Almost three years ago General Convention adopted a resolution that challenged the Episcopal Church to turn itself inside out in a renewed participation in God’s mission. The goal was that by the year 2020 the Episcopal Church would be twice its size. If people in the chair or pew have heard anything about 20/20 it is the goal of doubling. Over the past three years there have been a wide range of reactions: from the enthusiasts who would like to have atop the Church Center in New York a large digital sign registering each new member, to those who think it unseemly and vulgar for Episcopalians to count, even silently. Many were concerned that it would not be possible to double in twenty years and that it was a formula for failure. 
In 2001 the Average Sunday Attendance for the Episcopal Church was 853,000. That amounts to one third of one percent of the population of the United States. There is tremendous opportunity for the Episcopal Church beyond one third of one percent. It is estimated that only twenty percent of the general population has any weekly contact with a faith community. Each of us knows, works with, socializes with and lives next door to people who hunger spiritually and have not heard us speak of our faith and the difference it makes in our lives. If the ten percent of those who attend the Episcopal Church would bring ten people to faith and church in the next year the goal would be achieved. Of course, the congregations would have to be open to receiving the people invited, a claim easier to make than to honor and deliver because new people will challenge congregational norms.
Doubling in 20 years:
A modest goal
The report of the 20/20 Task Force suggested a variety of ways the church should grow including starting new congregations and revitalizing existing congregations. The report did not suggest that every congregation should double in size in twenty years. However, if a congregation wants to adopt a growth goal, this is a very modest goal. For a congregation it would mean less than four percent annual net growth. That means for a congregation with Average Sunday Attendance of 100, one more person needs to attend and be incorporated into the congregation each three months. That rate of growth will not be noticed unless someone is actually counting and reporting to the congregation.
Growing is demanding work
Growth is "a" way to measure the health and vitality of the Church. Those congregations that are not growing in attendance often look at those who are as having it easy. It has its rewards, but growth has its costs and demands; it is hard work to incorporate into a congregation a steady stream of new people who have new and different ideas, needs of their own, including the need to share in the leadership of the congregations. Growth may challenge the physical facilities, which means along with very demanding new member ministries equally demanding capital projects may need to be undertaken.
Growth is not the only measure
It is possible for a declining congregation in a declining demographic area to have a vibrant ministry, even though one without much of a future. Decline ultimately wins. It is no small thing to be about ministry as long as we are here. It is also possible for a growing congregation in a growing demographic area to have an ingrown ministry that is mainly to itself. It is a large thing to have not done much when much was given.
Jesus counted
20/20 at its fullest is a call to mission. How do we know if we are answering the call to mission? We count! We count because Jesus counted. Jesus’ encounters with people and his parables demonstrate that Jesus was not adverse to numbers. Jesus counted husbands(5), coins(5,000; 2,000; 1,000), virgins(10), barrels of olive oil(100), and bushels of wheat (1,000), lepers (10), and disciples (12; 72). Jesus did percentages(100 sheep, one lost, the 99).
Counting changes the reality
We know from the new science that observation changes reality. What we look at, what we measure, what we count is changed by our attention. What we count reveals what is important to us and reveals our deepest values.
Counting Average Sunday Attendance
20/20 called us to count members, but refined that call later to count Average Sunday Attendance (ASA). We might ask what a person in attendance on a Sunday signifies. It might mean that they have been engaged by the liturgy and sermon. It might mean that they are responding to a personal spiritual yearning. It doesn’t mean they don’t have anything better to do for an hour. Church leaders need to respect that attendance today is an act of courage and an incredibly counter-cultural behavior.
Attendance counts the people with whom the church has direct contact. Many have felt that ASA is not worthy of much attention, though this view is seldom the view of those with large ASA. One real advantage to counting ASA is that it is easy to do.
Counting Transformation and Reconciliation
Attendance is more likely to result in membership (regular attendance at all church events, annual pledge, committee work, etc.) if those who attend experience transformation and reconciliation person to person and person to God. Imagine counting the lives that present evidence of transformation as a result of the ministries of the congregation. It seems to me that everyone who comes in contact with the church might be transformed, while everyone may not become a member. I think we are far more likely to have more members if we had evidence of more transformation and reconciliation as a result of contact with the church.
Counting the Generations
The average age of an Episcopalian is estimated to be 57.9 years old. The average age in the general US population is 36.4 years old. We can count the members of the generations in our congregations. As a young vestry person expressed it, "We need to grow this great church younger."
Counting Non-member Contacts
It would be helpful if congregations knew how many contacts they have each week with non-members through the exercise of their ministries. Those contacts are opportunities and might transform how we look at requests for pastoral offices (especially weddings and baptisms) and how we look at our outreach programs.
Counting Ethnicity
In communities becoming more ethnically and culturally diverse, our congregations remain largely mono-cultural. We need to count the congregations that are effective with diverse populations. We need to count diversity within the congregation and compare the numbers with the community around the congregation.
Remember
The reason to have numeric goals and to count is not to protect or beef up the church. The reason is to ensure that we are fulfilling the purpose for which we exist- to be the agents of transformation and reconciliation. If being agents of transformation and reconciliation is just a vague yearning or desire, we will not count or hold ourselves accountable and little will change. If we seriously look for our ministries to issue in transformed and reconciled lives and we count them, we will be able to count ourselves and our church transformed.
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