Elders Handbook for Evaluating Ministry

"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful."
— 1 Corinthians 4:2 (WEB)

Opening: Why Evaluation Matters

Elders are called to be shepherds and stewards of Christ’s church. That stewardship is more than preaching, teaching, and caring for souls — it also includes the prayerful work of evaluating ministry.

Evaluation is not about control, micromanagement, or criticism. Instead, it is about faithfulness to Christ and His mission. Just as a shepherd periodically inspects the flock to ensure health and safety, elders must pause and look carefully at the life of the church.

When elders evaluate ministry, they are asking:

  • Are we staying true to the mission Christ gave us?
  • Where are we strong and fruitful?
  • Where are we weak, declining, or neglecting opportunities?
  • Who is God raising up to help lead the next chapter of ministry?

Why This Matters

  1. Stay Aligned with Mission
    Churches drift when they stop asking whether ministries are fulfilling the Great Commission. Evaluation realigns activity with purpose.
  2. Recognize Strengths and Weaknesses
    Without evaluation, blind spots remain hidden. Prayerful reflection surfaces both fruitfulness and gaps.
  3. Multiply Leaders for the Future
    Healthy evaluation is never just about programs — it is about people. Elders must always ask, Who is being discipled into leadership? Who could we equip and release? Multiplying leaders keeps evaluation from becoming cold management and transforms it into a discipleship process.
  4. Build Trust with the Congregation
    Transparent evaluation builds credibility. When the congregation sees elders being honest about successes and struggles, trust deepens. Trust, in turn, allows for change, growth, and renewal.

Evaluation as Discipleship

Evaluation is not simply a management function borrowed from business. In the church, evaluation is discipleship.

Every reflection, every metric, every survey should include this question:

  • How are we raising up the next generation of leaders who will shepherd the flock?

The apostle Paul gave Timothy this charge:

“The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2, WEB)

Here we see evaluation’s ultimate goal — not just tracking ministry outcomes, but ensuring multiplication. A faithful church is a reproducing church.

Tools for Multiplication

  • Mentorship: Each elder should see evaluation moments as opportunities to identify and mentor new leaders.
  • Training Pathways: Online resources like Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) provide free, accessible courses that elders can recommend to emerging leaders.
  • Celebration: Don’t just celebrate attendance numbers — celebrate new mentors, small group leaders, and future elders stepping into training.

Closing Thought

Evaluation matters because souls matter. The church belongs to Christ, and He calls elders to steward it faithfully. Evaluation is not optional; it is part of shepherding. And when done with prayer, humility, and a multiplication mindset, evaluation strengthens the church, equips new leaders, and glorifies God.

Step 1. Define Effectiveness

Before evaluation can begin, elders must first ask: What does effectiveness look like in our role? Without clarity, evaluation becomes aimless — like running a race without a finish line.

Two Dimensions of Effectiveness

  1. Shepherding Effectiveness
    • Are elders present with the flock through home visits, hospital calls, and care for the vulnerable?
    • Are families being discipled in the Word and prayer?
    • Are elders known by the sheep and do the sheep know their shepherds (John 10:14)?
    • Example indicator: “Each elder will personally connect with every family in their district at least once per quarter.”
  2. Oversight Effectiveness
    • Is the church aligned with its mission and vision?
    • Are ministries producing fruit or just activity?
    • Are church structures sustainable (volunteers supported, finances stewarded, leaders not burning out)?
    • Example indicator: “We will evaluate whether our small groups are making disciples who make disciples.”

Both shepherding and oversight flow from Acts 20:28: “Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and God which he purchased with his own blood” (WEB).

The Multiplication Lens

Defining effectiveness is not complete unless it includes leadership multiplication.

  • Every time elders measure ministry effectiveness, they should ask:
    • Who else could be trained to share this work?
    • Where are the next elders, deacons, and ministry leaders coming from?
  • Example: Effectiveness in pastoral care is not only measured by the number of visits elders make, but also by the new shepherds trained to make visits alongside them.

Multiplication keeps evaluation from being mere management. It transforms it into discipleship and legacy.

CLI Connection

Elders do not have to create leadership pipelines alone. Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) offers free, online courses in pastoral care, leadership, preaching, theology, and ministry practice.

