An email arrived in my inbox last week with the heading ‘Numbers do Matter.” It was taking about the NAFTA negotiations between Canada., Mexico and the United States, stating that it was no surprise the agreement with Mexico was sought by the United States first. No surprise, the email said, because the population of Mexico is about 132,000,000 people, compared to Canada’s 34,000,000. Hence the bigger market, and thus a more profitable market, was to be found in Mexico. Yes, numbers do matter.
A lab result comes back with an extremely high reading. The patient is hospitalized. On redoing the test in hospital it is found that the lab added an extra zero to the results taking them out of the normal zone into the dangerously high. Yes, numbers do matter.
Churches are being closed because the numbers in the pews are shrinking. They can no longer pay for the upkeep of the building and the stipend for the clergy person. Yes, numbers do matter.
No one can dispute that. What is interesting however is WHY they matter. Take the first example where numbers matter as an indicator of where the most money is, and therefore where the most effort should be expended. In the second example, while the numbers caused undue expense and anxiety to the patient, they really pointed out the unreliability of the lab and the inefficient of their technicians. Each time, the numbers do matter, but for a different reason.
We have been hearing since the 1960’s that the numbers in the pews of the mainline churches are dwindling. And that is still true today. There are various gimmicks out there to increase membership again. ‘Back to Church Sunday’ comes to mind, as well as ‘Messy Church’ which is suppose to bring the young families in. Following every service the vestry book has to be filled in with the number in attendance and signed by the officiant. Then those number are reported on a yearly basis to the head office. Obviously numbers DO matter.
I would like to suggest that all these ideas that are purported to increase numbers are missing the point. They are not looking at what really is the problem. The structure and hierarchy of the churches has simply gotten too big and too expensive for the dwindling congregations to afford. Significant restructuring of both needs to be done, and done soon, to cut costs and get the most ‘bang for the buck.’
The next time you hear somebody talking about numbers, take a minute to consider why it is that the numbers matter, and just what a possible solution might be.
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