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Missional Vital Signs (MVS) for the local church is newly updated (April 2022). It important to remember that these numbers represent people and the vitality of the local church. They are indicators of the behaviors that produce them and this tool can be used to discern the health of the church – what works, what does not, where should we make changes, and most importantly, how can we bring more disciples to Christ? The local church should continuously be aware of their MVS’s so that they may evaluate and make adjustments. Healthy churches are aware of their stats and can quickly adapt.
This information is gathered weekly and may be reported weekly or monthly through the church dashboard online by the “MVS Reporter” designated by the church and updated in the church dashboard. There is now the ability to enter missing data over the previous two years. Any questions or troubleshooting would begin with the district office administrative assistant.
- www.flumc.org/calendarofreportsdue2022 (at the very bottom)
In-Person Worship/AWA (Average Worship Attendance)
This number of attendees includes any service held weekly as a primary opportunity for worship, including alternative worship services in addition to regular Sunday morning services. Examples of alternative services are a separate youth worship service as part of youth ministry, a Celebrate Recovery service, and a service held on a weeknight or Saturday, including a Fresh Expressions type of worship and has the elements of worship (Scripture, music, prayer, a sermon/message, and offer the opportunity to give).
Children who participate in a children’s service may be counted, but not infants. If a group is away together on a mission trip or retreat, those people may also be counted.
- Choir, ushers, other volunteers, or staff serving at more than one service should not be counted more than once per week.
*Change- now included Special Services - Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Revival Service, Church Homecoming, Remembrance Service, Longest Night/Blue Christmas, Musicals, Healing Service, Blessing of the Animals, and Baptism Service (if held separately from a regular service and has all the components of worship).
Online Viewing
(No current standard) This number measures online viewing by the number of clicks/views the first week after posting (data collected previous week). We recommend you use some kind of analytics like Google Analytics to view the number of clicks on that URL. Click for a more detailed explanation: MVS Tracking Views.
Professions of Faith and/or Reaffirmation of Faith & RAF (Joining the Church)
Radical hospitality: the total number of persons received into membership measured by “profession of faith” (POF) and “reaffirmation of faith” (RAF).
POF: The first public expression of commitment to Christian faith by an individual in which she or he acknowledges commitment to Jesus Christ and pledges to learn to live as one of His disciples. This number includes youth who join the church through the confirmation process. It also includes adults who have never been a member of a congregation who come to faith and choose to live out that faith as part of your congregation.
RAF: Reaffirmation of faith indicates “a person who has been baptized at some point in his or her life, has made a profession of faith, and has possibly been a member of a congregation but has not actively been involved for quite some time. These people are renewing their faith as part of your congregation.
They are not a transfer from another congregation.
Giving
This number is the total amount given to God’s church for budgeted operating and capital expenses and missional purposes in addition to or part of the budget. This includes all contributions received by pledged and unpledged giving, loose plate offerings, and funds given for capital debt, building or repairs, or special offerings to ministries beyond the church (UMCH, youth mission trip, Africa University, Habitat for Humanity, Storm Recovery or a sister congregation in Cuba or Angola).
Excluded are interest income, memorial bequeaths, facility use fees, income from child care, adult day care ministries, thrift stores, pumpkin patches and similar fundraisers, as these do not reflect the financial generosity of the congregation.
Explanation of Missional Vital Signs - PDF