Practical Application:

  • When an elder notices a faithful volunteer, small group leader, or mentor, they can say:
    • “I see leadership potential in you. Would you consider training through CLI to prepare for deeper ministry?”
  • Effectiveness is multiplied when every evaluation moment leads to recruiting and training new leaders.

Scripture Anchor

“Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it.” (Habakkuk 2:2)

Defining effectiveness means writing down a clear vision, with plain goals, so that leaders and members alike can understand, run with it, and multiply the work.

Step 2. Identify Key Indicators

Once effectiveness is defined, elders need to establish key indicators that can be consistently measured. Without clear indicators, evaluation becomes vague or based on feelings rather than reality.

Key indicators answer the question:
👉 How do we know if our ministry is bearing fruit?

Principles for Key Indicators

  1. Specific – Avoid generalities. Indicators should measure something concrete.
  2. Measurable – If you can’t track it, you can’t evaluate it.
  3. Achievable – Indicators should stretch the church but remain realistic.
  4. Relevant – Every indicator must connect to the mission and vision.
  5. Time-bound – Indicators work best when tied to a timeframe (monthly, quarterly, annually).

Examples of Traditional Key Indicators

  • Worship Attendance: Weekly trends, including online engagement.
  • Professions of Faith & Baptisms: Signs of evangelism fruit.
  • Membership Growth & Retention: How many are joining, and how many are staying?
  • Mentoring Relationships: Are new believers paired with spiritual mentors?
  • Discipleship Engagement: Small group attendance, Bible study involvement.
  • Mission & Service Participation: Percentage of members engaged in outreach or service.
  • Giving Trends: A reflection of stewardship and trust.

The Multiplication Lens

Faithful evaluation also requires measuring leadership development. Numbers alone do not tell the whole story; we must ask whether new leaders are being raised up.

Examples of Multiplication Indicators:

  • How many new small group leaders were trained this year?
  • How many potential elders or deacons are being mentored?
  • How many volunteers moved from “helping” to “leading”?
  • How many individuals enrolled in CLI training at the encouragement of elders?
  • How many leaders are multiplying themselves by mentoring others?

Case Example: Instead of only tracking “number of small groups,” add: “number of small group leaders trained this quarter.”

CLI Connection

Christian Leaders Institute can serve as a pipeline partner for multiplication. Elders can use CLI courses to train emerging leaders in pastoral care, preaching, administration, or chaplaincy.

Practical Application:

  • Indicator: “At least 5 new leaders from our church will complete a CLI introductory leadership course this year.”
  • This transforms evaluation from maintenance to movement.

Scripture Anchor

“Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit… therefore, by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:17, 20, WEB)

Indicators are fruit checks. They are not ultimate — only God gives growth (1 Corinthians 3:7) — but they help elders discern whether ministries are producing healthy, multiplying fruit.

Step 3. Collect and Organize Data

Defining effectiveness (Step 1) and setting indicators (Step 2) are only useful if elders consistently collect and organize data. Too often churches lose sight of trends because no one is tracking them in a clear, repeatable way.

👉 Data does not replace prayer, but it helps elders discern where God is at work and where new shepherds are needed.

Why Consistency Matters

  • Inconsistent tracking = misleading results.
  • Consistency allows trends to emerge over time.
  • Organized data empowers wise decisions rather than hasty reactions.

Scripture Anchor:
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40, WEB)

What to Collect

  1. Core Ministry Metrics
    • Worship attendance (in-person + online)
    • Professions of faith, baptisms, and new members
    • Participation in small groups, Bible studies, or discipleship pathways
    • Service and mission involvement
    • Financial giving (overall health, not individual donors)
  2. Leadership Multiplication Metrics
    • Number of mentors actively discipling others
    • Number of new leaders trained or installed in ministry roles
    • Number of people enrolled in leadership development (e.g., CLI courses)
    • Progress of emerging leaders (volunteer → mentor → ministry leader → elder/deacon candidate)
  3. Qualitative Feedback
    • Stories of life change and discipleship growth
    • Testimonies from families, youth, or new believers
    • Feedback from surveys or one-on-one interviews

How to Collect

  • Spreadsheets/Dashboards: Simple monthly tracking by designated elders or ministry leaders.
  • Surveys: Annual congregational surveys on discipleship, community, and mission engagement.
  • Leader Reports: Ministry leaders provide short reports with both numbers and stories.
  • CLI Records: Track how many people are engaged in online training with CLI, what courses they’ve completed, and how that is translating into local ministry impact.

