In the movie Moneyball, Brad Pitt plays the part of the Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane. While most of the baseball old timers and scouts had a set of stats they used to look for young prospects, Billy Beane understood that the only stat that mattered was runs scored. Through statistical analysis he changed the game of baseball forever and was credited with indirectly bringing a championship to the Boston Red Sox for the first time in 85 years.
In much the same way churches should not confuse a variety of different stats like attendance and offering with the one stat that matters most. Jesus explained the one thing that matters most: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19,20) If making disciples is what matters most; how do you keep track of disciple-making? How does a church know if they are doing a good job at making disciples?
I’d like to invite you to leave your comments and thoughts about how you would define a disciple of Jesus. I’m particularly interested in how you would define a disciple in a way that is measurable. So, what stats do you think should matter to a church?
