I enjoy woodworking.   For years this was my hobby.   Every week I would spend some down time cutting, glueing, and joining pieces of wood to create much of the furniture in our home.  One of the axioms I held on to all those years was this:   "Measure twice, cut once."   Working with expensive pieces of oak, walnut, or even pine I made sure my measurements were accurate.   I didn't want to have too much waste.

Today I still get out my measuring tapes.  But rather than measuring pieces of wood, I now measure church health and spiritual growth in people.   That's my focus as I work with churches and their leaders all across Australia.   But the questions are often asked of me, "How do you measure spiritual growth?"   "How do you know if your church is healthy, or that you are growing as a Christian?"   And of course my concern is the same.   I want to make sure that these measurements are accurate.

So how do you know if your church is healthy?   Or if you are growing spiritually?  Christian maturity is difficult to measure.   We could easily come up with a long to-do list and see how we and others measure up?   But with such a list, we could so easily fall into the age old trap of reducing the Christian life to following a bunch of rules.  But even if we had such a list, would keeping that list accurately reflect spiritualy vitality in a Christian?   In a church?

As CRCA churches we have tried to keep this measurement as simple as possible.   What is this measurement?   Simply this:  is everything we do as believers and churches encouraging and enabling the fundamental aim of reaching the lost for Christ?   This is something we can easily and accurately measure.   Are we praying for the salvation of those in our families, neighbourhoods, and place of work or school?   Are we bringing the gospel to the non-Christians in our community?    Are we raising up true disciples of Christ -- men, women, and children who join in God's mission in this world?   So if you wonder if your church is healthy, measure their engagement in God's mission in this world, reaching the lost for Christ.    If you wonder about your own spiritual growth, measure how passionate you are about telling others about Jesus.

So how does your church measure up?   And what about you?  Yes, don't forget to measure yourself.   In the SHIFT coaching initiative we are encouraging church leaders to consider these two questions:    

How would you rate your own “outreach temperature”? What would you need to do to move one step more towards 10? How would you rate the “outreach temperature” of your church? What would you need to do to move one step more towards 10? Where do you see opportunities for your church to intentionally leverage its resources, ministries, time, care, energy, and love toward those in the community who are still far from God?

These questions are all about measuring gospel outreach -- personally and as a church.  You could ask yourself these questions of yourself.  Measure!   

As you take out your measuring tape, you might realise that this is an area that you need to grow as a believer and as a church.    Well if you desire to increase your outreach temperature, the place to begin is understanding the Father heart of God.  Spend much time in God's Word and discover the love that God has for you and the world.    Read and meditate on passages such as:   "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)    And God's Son, our Lord Jesus, comes to us and says:   "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35   How did Jesus demonstrate his love for people?   “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10   These and more passages reveal the unending love that God has for you, and the love that God has for the world around you.

When you discover the Father heart of God -- then you too will seek and save the lost!   For that is what his children do!   They are just like their Father, their Father in heaven.

This is a good axiom to remember.  One word.   Measure!