Where is the measuring tape?
COVID has complicated how we determine the scale of our work, but asking key questions can help, writes the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
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Evaluation & assessment
Recently published
Nathan Kirkpatrick: Are churches counting what counts?
Beyond average Sunday attendance, there are other ways to measure the role of churches in the community. Things like footprint, partners, impact and calling also tell a story.
Link to author Nathan Kirkpatrick
By
Nathan Kirkpatrick
Principal, Saison Consulting, LLC
Jeffrey Kaster: Why I love program evaluation
Yes, many people think evaluation is a chore. But done right, it can be an astonishingly effective tool in building excellent ministry, writes the director of a Youth in Theology and Ministry program.
Link to author Jeffrey Kaster
By
Jeffrey Kaster
Coordinator, Lilly Youth Theology Network
Susan M. Weber: Reframing evaluation
Effective evaluation is about learning from one’s work, not judgment. It is a process that must be in place from the beginning of a project and be done in community, writes the director of the Evaluation & Communication Project at the Center for Congregations.
Link to author Susan M. Weber
By
Susan M. Weber
Director, Evaluation & Communication Project, Center for Congregations
Gretchen E. Ziegenhals: The how of asking good questions
Christian leaders spend their workdays asking questions, but few are trained in how to ask good ones. Good questions are powerful tools for building relationships, assessing needs, creating an atmosphere of inquiry and imagination, and charting a way forward.
Link to author Gretchen E. Ziegenhals
By
Gretchen E. Ziegenhals
Spiritual director and retreat leader
Dave Odom: Name your mission, develop strategies and then evaluate impact
Clarifying mission is just the first step. Leaders must then align strategies with the desired impact, writes the executive director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
Link to author David L. Odom
By
David L. Odom
Executive director, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity
Nathan Kirkpatrick: How to encourage constructive, honest feedback
Many churches and institutions ask for feedback yet signal in subtle or not-so-subtle ways that they only want to hear what they’re doing well, writes a managing director at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
Link to author Nathan Kirkpatrick
By
Nathan Kirkpatrick
Principal, Saison Consulting, LLC
Dave Odom: Measuring ministry impact takes years
Your supporters might want to see immediate results. But your role as an institutional leader is to focus conversations around long-term impact and vision.
Link to author David L. Odom
By
David L. Odom
Executive director, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity
L. Roger Owens: The better way to 360-degree feedback
Leaders of all stripes need feedback -- the good, the bad and the ugly. But such honesty is possible only in the context of covenant, says a professor of leadership and ministry.
Link to author L. Roger Owens
By
L. Roger Owens
Professor, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
RIP, average attendance
That number means much less today because the definition of an active congregation member has shifted. So, what numbers should we track now?
Link to author David L. Odom
By
David L. Odom
Executive director, Leadership Education at Duke Divinity
Howard Bloom: Ask hard questions
New programs and interventions often seem sure to work. But success is rare, and evaluation is critical to understanding whether and why efforts to help underserved people are in fact effective, says an evaluation research methodologist.
