I must admit that the first sentence from this article by Abby Perry raised my eyebrows.

“Jesus loved data.”

I knew that Jesus loved me, that Jesus loves the little children … but data? It sounded anachronistic, maybe even heretical. But then she explained what she meant by data: “ … simply facts or information that can be analyzed for a specific purpose.”

With that simple definition she was absolutely correct that Jesus loved data.

“As he looked upon the crowds, Jesus was gathering data. He was taking stock of people’s needs and desires, their weaknesses and hurts. As he analyzed that information, he felt motivated by compassion to act on their behalf.”

The point of her article was that pastors should be similarly committed to gathering data, so they can better meet people’s needs. “Like Jesus and Paul, your ministry can be empowered by what you see, your compassion can be stirred by what you learn, and your actions can be motivated by truth.” Read the rest of the article here.

And check out our related resource for a deeper dive into the topic. Giving Help to the Hurting includes nine assessments to help your team measure how you’re meeting the needs of the hurting people within and outside your church.