?"

From the participants' responses, it was clear that the question was on the minds of many of the clergy attendees. Despite several suggestions, no single answer satisfied the room.
Behind the question are both a phenomenon and a mentality that need to be explored a bit before we might venture an answer.

First, the phenomenon. As David Odom noted for Faith & Leadership in 2014 ("RIP, average attendance"), at one time, the church relied on average Sunday attendance (ASA) as a primary measure of congregational life, vitality and health. Church consultants used ASA as a metric reflecting congregational complexity, which in turn suggested certain organizational structures and best practices.


 
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Working better by working together
Too often, our work is organized around a single dynamic or powerful leader, writes the director of the Thriving in Ministry Coordination Program. It doesn't have to be this way, though. 

Reforming evaluation
Effective evaluation is about learning from one's work, not judgment. It is a process that must be in place from the beginning of a project and be done in community, writes the director of the Evaluation & Communication Project at the Center for Congregations.
 
 
FROM THE ALBAN LIBRARY

Projects That Matter introduces project leaders and teams to the five basic elements of project design and describes in detail a six-step process for designing and implementing a project evaluation and disseminating evaluation findings. Written for the non-expert, leaders in religious settings will find Cahalan's guidance clear and invaluable. Presenting evaluation as a form of collaborative inquiry, Cahalan shows how leaders can use evaluation design to develop effective project plans and prepare case statements for donors or grant proposals for foundations. She introduces project planning and evaluation as mission-related practices and invites leaders to consider how their tradition's particular mission and beliefs influence the way they plan and evaluate. Cahalan concludes the book by making explicit her own theological presuppositions -- that the virtues of discernment, stewardship, and prudence are essential for good project planning and evaluation. 

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