"We Count People Because People Count!"

I can't tell you how often I've discussed small group attendance reporting with a client or other church leader. And, every conversation eventually gets around to "How do you get your small group leaders to report attendance?"

Of course, there's no "silver bullet" solution, but there are two "keys" to getting small group leaders to report their groups' attendance.

Vision Casting

First, you have to do a great job of casting vision. Small group leaders must understand that reporting small group attendance is not "about the numbers." It's not about making sure the graph gets updated, or the church board's monthly report gets done. It's about the spiritual growth and development of people, one person at a time. I tell our leaders that "we count people because people count." I know it's just a catchy phrase, but it's true.

Sometimes when I'm talking about features and functionality as they compare different CMS (Church Management Software) options, it occurs to me that the church leader doesn't understand the importance of a CMS. They view it as a "database," a place to keep contact information, etc. I explain the importance of understanding what business the church is really in and how CMS enables the church to "do its business." Churches are in the life change business. They are connecting with people and helping them move spiritually from non-believer to believer, from loosely engaged believer to more engaged believer. If you view a person's spiritual journey as a series of steps, it's about understanding where they are currently and how to help them get to the next step.

So, reporting small group attendance is nothing more than a method of keeping the CMS an accurate representation of how engaged a person is when it comes to community.

Ease of Use

Second, it's imperative that the actual task of reporting small group attendance be easy for the group leader. Again, here's where a CMS is key to the process! On the morning of my small group meeting, I receive an e-mail that prompts me to report attendance. Without having to go to my computer or otherwise login to the system, I can report my attendance while I'm at my meeting, right on my smartphone. If I don't get it done, then I receive two additional reminders over the next couple of days. Easy.

Making the task easy increases the likelihood it will get done.