Do you count?

I love stories and ideas. But lately I'm thinking a lot about numbers.

I've been working on a project for next1000 to track the growth and decline of every Australian denomination/movement in every state over time. Mostly looking at numbers of people and churches.

It hasn't been easy. The figures aren't all that accessible. Some groups are shy about their growth or decline. Others are just unorganized or don't care about mere 'numbers'—unless of course those numbers involve money and then they have very good records and reporting.

You measure what is important to you—money, people, dollars, churches, carbon emissions. . .

How many churches (however you define 'church') and how many people (however you count them) over time will tell a story about where you've come from and where you are headed.

Tell me, if the future is more of what you're getting now, where will you be in ten years time? Is that what you want?

If you want things to be different, you had better start measuring what's important.