Current Reality: Tools for an Essential Church
Define the current reality
The first step in gaining a clear understanding of your current reality is to gather data related to several key indicators.
Worship attendance
Sunday School attendance
Baptisms
Other indicators will establish trends and averages to help you understand basic information about your church. Download the 5 Counts Worksheet ( xls ), or if you prefer a paper form, check the appendix of Tools for an Essential Church. You will need to gather your information prior to beginning the process of completing the forms.
Current reality resources
How-to Instructions for filling out the 5 Counts worksheet
To complete the form referred to as "5 Counts," you will need to have the past five years of attendance data. If you are a Southern Baptist Convention Church, use the information from the last five Annual Church Profile (ACP) reports. If you can't find this information, contact your Director of Missions or State Convention and they will provide it for you.
Additional resources
Lifeway Consulting Get information about church consulting services available to you
Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts by Thom Rainer and Sam Rainer