Do you take inventory at your church? We can think of several
reasons why you might take inventory…from the serious to the crazy!
There is of course the spiritual gifts inventory. Why should we take one of these inventories? Since there is a limit on the time we can serve, we need to look for maximum effectiveness. Structuring our ministries around our giftedness will help us do that. Knowing where we are spiritually gifted will help us know where to put our focus, energy, and time. It will show us where we should plug into ministry.
The Barna group (their goal is to facilitate spiritual transformation) offers another type of inventory. It is a self-administered survey that church leaders can complete to evaluate how the habits of their church compare to the habits of the nation’s most effective churches. This might first occur to you as useless information but it can be a wonderful launch pad for discussion amongst your leadership.
When I was thinking about inventory I recalled the year my husband had the job of taking the inventory of the church silverware, plates, glasses etc. for a Williamsburg Christmas dinner. Thank goodness he has a jolly disposition because this type of inventory can be tedious!
Have you ever had to inventory your church membership records? You look for those that no longer live in the area or have moved to another church or aren’t worshiping anymore. This type of inventory certainly has be taken with great care so as not to offend anyone. You would still welcome someone that hasn’t graced your doorstep after many years astray wouldn’t you?
Advent is one of our busiest seasons and it’s only ten weeks away! So, Carrot Top Studio took an inventory this week. Now we’re sure of what we have available in stock and think we have a plan for filling in the holes. Our clients are always full of good ideas…any thoughts or suggestions?
Taking inventory has allowed our new old stock (NOS for short!) to be offered for sale on eBay this week (listings begin 9/20 and 9/22). Most of these designs will not be produced any more and we hope you will take advantage of the bargains!
Someone once said, “if it is important to you, it is worth documenting. If you don't feel it is worth documenting, then take another look at it.” Does this apply to church inventories? I leave you with that to chew on.
