Introduction
Over the last 20 years of my life in ministry I have noticed a pattern that I’ve become more and more uncomfortable with. There appears a constant drive to measure what matters, or at least, what is easy to count. We see it in the careful tallying of salvations, baptisms, and churches planted at network events. Or the ‘how big is your church’ conversations at conferences. Of course, numbers are people, and so growing churches and transformed lives are an amazing indication of God’s grace. At first glance, these numbers tell a story of growth, impact, and blessing. But if we pause and reflect, we discover a tension that can undermine the very heart of mission work: when the metrics begin to shape the work rather than merely describe it.
We live in societies that are fixated on measurable outputs, and so must ask ourselves an important question? Are we capturing genuine transformation, or are we simply measuring what is easiest to count? Is our ministry becoming a game of spreadsheets and performance reports where the stories are adjusted to meet donor expectations? This blog explores these questions, interrogating the ways in which numerical metrics may distort our understanding of authentic mission and church planting, and offers a path back to a storytelling culture that embraces transparency, nuance, and true transformation.
The Tyranny of the Spreadsheet
I imagine that this has been the case in the history of mission work, but it appears in the last 50 years the obsession with quantifiable success has become all too common. I have sat in conversations with directors and regional leaders and been asked for updates on our work. What I have noticed is that there is a desired pull toward the neat, compelling numbers that seem to prove God’s favour and the effectiveness of a ministry. To show increase and growth that can be quantified. But this drive for clarity and certainty has its dangers.
Missionaries and church planters often work under immense cultural and financial pressures. Many feel compelled to produce reports laden with statistics and stories that can be easily showcased in newsletters or fundraising presentations. Here, the temptation is as seductive as it is dangerous: to exaggerate achievements, to polish stories until they shine with a veneer of success, or, worst of all, to manufacture outcomes that did not truly occur. This is not merely about misrepresentation; it is about the subtle shift from tracking progress to performing progress. Many may lament this and take a dim view of missionaries and church planters who do this. Yet, the question must be asked of us all, especially if the only support people are given is in pounds, dollars and euros. I have spoken to many people in ministry over the years who feel under pressure to ‘perform’ to show results, to give a return on investment. This may or may not be the case, but for some people, it feels like it. Or we make people feel lesser as they are subconsciously compared between radically different contexts.
This reporting ‘spreadsheet’, with its columns and rows of numbers, offers the illusion of absolute truth. Every entry becomes a marker of progress, and every zero a failure. In this environment, there is little room for the messy reality of ministry. The doubts, the slow breakthroughs, the persistent struggles, all the aspects of our work that defy neat quantification, are pushed aside. We end up with a curated version of the mission story, one that highlights headline successes but sidesteps the long, often painful process of discipleship and transformation. Our mission stories become flattened under the weight of over-simplified metrics. When every nuance is forced into a data entry, the organic messiness of authentic human and spiritual transformation is lost, and we risk valuing form over substance.
Counting vs. Measuring: What Are We Really Tracking?
Brad Briscoe once made a compelling distinction in the realm of church growth: counting tallies activity, while measuring assesses transformation. This insight is vital if we are to reclaim an authentic narrative in ministry. You can access Brad’s book for free here (LINK)
Consider the difference between simply counting the number of people who attend an event and understanding the quality of relationships that emerge from that gathering. A headcount might boast of a full house, yet it offers little insight into whether attendees experienced a sense of belonging, hope, or a deep, personal connection to Jesus. In contrast, measuring transformation means exploring the qualitative changes in people’s lives, whether long-term relationships are forged, if discipleship begins to take root, or if a person’s worldview is genuinely shifted toward a life of purpose and faith.
The transformative aspects of ministry are often slow, subtle, and inherently non-linear. In fact, they are more rollercoaster than gentle stream! They don’t lend themselves to immediate, easy-to-capture metrics. Spiritual growth might be evidenced by a quiet conversation that alters a life trajectory, or a small act of compassion that gradually builds into lasting community trust. A marriage mended, or a peace that surrounds a family in sorrow as they lean on God. These moments define our true impact, yet they resist commodification into neat numbers.
Reflecting on broader cultural tendencies, we can see how an overreliance on simplistic, binary evaluations often fails to capture the nuances of human experience. When we measure only what is immediately apparent, we risk missing the profound, gradual shifts that truly define transformation. Just as focusing solely on superficial outputs may mask deep, underlying changes, authentic mission work unfolds gradually, nurtured by small, deliberate acts of faith and community-building that resist easy quantification.
The Seduction of the “Big Story”
One of the main ways that this affects the focus of mission and church planting, is towards an irresistible allure to the “big story.” Dramatic testimonies and narratives of rapid, sweeping change capture our imagination and command attention. We are a people who thrive on stories. These stories, vivid and bold, often become the standard against which success is measured. The narrative of quick conversions and exponential growth provides a sense of momentum and divine favour that is difficult to ignore. The wilder the story, the more amazing the grace, the more ‘lost’ the person is, the more we drink it up.
However, there is a profound danger in gravitating too forcefully toward these dramatic narratives. When the mission world becomes fixated on viral stories and headline-worthy events, there arises a subtle pressure to craft narratives that adhere to these expectations, even at the expense of honesty. In our eagerness to present impressive results, we risk fostering a culture where the appearance of success is valued over the slow, quiet reality of genuine transformation. We saw this in the story of Tony Anthony in Taming the Tiger, later exposed as misleading and falsification. (LINK) Oh, how we lapped up his stories, and excitedly shared them, while overlooking the ordinary acts of everyday faithfulness that others were really involved in.
