Should churches be data driven or not?
https://medium.com/faithtech/does-god-against-data-driven-church-97c5b3733adf
Interesting question. The article has a bit of a think about it and makes some salient points, but it's a quick look into the top of a deep rabbit hole. If you wanted to dig deeper, we could look at different contexts for data informed decisions: church management and logistics, demographics, individuals using data for planning outreach (how many fliers to letterbox their neighbourhood?), denominations lookong at trends in markers
@rose_myrtle I think the article gives a good answer, but there is something revolting about adopting a sort of corporate attitude that focuses on nothing but striving. I have been a part of churches that focus on nothing but the Great Commission and something about it felt sick. Someone pointed out the reason to me this year and it made me think. The purpose of the Church is not missions, but worship. Missions can(and will) flow from worship, but they are not what we are called for.
@daniel that's very, very true.
I cried at church this morning; because the creche room - a place of play and fellowship between parents - was filled instead with 2m-apart spaced out chairs facing a TV screen (for watching the service).
... today was i think the 3rd week back, and it was empty.
I mean i know all the reasoning but it still makes me cry.
@rose_myrtle I think of Psalm 127
Unless Yahweh builds the house,
they who build it labor in vain.
Unless Yahweh watches over the city,
the watchman guards it in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
to stay up late,
eating the bread of toil,
for he gives sleep to his loved ones.
I think data driven is good, but our motives must be right and balanced. It has to be understood that God has done the work of salvation and we cannot add to it. Our response is the fruit of it.