Organizing the Data

  • Monthly Elder Review: A dashboard showing key indicators and leadership development metrics.
  • Quarterly Reports: Combine data with testimonies — both numbers and stories matter.
  • Annual Retreat: Use organized data to pray, discern, and set next year’s goals.

Pro Tip: Always include a section called “Leadership Pipeline Health” in elder reports. This prevents evaluation from being merely about attendance or finances.

The Multiplication Lens

Collecting data is not just about what has happened but also about who is being raised up.

  • Ask: Do we know the names of those being mentored toward leadership?
  • Track: How many leaders are we multiplying this year compared to last year?
  • Evaluate: Which ministries are producing new leaders — and which are not?

CLI Connection

Christian Leaders Institute makes organized data collection easier by providing a training pathway elders can measure.

Example:

  • “10 members began CLI ministry training this year.”
  • “3 completed Pastoral Care Basics and are now serving as visitation leaders.”

CLI becomes both a source of leadership multiplication and an easy-to-measure development pipeline.

Step 4. Analyze and Interpret

Collecting data is important, but raw numbers alone do not tell the full story. Elders must prayerfully analyze and interpret the information to discern what God is revealing about the health, direction, and future of the church.

👉 Analysis is where evaluation shifts from information to wisdom.

Why Prayerful Analysis Matters

  • Numbers without prayer lead to management.
  • Prayer with numbers leads to Spirit-guided stewardship.
  • Interpretation requires elders to sit together, look at trends, and ask:
    “What is God saying to us through this picture of our ministry?”

Scripture Anchor:
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28, WEB)

Key Questions for Analysis

  1. Fruitfulness Questions
    • Where are we seeing growth and life?
    • Are people coming to faith and being discipled?
    • Are children, youth, and adults being nurtured in the Word?
  2. Faithfulness Questions
    • Are our ministries aligned with our mission and vision?
    • Are we stewarding resources (time, people, finances) for God’s glory?
  3. Multiplication Questions
    • Which ministries are raising up new leaders?
    • Where are leadership bottlenecks keeping us from growing?
    • Who is being mentored now that could step into eldership, deaconship, or teaching in the future?

Case Example: The Power of Honest Analysis

A church tracked membership, baptisms, and attendance over 20 years. The graph showed steady decline. At first, leaders felt discouraged: “We only have five years left before we close.”

But one elder reframed the analysis: “When my wife is sick, I don’t declare her dead — I ask, ‘What can we do to restore her health?’ We love this church. What steps will bring life again?”

That moment turned despair into determination. Honest interpretation sparked new vision and led to renewal.

How to Interpret Beyond Numbers

  • Look for Patterns: Are baptisms consistently dropping? Are small groups stagnant?
  • Ask Why: Don’t just note decline — ask why. Is it cultural? Spiritual? Leadership-related?
  • Include Stories: Numbers tell “what.” Testimonies tell “why” and “how.”
  • Seek the Spirit: Begin and end analysis with prayer. Invite the Holy Spirit to highlight both challenges and opportunities.

The Multiplication Lens

Every analysis must include the leadership pipeline.

  • If attendance is growing but new leaders are not, burnout is coming.
  • If baptisms are rising but mentors are few, discipleship will stall.
  • If finances are strong but leadership depth is weak, the church is fragile.

👉 Ask: Where do we need to recruit, mentor, and train new leaders?

CLI Connection

Christian Leaders Institute offers a ready-made training track that makes analysis actionable.

  • If analysis reveals shortage of mentors → encourage members into CLI’s Mentoring Basics.
  • If analysis shows lack of small group leaders → suggest CLI’s Small Group Leader or Biblical Knowledge classes.
  • If analysis highlights the need for new officiants or chaplains → guide candidates to CLI’s Ministerial Programs.

CLI turns data interpretation into next steps for multiplication.

Summary: The Elder’s Role in Interpretation

  • Gather → Pray → Discern → Plan.
  • Don’t let charts sit in a binder. Let them shape Spirit-led conversation.
  • Always end with: “Who is God calling forward, and how can we multiply leaders through this insight?”