This issue is not confined solely to ministry of course. In various fields, there is a tendency to favour the flashy and the sensational over sustained, authentic progress. The risk is that, in pursuing the allure of the “big story,” we may end up constructing our ministry around impressions rather than the lived, enduring reality of transformation. When we choose stories for their dramatic effect rather than their truth, we compromise the integrity of our narrative and risk establishing unrealistic standards for success. The result is a growing disconnect between what is reported and what is truly experienced on the ground. The rare, electrifying moments of conversion may dominate the narrative, while the gradual, day-to-day nurturing of faith and community, the true work of the Kingdom, remains in the background, often unseen and uncelebrated.
Faithfulness in the Small and Unseen
Scripture offers us a powerful perspective in this matter, urging us to value faithfulness over fruitfulness. Galatians 6:9 encourages perseverance in doing good, and Luke 16:10 reminds us that faithfulness in small matters serves as the foundation for greater responsibilities. The work of the Kingdom is often akin to planting a seed, a small, humble act that may go unnoticed until it eventually blossoms into something great.
Consider the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31–32. Here, Jesus describes a seed that, despite its tiny size, grows into a large tree providing shelter and sustenance. Similarly, the genuine impact of ministry often starts as a small, almost imperceptible act, a quiet conversation, a shared meal, or a moment of empathetic listening that over time culminates in lives transformed by the grace of God. These are not the moments that typically make it into annual reports or promotional newsletters, yet they are the true markers of lasting change.
It is tempting to dismiss these “small” moments as insignificant when placed alongside the grand narratives of rapid conversion and dramatic growth. However, the reality is that the work of building a lasting community of faith is painstakingly incremental. The subtle shifts, the daily acts of grace, and the quiet victories of personal transformation are all threads in the larger tapestry of God’s work. By focusing only on what is immediately measurable, we do a disservice to the profound and often intangible aspects of faith that define our ministry.
Our collective experience teaches us that depth and authenticity rarely conform to simplistic metrics. When we allow ourselves to be consumed by numbers alone, we risk masking the quieter, yet more powerful, realities of lives being reshaped by grace, a process that often unfolds unseen and unsung in the hustle and bustle of daily ministry.
Toward a Culture of Honest Storytelling
What, then, is the way forward? In a world where metrics have become near idols, there is an urgent need to cultivate a culture of honest storytelling, one that values transparency, nuance, and humility over superficial impressiveness.
Leaders and teams in ministry can take deliberate steps to foster an environment where truth is celebrated, even when it does not yield immediate, measurable gains. Here are a few practices that can help us steer toward a more authentic approach:
Celebrate Slow Growth and Relational Breakthroughs: Recognise that transformation often happens in increments. Instead of fixating solely on headcounts and event attendances, focus on the deep, lasting relationships formed over time. These relationships, built on trust, empathy, and long-term discipleship, are the unseen roots that eventually yield visible fruit.
Resist Exaggeration in Donor Reports: Financial and administrative pressures can drive us toward embellishment. However, there is an ethical imperative to report honestly, acknowledging both our successes and our challenges. Donors, when engaged through a transparent narrative, are often more supportive of the long-term, organic nature of ministry.
Create Safe Spaces for Reporting “Failure” or Long, Quiet Seasons: Not every season in mission work is marked by dramatic breakthroughs. Often, quieter seasons are periods of intense learning and preparation. By normalizing the discussion of setbacks and slow growth, we can destigmatize these experiences and encourage a fuller, more honest exchange of stories.
Embrace a Biblical View of Faithfulness: Reflect on passages such as Mark 4:26–29, which remind us that the Kingdom of God grows in mysterious and often imperceptible ways. Integrating this perspective into our narrative encourages us to focus on long-term, faithful living rather than immediate, but potentially superficial, results.
There is a beautiful irony at work here. In our pursuit of perfection as measured by numbers, we risk losing sight of the authentic, messy reality of faith. By shifting our focus from what can be easily measured to what is deeply experienced, we nurture a ministry culture that values integrity over appearances. This approach not only honours the true work of the Kingdom, but it also aligns with the complex, multifaceted nature of human experience, a blend of triumphs, trials, and the unspoken moments of grace.
Conclusion: Stories Worth Telling
Ultimately, the true measure of our mission work is not found in a tidy spreadsheet report, but in the messy, beautiful narratives of lives transformed. The pressure to impress with dramatic numbers and headline-worthy events is pervasive. Yet, in resisting that pressure, we find a radical truth: telling the truth is an act of faith. Our world is fixated on immediate results, but embracing honesty, even when it feels small or insufficient, is nothing short of revolutionary.
Every ministry journey is unique. Some yield immediate, visible outcomes; others grow quietly, almost imperceptibly, in the background. Both patterns hold value when viewed through the lens of faithfulness. True success in mission and church planting is measured not by the number of baptisms or the volume of statistics, but by the enduring impact on lives changed, relationships nurtured, and the steadfast commitment to following God’s call.
The challenges we face in our efforts to communicate ministry success remind us that transformation is rarely as simple as a set of tallies. It is a tapestry woven from countless small threads of care, courage, and persistence. When we resist the temptation to inflate our numbers and instead embrace the genuine heartbeat of our ministry, we honour not only the work of Christ but also the unique, humble journeys of the communities we serve.
As fellow labourers in God’s mission field, let us have the courage to speak the truth in our updates, the wisdom to recognise that the deepest growth is not always visible, and the faith to trust that even the smallest act of kindness is a seed sown for a harvest beyond measure. May our narratives reflect a commitment to transparency and integrity, values that stand as a testament to the Kingdom we are called to build.
In a culture that increasingly prizes what can be measured over what truly matters, let your story be one of honest, transformative faith, a story worth telling even when it defies easy quantification. Authenticity and integrity in our mission are the ultimate reflections of the Kingdom, and that is a radical act of faith.
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