I want some feedback from you, I really do. Let's have a conversation about nickles and noses. Hold on, I'll explain the noses thing in a minute. But first, here's how we engage in the dialog: I'll post a conversation thread in our Epiclesis online Forum titled "Nickles and Noses". That's where you can go to add your thoughts and ideas to the mix. (You'll need to set up a little free account in order to post to the Forum. It's easy, but give me a shout if you have difficulties). You do not have to be a member of Epiclesis to read and/or post items in the Forum.

Now, what is this business of nickels and noses? A pastor/mentor friend of mine once said, years ago, that the only way some folks know how to measure success in a church is by looking at nickles and noses. I like that catchy phrase. It means that oftentimes we focus on money or attendance, or both, in our evaluation of a church.

It's a question I've thought about a lot in ministry. Folks at Epiclesis will often hear me pray, "Lord we ask for growth... however You choose to define it."

There's some truth in the "nickels and noses" approach, to be sure ("where your treasure is there will your heart be also"), but the question I want to ask of you is this: Are those the only metrics? If not, then what else?

Will a church that is growing in its love for the Body and for the world around it necessarily grow in, say, attendance or budgets? How do you measure depth of discipleship?

It's a question, this nickels and noses thing, that has some very far-reaching implications for how we do church. Must we measure everything? And are some valuable things unmeasurable?

I want to hear from you. Let's talk about it-- see you over in the chat room titled "Nickels and Noses" in the Epiclesis online Forum.

The Lord be with you!

Pastor Chris