Step 5. Communicate and Celebrate Success

Evaluation is not complete until it is shared. If results remain in a binder or only among elders, they will not strengthen the body. Elders must communicate evaluation findings with clarity, humility, and hope — and celebrate the ways God is working.

👉 Why? Because evaluation is not about discouragement but about fueling worship, trust, and vision.

Why Communicate?

  • Builds Trust: The congregation needs to see that elders are transparent and accountable.
  • Encourages the Body: People are motivated when they see that their service and giving are bearing fruit.
  • Shapes Culture: Regular updates create a culture of shared ownership rather than passive attendance.
  • Avoids Rumors: When elders lead with honest communication, misinformation has less ground to spread.

Scripture Anchor:
“Therefore encourage one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, WEB)

Why Celebrate?

  • Celebration shifts focus from problems to God’s faithfulness.
  • Joy creates momentum for change.
  • Highlighting wins — both small and large — keeps hope alive.

Scripture Anchor:
“Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4, WEB)

Business Insight (John Kotter, Harvard): Organizations that celebrate short-term wins are far more likely to sustain long-term change.

What to Communicate

  1. The Data (Honest & Clear):
    • “Attendance has held steady, but baptisms have declined.”
    • “Small group participation rose 15% this year.”
  2. The Stories (Personal & Inspiring):
    • Share testimonies of new believers, families restored, or youth growing in faith.
  3. The Next Steps (Vision & Multiplication):
    • “We are excited to mentor three new small group leaders through CLI training this year.”
    • “Our goal is to multiply leaders for children’s ministry, so we’ll be identifying and equipping five new volunteers this quarter.”

The Multiplication Lens

Celebration should not only highlight ministry outcomes (attendance, baptisms, mission trips) but also leader development.

Examples to Celebrate:

  • “This year, four members began Christian Leaders Institute training to prepare for ministry roles.”
  • “We commissioned two new mentors to disciple young adults.”
  • “We identified three potential future elders and began walking with them in leadership development.”

Celebrating multiplication tells the congregation: We are not just maintaining; we are raising up the next generation of leaders.

Practical Tools for Communication

  • Quarterly Ministry Report: A 1–2 page summary of data, stories, and next steps.
  • Celebration Sundays: Dedicate time in worship to share testimonies and highlight fruit.
  • Visual Dashboards: Simple charts showing progress on key indicators.
  • CLI Spotlights: Share stories of members enrolled in CLI courses and how their training is preparing them for leadership.

Sample Script for Elders in Worship

“Church family, thank you for your faithfulness. This year, we’ve seen God at work: small group attendance grew by 15%, three people professed faith in Christ, and five began training for leadership through Christian Leaders Institute. There are challenges too — baptisms are down, and we need to invest more in outreach. But we trust God, and we celebrate every step of fruitfulness. Let’s rejoice together in what He is doing, and let’s keep multiplying leaders for the harvest!”

Summary

Communicating and celebrating success keeps the church encouraged, builds trust, and fosters momentum. Elders should highlight both ministry fruit and leadership multiplication, reminding the congregation that evaluation is not management but discipleship.

Step 6. Build Trust Through Transparency

Evaluation is only effective if it builds trust. If elders hide results, spin numbers, or minimize struggles, credibility erodes. But when elders communicate openly, humbly, and faithfully, trust deepens — and with trust, the congregation becomes more willing to follow where God is leading.

👉 Trust is the currency of leadership. Without it, even the best evaluation will not create movement.

Why Transparency Matters

  • Opens the Door for Renewal: Honest acknowledgment of challenges helps the body move from denial to solutions.
  • Models Christlike Integrity: Elders lead by example. If they practice honesty, members will too.
  • Strengthens Unity: Transparency reduces suspicion and counters gossip.
  • Encourages Participation: People are more likely to join in ministry when they know the full picture.

Scripture Anchor:
“It is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2, WEB)

Faithfulness here includes being honest with what God has entrusted.

