Numbers and Faces

ourCOG April 5, 2023 2:18 am #ourCOG 1

“Numbers count. They tell a story. They let you know what the score is. They show you where you’re winning and where you’re failing so you can make adjustments. They show trends. They reveal weaknesses. They are tangible evidence of how well you’re doing.”

— Good Leaders Ask Great Questions: Your Foundation for Successful Leadership by John C. Maxwell

There are days that Maxwell’s quote inspire me and there are days that it depresses me.

What I have come to understand is that Maxwell is right but not completely right.

Numbers do matter. They do contribute to the story, but they are not the story.

Jesus can help us here. He stated, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4)

A pastor doesn’t get to “cut their losses.” A parent doesn’t rest until all are safe under the roof. Even a wise business man understands that his greatest asset is people, not products.

Bottom line, the number 1 can be a win if the right person is attached to it and 99 can be a loss if the 1 is lost and left behind.

Pastors, I pray you have a great attendance this Sunday, but that’s not the top priority. The top priority is to faithfully represent Jesus to your people and teach them to observe the things He taught, no matter how many are there.

Do that faithfully, week end and week out, and you’ve gone a long way towards taking care of the numbers.