Whether it’s a business, a church, or your personal life, there’ll always be things that could be improved. Sometimes they’re major, sometimes less obvious. When it comes to whole-life disciplemaking in our churches, having a way of seeing what those are is important – vital, we might say. 

What’s the goal really for? 

In his latest book, Reset, author Dan Heath offers tools for identifying what’s not working and what we might be able to do about that. He asks, ‘What’s the goal of the goal?’. It’s great to have goals. But what’s the goal really for? What is it you’re ultimately trying to achieve? 

This made me think about how we go about our goals and priorities in our churches. We may not often use the language of ‘goals’ in a church setting, but we do have them? It’s helpful to review regularly – to see where we’re going, where we’ve been, to ask whether our practices align with our values. To ask, what’s the goal of the goal? 

What’s the goal of the goal? 

One of the reasons behind Vital Signs – the online assessment tool, short videos, and book launched last year – is to help church leaders think about how to relate whole-life discipleship to every aspect of church life. And through that to equip people to live well for Christ in their everyday lives, helping them to know their part in God’s plan to expand his kingdom and bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the goal of the goal.  

Asking questions  

Vital Signs looks at 20 areas of church life, from personal Bible reading to pastoral conversations, annual meetings, and church communications. Each can tell you how much disciplemaking and growing is really part of your practices and priorities.  

The questions are also grouped around four themes: when we’re just us, when we gather, when we plan, when we respond. Looking at your church from these four perspectives will give you a greater insight into how you’re doing with whole-life disciplemaking.  

For example, whole-life disciplemaking may feature in some of your gatherings or pastoral work, but are you incorporating it into regular planning? Big one-off things, like a new ministry or a building project may not be part of your daily church life, but how might they affect your capacity to grow disciples who are equipped to be salt and light in their everyday?

Asking questions like these is helpful because there are often hidden connections and implications that may not be immediately apparent. Vital Signs will help you ask good questions of your church’s priorities. 

Next steps  

If you’ve taken the assessment, watched some of the videos, or read the book, you might wonder what your next step is. If you’re keen to think through how you can apply it to your church, do get in touch for a tailored consultation with your leadership team.  

Vital Signs isn’t the goal. Vital Signs, in itself, can’t make people into whole-life disciple. But it can help foster the environment where whole-life disciplemaking is given the opportunity to flourish. That’s our goal. 

Revd Jules Gadsby
Church Engagement Specialist