How to Practice Transparency

  1. Share Both Wins and Struggles
    • Wins alone create false security.
    • Struggles alone create despair.
    • Sharing both creates balance and builds credibility.
  2. Use Clear Language
    • Avoid jargon or insider terms. Speak plainly so everyone understands the reality.
  3. Acknowledge Weakness Without Blame
    • Say: “Our baptisms are down; this shows we need to invest more in outreach.”
    • Don’t say: “Our evangelism team failed.”
  4. Invite Questions
    • Create forums, Q&A sessions, or elder conversations to let members process.
  5. Link to Vision and Multiplication
    • Always tie transparency back to the mission and to raising up new leaders to address needs.

Case Example

A church was declining in youth participation. Instead of hiding the numbers, elders shared openly:

“We have 10 fewer teens involved this year compared to last year. This tells us we need to invest in leadership for our youth ministry. We are praying for God to raise up two more leaders, and we are encouraging a few of our young adults to begin training with Christian Leaders Institute to step into mentoring roles.”

This honest but hopeful framing built trust — and parents of teens even volunteered to help.

The Multiplication Lens

Transparency about needs often reveals opportunities for new leaders to rise.

  • When elders admit, “We are thin in discipleship leadership,” someone may step forward to begin CLI training.
  • When elders acknowledge, “We don’t have enough visitation capacity,” others may feel called to train as pastoral care leaders.

👉 Multiplication thrives when the church hears the truth and is invited to join the solution.

CLI Connection

Transparency is strengthened when paired with action. Elders can say:

  • “We see a gap in youth discipleship. That’s why we’re encouraging three potential leaders to begin CLI courses in Youth Ministry.”
  • “We need more visitation shepherds. CLI’s Pastoral Care Basics is a free course that will prepare new leaders for this ministry.”

This shows the congregation that honesty is not just reporting problems — it is tied to solutions and multiplication.

Summary

Trust is built not through perfect numbers, but through honest and faithful communication. Elders must:

  • Share both strengths and struggles.
  • Speak plainly and humbly.
  • Invite the congregation into solutions.
  • Celebrate new leaders stepping into training and ministry.

Scripture Anchor:
“Speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” (Ephesians 4:25, WEB)

Transparency makes evaluation sustainable, and trust creates the environment where leadership multiplication can flourish.

Step 7. Multiply Leaders Through Evaluation

At the heart of evaluating ministry lies one essential question:

👉 Are we multiplying leaders who will shepherd Christ’s church into the future?

If evaluation ends with numbers and reports, it becomes mere management. But if evaluation points toward raising up more workers for the harvest, it becomes discipleship, stewardship, and legacy.

Why Multiplication Matters

  • Biblical Mandate
    • Jesus multiplied leaders when He sent out the 72 (Luke 10:1).
    • Paul instructed Timothy: “The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2, WEB)
    • The early church in Acts grew not because of programs, but because of disciples who became leaders.
  • Practical Necessity
    • No elder board can carry the work of shepherding alone.
    • Without multiplication, leaders burn out, and ministry stalls.
    • With multiplication, the church grows in depth and resilience.

How Multiplication Integrates with Each Step

  1. Defining Effectiveness → Include leadership development as a measure of health.
    • Example: “Effectiveness in pastoral care means elders AND trained lay shepherds are visiting homes.”
  2. Identifying Key Indicators → Track leader development, not just attendance.
    • Example: “How many new mentors or small group leaders were raised up this year?”
  3. Collecting and Organizing Data → Record names and progress of emerging leaders.
    • Example: Track how many volunteers move into CLI training annually.
  4. Analyzing and Interpreting → Ask where leadership bottlenecks are limiting growth.
    • Example: “Do we have enough trained leaders for the number of small groups?”
  5. Communicating and Celebrating Success → Highlight new leaders as a win.
    • Example: Celebrate those who finished a CLI course or stepped into a ministry role.
  6. Building Trust Through Transparency → Share leadership gaps honestly and invite new people to train.
    • Example: “We need more visitation leaders. Would you consider training with CLI to help shepherd God’s people?”

Practical Pathways for Multiplication

  1. Mentorship
    • Every elder should identify at least one person to mentor into leadership.
    • Evaluation meetings should include: “Who are you mentoring right now?”
  2. Training Pipelines
    • Create a pathway: volunteer → mentor → ministry leader → elder/deacon candidate.
    • Use CLI’s free courses to structure this development.
  3. Regular Leadership Review
    • During evaluation, ask:
      • Who has leadership potential?
      • Who has been faithful in small things (Luke 16:10)?
      • Who is ready for training and release?

