MENA (MNN) — Measuring the impact of ministry is never easy. Many factors come into play, but not all carry the same weight. What guiding principles should shape how we assess our work in God’s field?
The Gospel work is an exciting journey of watching God’s will transform lives from emptiness to purpose. Personal and community change follows! Yet the process is sensitive and often hard to measure.
Fadi Sharaiha from the MENA Leadership Center says, “We’re not used to measure the impact. And the reason why is because sometimes we are afraid to see that we were not successful in that. It’s tricky how to measure and what to measure. How to measure spiritual growth, or if people’s lives have been changed?”
When it comes to measuring impact, purpose matters. “Many organizations measure to approve, not to learn, and there’s a difference in that,” explains Sharaiha.
How do you measure the impact of the Gospel on a person’s life? (representative photo courtesy of Rodrigo Gonzalez via Unsplash)
“Measuring impact shifts focus from the activity, — he continues, — what we do or what we did — to an outcomes and even transformation to what really changed.”
You can compare the process to working in a lab! “You work with the controlled environment or conditions, and then you change some factors.”
The ability to observe and measure impact guides strategy, fosters learning from past mistakes or successes, and creates a culture of continuous improvement.
“Basically, it would demonstrate really faithful stewardship, because it enables the ministries to show the donor, the stakeholder and the communities they live with that resources are being used wisely and effectively,” says Sharaiha.
This, in turn, builds trust and credibility among workers in God’s harvest field.
In a few weeks, the MENA Leadership Center will host a course on measuring ministry impact. Attendees from the Middle East and North Africa, Pakistan, their diaspora, North America, and beyond will gather to strengthen their work.
“People will be exposed to the different tools and frameworks for measuring impact,” says Sharaiha.
The topics include, but are not limited to, the importance of measuring impact, how to define ministry goals, learning how to work with data, developing good communication with stakeholders, and pursuing ongoing improvement.
Many pastors and Christian leaders who will attend the course live in war zones or areas of political unrest. Pray that they will be able to join and benefit from the program. Pray also for the lecturers.
Visit MENA Leadership Center to learn more.
Header photo courtesy of Atlantic Ambience via Pexels.
