The dream job.
Unfortunately though it can also be ineffective. We’ve been having a lot of discussions at Ministry2 about how to calculate success and the development of goals and metrics. The fact is that it’s just hard to know if any of it is actually working.
But one of the critical reminders for all of us is that success is always best understood contextually; that is to say, that success is going to look different depending on where you are and in the context through which you’re doing online ministry.
You need metrics for you ministry. You need goals for your ministry. But they don’t have to be like your neighboring church’s or like anyone elses. Let the dream stay alive without you killing yourself over it because you’re not making the goals of your peers.
Of course, let’s let God determine how successful we truly are.
@DewittRobinson says
Great post John!
dewde says
Great post. I think all online ministries should have some way to measure progress so they should know where they were when they started, where they are now, and where they want to go. Not to get bigger or more important or even more influential. But to measure efficiency.
If an online ministry is reaching 500 unique visitors a month, but effecting change in 10 of them, that is not efficient. It might be a better use of time to hone the goal of the ministry and change the programming/process/message/website so that they effect positive change in 50 people even if it means they are only reaching 200. Sometimes increasing efficiency means making your site less attractive to the masses, but more attractive to a niche group in need.
In any event… if you don't have metrics to measure the success or failure of your online ministry, the whole conversation is moot. A map (or plan) is useless if you don't know where you're even starting from.
peace | dewde
Jim says
i concur
markalves says
If your online ministry is supporting a meatspace church then the starting point should be your church's objectives. Determining the ways your online ministry will support those overall objectives gives you your online ministry goals. Once you have those goals then you can figure out which metrics to use.
By following this sequence, your metrics not only help you assess your own ministry, but they also make it much easier to get support from your pastor and to motivate your volunteers. You can clearly show how you're contributing to objectives that the entire community can relate to rather than focusing exclusively on technical stats without that grander context.