Outcomes/Evaluation

Scandals point out importance of having Accountability

Miki — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:48:55 -0500

Scandals point out importance of having accountability
by rudy [at] harambee [dot] org
September 25, 1999 in Pasadena Star News
[Rodolpho Carrasco is associate director of Harambee Christian Family Center in Pasadena, Calif. Check out more articles by Rodolpho Carrasco here.)

Ministry Program Evaluation

Miki — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:56:39 -0600

Ministry Program Evaluation

If your church already has active outreach ministries — evangelism, mercy ministry,
community development, advocacy, etc. — it is essential to look carefully at these
programs before forging ahead with new ideas. A future direction may evolve out of the
church's current ministries. A new direction or paradigm for ministry may mean making
changes in existing programs, or even ending some ministries to make way for new ones.
In designing new ministries, keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses revealed by the
evaluation so that you can build on successes and avoid repeating mistakes.

The following evaluation will help you decide how to work with existing ministries and
design new ones. Evaluate each program separately. (The Ministry Activities page of the
Ministry Audit is a helpful starting point for this process.) Follow the questions below to
examine the what, the how, and the why of the ministry program.

The evaluation should be conducted by a group that includes leaders and active volunteers
from the ministry being examined. They should understand that the purpose of the
evaluation is just not to critique the program's flaws, but to reveal strengths as well as
weaknesses, so that the church's visioning process can build on successes and avoid
repeating mistakes. It may be a good idea for those conducting the evaluation to review the
concepts explored in What is holistic ministry? and Why do holistic ministry?, in order to
build a shared holistic mission paradigm.

As much as possible, also seek input from other agencies or ministries that are partnering
with you or doing similar work (see networking), and from the people who are served or
reached by the ministry (see the Community Leadership Team.)
[Much of this evaluation is adapted from Sherman, The ABCs of Community Ministry: A Curriculum for
Congregations, pages 61-64.]

WHAT ministry are we doing?
Are we doing the right things?

1. What is the ministry's mission statement? (If the ministry does not have a formal
mission statement, write down a sentence or two that outlines the "big picture"
purpose of the ministry.)
2. List the specific goals and activities of the ministry (e.g., persons to reach, products
or services to generate, benchmarks of success)
3. Assess the continued significance of the ministry. Does it focus on needs that are
relevant and important? Are the goals of the ministry holistic (see "What is holistic
ministry?")?
4. Is the ministry program "on track" with its mission?
a. Are the ministry activities consistent with the purpose of the program? Or are
there activities that fall outside the scope of the mission statement, or even
contradict the mission?
b. How successful has the ministry been at achieving its goals? Take into
account observable outcomes, as well as comments and feedback from
beneficiaries of the ministry and from others in the church.
5. If the ministry is "off track," ask why. Factors that can de-rail a ministry include:
influences from funding sources, the ministry board, church, or community; lack of
skills in leadership, administration or ministry implementation; "bigger is better" or
"urgency of the need" temptations; conflict over core goals.
6. Is the mission statement of this ministry in line with the overall mission statement of
the church? How does it fit in with the emerging vision for holistic ministry discerned
by church leaders (or the Ministry Vision Team)? (See Where is God calling us?)

HOW are we doing ministry?
Are we doing things in the right way? (It's possible to do the right things in the wrong way!)

1. Does the church have a "philosophy of ministry," a statement of commitments and
convictions that guides the operation of outreach programs? Assess how this
program is carried out in light of this list of principles. Does the ministry put into
practice the convictions articulated in the philosophy of ministry? Look particularly
at:
a. The ministry's scope: Is it wide but superficial, or narrow and deep? Are there
sufficient resources to meet the program's objectives?
b. The ministry's connection with the church: What is the church's role in
supporting the ministry and holding it accountable? Does the ministry work
in harmony with other church outreach programs? Are there opportunities for
beneficiaries to connect with church life?
c. Spiritual development: How does the ministry provide beneficiaries with
opportunities to learn about God, encounter God's grace and receive spiritual
nurture? Is this done in ways that are sensitive, relevant and non-coercive?
How does the ministry encourage staff/volunteers to connect their faith with
their service?
d. The ministry's standards: Does the program expect staff and volunteers to
serve with excellence and integrity? Does it hold beneficiaries to standards
of decency and safety? Does it help people learn from their mistakes?
e. Stewardship: Does it operate with administrative excellence and integrity? Is
it a wise investment of resources? What is the level of retention of donors
and personnel? Does the ministry safeguard its human resources, so that
staff and volunteers do not burn out or function in a negative environment?
f. Staff/volunteer training: Are staff and volunteers provided with clear
guidelines and skills so that they can serve with excellence, witness with
sensitivity and faithfulness, and uphold the ministry philosophy?
g. Teachings: What messages are conveyed to beneficiaries, both through
formal teaching and through informal venues (staff lifestyles, attitudes,
personal relationships, the setting for the ministry)? Are these messages
Christ-centered, holistic, respectful, transformational, etc.?
h. Ministry leadership: Do leaders model, teach, and enforce these principles?
i. Ministry partnerships: If the program collaborates with another entity, does
this partner help or hinder these ministry principles?

