I have learned (the hard way) that people will perform to the metrics. That is, if I put a slide up with a picture of some aspect of team performance, people on the team will make the picture look better next time, even if some of the other aspects of performance suffer badly meanwhile. I would guess that this phenomenon is based on the human need to look good in the eyes of others.

Scot McKnight is reviewing David Fitch’s Great Giveaway in his series entitled The Evangelical Giveaway, and he touches on this particular phenomenon (performing to the metrics) as it relates to the church:

David Fitch, in his Great Giveaway, first studies how evangelicalism defines “success.” This is, in my estimation, a great place to start a book. Evangelicals, he contends, too often define success by numbers: attendance and baptisms. He contends this is a market-driven and capitalistic definition of success, and that what we need to be measuring is discipleship and lifestyle.

Another book for my wishlist.

McKnight does have a small bone to pick with Fitch:

Here’s where Fitch differs from the typical genre of “hammer the church” literature. He defines things better and works at living them out in the church. Success is defined as faithfulness. I cannot tell you what a difference this would make to churches if they began to structure things around “faithfulness.” Actually, I disagree here: the core “success” of a church is whether it loves God and others for the good of others and the world. Faithfulness is an attribute of love.

McKnight is breaking this thing down in terms of the Jesus Creed. Makes sense to me. I’m trying to learn to think in the same way in my whole life. Craig and I were talking about just that a couple days ago. Love God with everything I am and love others. 

So, the question is: how do we measure progress in proper spiritual formation? That, my friends, is a tough question and a critical one.