It’s Okay to Care About the Numbers

I’ve lost count of how many conversations start with a pastor apologizing.

“I know I shouldn’t care about the numbers, but…”

“I hate to sound like I’m all about metrics, however…”

“This probably sounds terrible, but I’m concerned about attendance and…”

Let me stop you right there.

It’s okay to be about the numbers.

In fact, I’d argue it’s irresponsible not to be.

Numbers Tell a Story Worth Hearing

Here’s what we forget when we treat “caring about numbers” like some kind of spiritual failure:

Numbers are just ways to measure growth.

That’s it. That’s all they are.

When you see more families giving to your church, you’re witnessing more people growing in generosity—learning to trust God with their resources, experiencing the joy of radical giving, and partnering in kingdom work.

When attendance rises on Sunday morning, you’re not just filling seats. You’re seeing more people engaging their faith in community, more families prioritizing worship, more individuals saying yes to gathering with the body of Christ instead of sleeping in or catching the game.

When your missions budget increases, that translates directly to more people fed, more communities hearing the gospel, more wells dug, more children educated, and more people following Jesus across the street and around the world.

Every Number Has a Name

This is where the guilt and the apology usually come from—we’ve bought into a false dichotomy that says you either care about people or you care about numbers, but never both.

But what if I told you that the numbers are the people?

Every number has a name.

That “10% increase in attendance” is Sarah, who finally worked up the courage to walk through your doors after her divorce. It’s the Martinez family who just moved to town and chose your church. It’s Marcus, the college student who came home for the summer and decided to stay connected.

Every name has a story.

Sarah’s story includes years of shame and isolation, and your church became the first place she felt truly welcomed. The Martinez family’s story involves a cross-country move for a job that didn’t work out, and your community became their lifeline. Marcus’s story includes questions about faith he’s been wrestling with since high school, and your young adults group became the safe space where he could ask them.

Every story matters to God.

And here’s the uncomfortable, beautiful truth that should silence every apology:

Jesus died for every one of those numbers.

The Dangerous Alternative

You know what’s actually problematic? When church leaders don’t care about the numbers.

When a church experiences steady decline and leadership shrugs and says, “Well, we’re just focused on the people we have.”

When giving drops year after year and the response is, “Money isn’t what matters.”

When volunteer engagement falls off and no one thinks to ask why.

This isn’t spiritual maturity. It’s negligence wrapped in religious language.

If you were entrusted with managing a nonprofit that fed hungry children, would you be comfortable with declining donations and shrinking impact? Would you tell the board, “We’re not about the numbers”?

Of course not.

The church is no different. We’ve been entrusted with the gospel—the most important mission in human history. Measuring our effectiveness isn’t worldly. It’s stewardship.

What Good Metrics Actually Reveal

When you track the right numbers with the right heart, here’s what you discover:

1. Where God is moving Growth in specific areas often reveals where the Spirit is already at work. Maybe your recovery ministry is exploding while everything else is flat. That’s not random—that’s a signpost.

2. Where you need to pivot Declining engagement in certain areas isn’t a judgment on your worth. It’s feedback. It’s data that helps you make better decisions about where to invest time, energy, and resources.

3. Who’s being reached—and who’s not If your numbers reveal you’re only reaching one demographic, one socioeconomic group, or one life stage, that’s valuable information. It’s an invitation to expand your vision and tear down barriers.

4. The real-world impact of your ministry At the Licking County Jail Ministries, they don’t apologize for tracking numbers. They celebrate them—because every number represents a life transformed behind bars. Last year, they distributed 386 Bibles, led 130 inmates into a relationship with Jesus, and saw 98 individuals baptized. Those numbers aren’t cold statistics. They’re testimonies written in data form.

The Heart Behind the Numbers

Here’s the key: Jesus cared about numbers too.

He sent out seventy-two disciples and celebrated when they returned with reports of what God had done (Luke 10:17).

He fed five thousand people—and the Gospel writers made sure we knew it was five thousand men, plus women and children. They were counting.

After Pentecost, Luke tells us “about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41). The early church tracked conversions, and the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to record them in Scripture.

Jesus told parables about good shepherds who notice when even one sheep goes missing from the ninety-nine. You can’t notice the one without knowing the ninety-nine. That’s… counting.

The difference isn’t whether we care about numbers. The difference is why we care.

Are you measuring growth because it feeds your ego and validates your ministry? That’s a problem.

Are you tracking metrics because each number represents an eternal soul, a person made in God’s image, and a story that matters? That’s faithfulness.

Stop Apologizing. Start Stewarding.

So here’s my challenge to you:

Stop apologizing for caring about church growth, attendance, giving, and engagement.

Start stewarding these metrics as the sacred trust they are.

When someone joins your church, celebrate the number—and learn the name.

When giving increases, thank God for the number—and tell the stories.

When a new ministry takes off, track the number—and magnify the impact.

Because every number has a name.

Every name has a story.

Every story matters to God.

And Jesus died for every single one.

---

Partner With Us in Ministry That Counts

At Digital Church, we believe healthy churches track what matters—not to chase growth for growth’s sake, but to steward well what God has entrusted to us. Our integrated platform makes it simple to track engagement, measure impact, and tell the stories behind your numbers.

We also believe in supporting ministries that count every soul as sacred. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Licking Country Jail Ministries, an organization that’s transforming lives behind bars—one name, one story, one soul at a time.

Ready to grow your church with both heart and metrics? Let’s talk.