2. If the ministry's operation is not consistent with the Philosophy of Ministry, analyze
why. Do the problems appear related to a lack of training, practical constraints,
ministry leadership, theological differences, external pressures, tradition ("we've
always done it this way") ...?

3. Identify main areas of strengths and weaknesses in the way the ministry is carried
out. What changes may be appropriate? What might be a strategy for bringing about
this change?

WHY are we doing this ministry?
Are we sponsoring ministry for the right reasons?

1. What reasons might the church have for sponsoring this ministry? What are the
ministries' objectives — what do you hope will come about through the ministry?
(See Why do holistic ministry?) Make a list. Those objectives might include:
a. Glorifying God; inspiring people to praise and worship.
b. Facilitating lasting change, deep healing, and confident hope in the lives of
hurting people. (Add more details about these desired changes.)
c. Helping people develop a vibrant, dependent, joyful relationship with Jesus,
by sharing the gospel with non-believers and discipling new and growing
believers.
d. Seeing the community become a place of increasing peace, safety, dignity,
opportunity and justice. (Add more specific details.)
e. Witnessing reconciliation between estranged families, ethnic groups, rich and
poor, or other divided groups of persons.
f. Developing leadership and healthy partnerships within the community of
ministry.
g. Encouraging spiritual growth among the staff and volunteers.
h. Energizing the church around holistic ministry, seeing church members
become more Kingdom-oriented, compassionate, and active in their faith.
i. Bringing new people into the church and helping the church to grow.

2. Take the pulse of program staff / volunteers. Do they share these goals? Why or
why not? Are there any motivations and objectives present that the church should
not endorse (guilt, seeking to earn "brownie points" with God, materialistic visions
of success, competition with other churches)?

3. Do program leaders and staff model these objectives in their lives — setting an
example by giving God the glory, growing in their faith, displaying a hopeful
dependence on God, seeking reconciliation, advocating justice, etc.?

4. Is there a need for those in the church and ministry to better communicate and
model its ultimate objectives? What might be a strategy for accomplishing this?

Processing the Community Study Report

Miki — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:05:59 -0600

PROCESSING THE COMMUNITY STUDY REPORT

Many churches that undertake a community assessment do the study, write the report, file
the report, and forget about the report. But a community study is not information for
information's sake; it is gathered for the purpose of equipping the church to share the good
news of the gospel in word and deed. Keep this goal in mind. If you allow your study
committee to get bogged down in statistics or overwhelmed with details, you will end up
with "paralysis of analysis."

Use the following reflection questions to guide the analysis of the self-study report. The
leadership group may opt to process the community report at the same time as the ministry
assessment and church self-study, preferably during a retreat or in a worshipful setting free
of distractions. Dedicate time in this process to prayer. The insights yielded by this analysis,
together with the self-study, can then inform the larger process of discerning your church's
vision for holistic mission and developing a strategic ministry plan.

1. What aspects of community life need to be transformed by God's holy love?
Seeing brokenness around us should stir up what activist David Frenchak calls a "holy
discontent." The whole creation groans under its bondage to decay, says Romans 8:21-22,
and we too groan in our spirits as we yearn for Christ's complete redemption. What about
the community grieves you, raises your hackles, fills you with a yearning to see things
change? Who in the community is crying out for God's healing touch?

List the needs and issues that the church could respond to. Consider both the needs that
are manifest in the lives of individuals (divorce, addictions, disabilities), and the problems
that affect systems and institutions (immigration policies, juvenile courts, access to health
care). Make sure that your responses reflect what members of the community themselves
say are priority concerns, not just the needs that seem most obvious to "outsiders."

Address this question from a holistic perspective, tuning in to both spiritual and material
needs. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the community through God's eyes, looking past
the outward appearance of things to the heart of the matter (1 Samuel 16:7). In more
affluent communities, we may be inclined to conclude that the church's services are not
needed. But polished exteriors can mask many forms of brokenness—family conflict,
addictions, the scars of abuse, spiritual emptiness. And in low-income communities, while
the eye is naturally drawn to physical evidence of need—graffiti, abandoned buildings, trash
blowing along the street—God can redirect our vision to the asset He cares about most:
the people.

