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Is ROI the elephant in the room at your church?
How chasing ROI may be hurting your community
Let us help you bring your elephant into the conversation. No need to be self-conscious—we all have elephants of some size and shape. We’re not trying to call you out in judgment.
However, this topic is a crucial element of every church's mission and should not be ignored. That topic is common pitfalls of ROI in the church and what to do about them.
Tracking ROI (Return on Investment) is not, on its own, a negative thing. Keep that in mind as we walk through these pitfalls. How we go about tracking ROI, as well as where we’re tracking ROI, is when things can get sticky.
There is inherent value in tracking ROI and understanding the numbers. However, ROI may not be the best metric to drive ministry decisions.
Let’s unpack why.
You could be missing out on different types of ROI
Some ministries should be invested in regardless of whether the money returns or not. It’s that simple and that complicated.
The temptation is strong to plant a church or a branch of a multi-site church somewhere it will pay for itself in a year.
But that other option—the location that maybe won’t have as strong of a start or consistent tithes and giving—may benefit more than your first choice.
It will most likely not look good on paper. You probably will not see the ROI in the form of money. That doesn’t mean there isn’t any. ROI can also look like:
Changed hearts
Improved lives
Stronger community
Obedience to God
If you feel called to a broken location, that could be a mission from God to turn toward that brokenness without thinking about the numbers alone.
Weighing the different types of ROI can be an important step to not letting dollar signs drive every decision.
Did God change his mind, or did it just get difficult and slow?
It takes time to harvest the fruits of our labor. If we cut a branch in impatience, we could miss a bountiful harvest.
Think of Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane. As Jesus is about to be arrested, Peter takes matters into his own hands by cutting off the ear of a guard.
He acted rashly, and Jesus stepped forward to show him a better way by reattaching the ear and acting in control of his emotions.
We can sidestep the risks of impatience when waiting to collect the fruits of our efforts. And, most times, the best thing to do when waiting is to pray.
Some ministries, even the ones we feel are 100% where we’re meant to be, take time to establish. Just because it's difficult and slow doesn't mean it isn't what God has called us to do.
Action Items:
Recognize the different types of ROI
Lumping all ministries together when measuring ROI can cause imbalances and missed opportunities for real impact.
By measuring each ministry based on more than numbers—such as its fruits in the community or deeper calling—you can create a more balanced and impactful network.
Practice patience in your decision-making
Sometimes even when we start a ministry we’re sure is what God is asking us to do and where he’s asking us to be, it takes time to establish and show its fruits.
That does not always mean it’s the wrong ministry. Before making decisions about ministries—both establishing them or deciding to continue one or not—take the proper time to sit with God before making a final choice.
That could look like coming to a decision as a group, taking a week or so to sit with it, and then reconvening with your council to check in on whether you’re all still on the same page.
And, more importantly, that you’re all in tune with what God is asking you to do.
Make ROI a frank conversation (talk about the elephant in the room)
The more transparent you are about ROI, the less of an elephant it will be. Give him a name and a seat at the table. Discuss the facts while keeping the focus on where you’re called to be and why.
The goal isn’t to ruffle feathers by bringing up metrics—we should have evaluations, standards, and metrics to follow and reference.
However, if we get too focused on the wrong ones, we can run into some pitfalls and miss out on creating the ministry God wants us to have.
Understanding the difference between healthy and unhealthy ROI measurements can help you avoid such pitfalls and make patient, prayerful decisions.