Measurement tools

Clowdisley Shovell was apparently an excellent naval commander.  But you would never know it from the way his life ended. 

Admiral Shovall’s record at the end of the 17^th century sounds like a who’s who list of navel action for the British Fleet.  He began his naval career as a cabin boy and began his climb through the ranks; he also saw action in 10 major battles.  Among other heroics he distinguished himself as a naval commander at the Battle of Barfleur, by being the first captain to break through the enemies’ lines.  In addition to being an excellent navel officer, he was a benefactor to his parish church and a Member of Parliament. In 1704, he was named Rear Admiral of the fleet and in 1705 he became the Admiral of the fleet.

But Admiral Shovall is better known for his greatest disaster, rather than his stellar career.  In the summer of 1707, he lead the British fleet in an operation in the Mediterranean and pummeled the French fleet off the coast of Toulon.  In the fall of 1707, Shovall was sailing for England and home when he lead his fleet into disaster.  On November 2, in foul weather, Admiral Shovell miscalculated his position and ran his flagship, H.M.S. Association, aground on the Scilly Isles.   The Association sank in only four minutes with all hands lost.  The Scilly Isles are a collection of rocky islands off the southwest coast of England.  The fleet followed their Admiral in absolute trust.  Four ships ran aground; however, other ships in the fleet saw the danger in time to avoid their own destruction.  The proud, seafaring British Navy lost four ships and about two thousand officers and crew. Among those lost were Admiral Clowdisley Shovell and two of his step sons, whose bodies were found washed up on a beach about 7 miles from his flagship.

Now, in all fairness, the weather was very foul with storms and fog.  Additionally, at the time no one had an accurate way to measure longitude.  While the Admiral was ultimately responsible for his fleet, the loss is understandable.  It wasn’t till the development of the Seafaring Chronometer that it became possible to accurately establish longitude.  Until this device and the mathematical calculations to back it up, the best a captain could do was dead reckoning, an educated guess, that at times was based on bad information.

I have this question for you.  What measurement tools can we use to measure our success in ministry? How do we measure the growth of the spiritual communities we serve or of which we are a part?

Please do not assume that I have a grudge against larger churches, the church growth movement, or tracking attendance.  Nor do I claim that I have found the solution or have the right canon.   But if we are using the wrong measurement, we will pursue the wrong goals and we may find ourselves sailing at high speeds to our own destruction.