2. How is God is already at work in the community?
To be effective in ministry, we need to get on board with what God is already doing. A
community study becomes a treasure hunt for the wheat of God's activity, hidden among
the tares (Matt. 13:24-30). This approach is especially essential for distressed
neighborhoods or people groups that are usually viewed in terms of their problems. Ask the
Lord to show you where His reign is already evident in the community.

While we naturally gravitate toward the movers and shakers, Scripture makes it plain that
God also (or even primarily) works among those at the margins. Look for the people who
demonstrate God's love and build up the community through the rhythms of ordinary life,
like teachers, homemakers, and sports league coaches. Identify those who have a "fire in
their belly" for justice. Don't limit your search to Christians — remember that God called
the idolatrous king Nebuchadnezzar "my servant" (Jer. 27:6). God can work through any
person or institution to accomplish His aims.

Develop an appreciation for ministry assets in the community. How might the church
nurture a relationship with these assets and support the community development work that
is already taking place? How might the church invite members of the community to join the
church in doing the work of the kingdom? Consider also the ways your church is already
being used by God to bless your community.

3. What might God desire for this community?
What would God's "shalom" (peace and wholeness) look like in your community? Drawing
on the extravagant stock of biblical promises, ask God what it would mean if the prayer,
"Your Kingdom come," were answered in this community. This is the time for exercising the
sanctified imagination, for holy dreaming. What could this community be like if people
embraced God's transforming redemption, if neighbors loved one another, if the natural
environment was flourishing, if social institutions treated people as responsible, valued
creations made in the image of God?

This step requires caution, however. There's a fine line between dreaming of desired
changes, and imposing your will on others. Never assume that you know what is best for
other people. Your vision must take the hopes and dreams of members of the community
into account. This means building relationships with people and really listening to them.

4. How could our church participate in God's redemptive plans for the community?
Having laid out the needs, the assets, and the long-range vision, now ask: "So, what can
we do about it?" Brainstorm a list of possible church responses to community issues.
Include potential ministries as well as non-programmatic ideas like "making church services
more appealing to the dominant culture in the community." Take special note of ministry
ideas that have some grounding in things that the church or individual church members or
people in the community are already doing. Push for ministry possibilities that are holistic
— that touch people's lives spiritually, socially, and relationally, as well as seeking the good
of the community on a more systemic level.

At this point, don't try to limit your ideas to what is practical or realistic. Make room for
possibilities that are so big that only God could bring them about. This step is a part of the
process of narrowing down the options to discern a specific ministry call, based on a range
of factors. See the Mission / Vision Discernment Guide for more details on this crucial
phase.

Community Study Guide

Miki — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:56:31 -0600

Community Study Guide

This guide (attached document) will help you know what you are looking for in your study of the community. Feel free to add, subtract or adapt questions as appropriate to your particular context. Some of the questions will apply more to "community" in the sense of a geographical area; others apply more to "community" in the sense of a people group.

Methods for Learning About Your Community

Miki — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:49:50 -0600

Methods for learning about your commnity

The community study task group can gather information about the community of ministry in a variety of ways:

Ministry Program Planning Guide

Miki — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:46:17 -0600

Ministiry Program Planning Guide

Use the attached document to lead your congregation through the program planning process.

Qualities of Transformational Leadership for Holistic Ministry

Miki — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:20:08 -0600

Tool #48: Qualities of Transformational Leadership for Holistic Ministry

How do you lead a church through a season of missional transformation? Most congregations
will not move forward in holistic ministry unless their leaders—called and empowered by God’s
Spirit—model the way. The following ten characteristics are hallmarks of effective
transformational leaders. As with every aspect of mission, developing these qualities is a
mysterious process that blends divine grace and human response. Look over the attached document and think about how your leadership can embody these virtues.

Counting the Cost, Looking for Treasure

Miki — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:16:49 -0600

Tool #50: Counting the Cost, Looking for Treasure

Any church considering a significant new ministry investment must weigh the cost of the desired
project against the potential benefits of its completion and the risks incurred by not investing.
Every holistic ministry carries a price tag, but also represents an investment.

For your church's proposed ministry venture, use this attached document to consider both the risks and the opportunities for volunteers, all
church members, church facilities, and the church's mission overall.

Special Fundraising Goals Worksheet

Miki — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:59:25 -0600

Special Fundraising Goals Worksheet

In-Kind Donations Worksheet

Miki — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:57:42 -0600

In-Kind Donations Worksheet