CLI Connection

Christian Leaders Institute is a vital tool for multiplication. Elders can say:

  • “We see God’s calling on you. CLI can equip you for leadership.”
  • “As part of our evaluation, we want to see five new leaders begin CLI training this year.”
  • “We celebrate that three members finished Pastoral Care Basics and are now serving in visitation ministry.”

This ensures evaluation is not just about programs but about people being equipped.

Scripture Anchors

  • “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37–38, WEB)
  • “And the things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2, WEB)

Summary: Multiplication as the Goal of Evaluation

  • Evaluation is not an end; it is a means to multiplication.
  • Every chart, survey, and reflection should lead to more shepherds being raised.
  • The ultimate test of a faithful elder board is not only how well they led the church, but how many new leaders they multiplied for the next generation.

👉 Multiplication ensures the church is not just managed, but mobilized.

Elders Evaluation Framework: 7 Steps with Multiplication Lens

Step 1. Define Effectiveness

  • Question: What does effectiveness look like for elders?
  • Shepherding → visits, care, discipleship.
  • Oversight → mission alignment, sustainable structures.
  • Multiplication Lens: Who else could be trained to share this load?
  • CLI Tool: Encourage emerging leaders to enroll in CLI courses.
  • Scripture: Habakkuk 2:2

Step 2. Identify Key Indicators

  • Choose specific, measurable, achievable metrics.
  • Examples: worship attendance, baptisms, mentoring, small group involvement.
  • Multiplication Lens: Track new leaders raised, mentors trained, CLI students enrolled.
  • Scripture: Matthew 7:20

Step 3. Collect & Organize Data

  • Be consistent: monthly dashboards, annual surveys, leader reports.
  • Collect both numbers (quantitative) and stories (qualitative).
  • Multiplication Lens: Add “Leadership Pipeline Health” to reports.
  • CLI Tool: Record who is active in CLI training and track their progress.
  • Scripture: 1 Corinthians 14:40

Step 4. Analyze & Interpret

  • Pray over the data; don’t just read numbers.
  • Ask: Where is fruit? Where are gaps? Why?
  • Multiplication Lens: Identify leadership bottlenecks; discern where new shepherds are needed.
  • CLI Tool: Direct those in bottleneck areas to targeted CLI training.
  • Scripture: Luke 14:28

Step 5. Communicate & Celebrate Success

  • Share results honestly and clearly with the congregation.
  • Celebrate both challenges faced and wins achieved.
  • Multiplication Lens: Highlight leadership growth as a victory.
    • Example: “3 members completed CLI training and stepped into ministry.”
  • Scripture: Philippians 4:4

Step 6. Build Trust Through Transparency

  • Share both struggles and wins; invite feedback.
  • Acknowledge gaps without blame.
  • Multiplication Lens: Transparency invites people to step forward for training.
  • CLI Tool: Announce CLI as a pathway for those sensing God’s call.
  • Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:2

Step 7. Multiply Leaders Through Evaluation

  • Make multiplication the end goal of every evaluation.
  • Ask: Who is ready to be mentored? Who is showing faithfulness and fruit?
  • Multiplication Lens: Build pipelines: volunteer → mentor → ministry leader → elder/deacon.
  • CLI Tool: Use CLI’s free online courses to equip each stage of the pipeline.
  • Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:2; Matthew 9:37–38

Bottom Line

Evaluation is not management — it is discipleship.
Every step should raise the question: Who else is God calling, and how are we equipping them?

 

Closing Thoughts: Evaluating as Worship

Evaluation is not management — it is worshipful stewardship. Elders honor Christ when they pause, measure, reflect, and multiply leaders.

Every step in evaluation should end with the question: How are we raising up more workers for the harvest?

CLI as a Partner: Christian Leaders Institute provides free, online, high-quality ministry training that equips future leaders around the world. Elders should see evaluation as both a mirror (where are we now?) and a window (who is God calling forward?).

Scripture to Conclude:

  • “So then, each one of us will give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)

 

 


Last modified: Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 7:31 AM