8 Important Church Metrics to Track

In ministry, there are a lot of things we can measure and some metrics are more helpful than others when it comes to determining the health of your church. In this post, I'm sharing 8 metrics that I find very helpful in determining where we are and how we're doing in my church.

Metrics Every Pastor Should Track

The following 8 data points will allow you to keep a finger on the pulse of church health and growth as they offer a data-driven view of member engagement, satisfaction, demographics, outreach, and spiritual development. Without data, we’re left discussing opinions, and Lord knows, we all have one of those. Numbers tell a factual story that help us keep our feelings in check, and allow us to make the best decisions. Let’s dig in.

1. Engagement

For years, my most important metric was weekend attendance. Then, COVID changed everything. Now, I think the best measurement is church engagement. In my mind, there are three key measurements for determining engagement.  

1. % of attenders in a small group
2. % of attenders who are serving
3. % of attenders who are giving 

We track these numbers religiously, compare them to the past, and compare them ministry by ministry so that we can understand our level of engagement. I believe that engagement is far more accurate and important than simply tracking attendance. 

2. Staff & Volunteer Satisfaction

Every year we survey our staff through Best Christian Workplaces and also survey a sampling of our volunteers. These surveys, done year after year, help us determine how satisfied and engaged our staff and volunteers are. Of course, the health of your staff has a massive bearing on the health of your church as a whole. 

Whether you contract an outside organization or consultant to help you measure this metric or attempt it on your own, your staff and volunteer satisfaction is a critically important indicator of health.

3. Age

In addition to surveying our staff and volunteers, we also conduct a yearly congregational survey. One of the questions asked in this survey is, “What is your age?” The average age of your congregation is an important indicator of health. 

Unfortunately, we have watched our average age creep up over the last few years, so we know we have some work to do in this area. When your average church age increases over time, that may be an indicator that you’re not acquiring new visitors and attenders. Over time, this can be super damaging to a church body. 

If you are interested in making some progress here, I believe that the Growing Young work that Fuller Youth Institute has done is very helpful. 

4. Guests

In the same yearly survey that I mentioned, we measure the percentage of guests in attendance. Of course, we attempt to measure the same weekend year after year and we choose a weekend that feels like an average weekend. For example, we don’t measure on Christmas, Easter, fall launch or spring break. We choose what feels like a normal weekend.  

By tracking this and other numbers over the course of a few years, you can get a fairly accurate picture of your congregational makeup. By the way, if you want to take things to the next level in your church, focus on ways to retain first time guests. 

5. Baptisms and Salvations

What really matters is the mission to which we were called as churches—The Great Commission. If people aren’t coming to faith and being transformed by discipleship to Jesus, then we aren’t doing it right.  

How do you measure spiritual growth, anyway? It can be a tricky thing to measure. However, two simple numbers that can provide a decent picture are salvations and baptisms. People trusting Jesus for salvation and then following it up with baptism is a clear indicator of spiritual movement.  

Of course, your church tradition might not include baptism after salvation. If that is you, then you’ll probably need to come up with another measurement for spiritual growth. My point is that making disciples is what really counts, so if we aren’t measuring spiritual growth then we’re off the mark.  

6. Digital and Physical Attendance

Tracking both digital and physical attendance is essential for understanding overall church engagement. In today's hybrid worship environment, combining these metrics provides a wholistic view of how the congregation participates. Physical attendance indicates in-person engagement, while digital attendance shows reach and engagement through online platforms, especially for those who cannot attend in person.

Tools to Track Attendance:

• Church Management Software (Breeze ChMS)
• Online streaming analytics (YouTube, Facebook Live)
• Digital attendance apps (Church Metrics, Tithe.ly)

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7. Total Giving

Total giving is directly correlated with the health of the church's finances. It impacts budgeting, resource allocation, and the ability to fund various ministries and missions. A consistent and generous giving pattern among congregation members reflects their commitment and supports the church's operational needs and outreach programs.

Strategies for Encouraging Consistent Giving:

1. Educate the congregation about the impact of their giving.
2. Make giving easy through online platforms like Tithe.ly.
3. Share testimonies and stories of how giving makes a difference.
4. Offer multiple giving options (weekly, monthly, special campaigns).
5. Recognize and thank donors regularly.

8. Vision-Specific Wins

Vision-specific wins are accomplishments that align with the church’s mission and strategic goals. These wins reflect progress toward fulfilling the church's long-term vision, such as launching a new ministry, expanding community outreach, or hitting a milestone in a building project. They serve as tangible evidence that church leadership is guiding everyone in the right direction.

Ways to Measure and Celebrate Vision-Specific Wins:

• Monthly or quarterly review meetings
• Congregational announcements and testimonies
• Visual displays (e.g., progress charts, photo boards)
• Special events or services dedicated to celebrating milestones

Church Metrics to NOT Track

3-Second Video Views

While 3-second video views can indicate initial interest, they are not a reliable metric for engagement. They do not reflect meaningful interaction or retention and can overestimate the actual impact of digital content. It's better to track longer view durations and engagement metrics like comments, shares, and likes.

Vanity Numbers like “Potential Reach”

So called, “vanity metrics” are numbers than can be measured, but they don’t lead to any real engagement. More specifically, “potential reach” is a number built from the number of friends of friends of friends that would have the possibility of seeing a post or video on any given platform. Just because it’s a number that can be quantiified, that doesn’t make it a valuable metric to watch or measure.

Importance of Church Metrics

“Numbers matter because people count,” Dave Adamson. Gone are the days of counting people in pews or passing the attendance roster down the row. We live in an era where engagement happens in person and online, and we also have tools available to track attendance and engagement. The tools of our day, when used correctly, will help us continue to reach the next generation.

Wrap Up

The above metrics can be helpful indicators of your church’s health and growth. Of course, every church is a little bit different. When choosing metrics for measuring your church’s health, consider your core values and long-term vision. I’d love to hear what works for you–email me at aaronbuer@gmail.com.