12 Keys Evaluation Guide

This guide was developed by Kennon L. Callahan, an expert in long-range planning for
local congregations, and drawn from his book, Twelve Keys to an Effective Church. He has
served as a consultant of over one thousand churches of all sizes. As church leaders
begin long-range strategic planning for the church and its mission, they need to evaluate
key characteristics of the church in its present state. This evaluation guide will help
leaders through this process, as well as help them focus on a few key ministry areas for
future growth.

Rating Guide: Specific, Concrete Missional Objectives

Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
Does your church have one major mission delivering 40
effective help and known and respected on the
community grapevine?
Is there another major mission delivering effective help 30
and known and respected on the community grapevine?
Is there a third major mission delivering effective help 15
and known and respected on the community grapevine?
Is there a major missional objective planned that will be 10
brought on board by a specified date?
Are there other missional objectives being considered for 5
future implementation?

Total 100

Rating Guide: Pastoral and Lay Visitation

Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
Does your church have an adequate program of visitation 25
of members and constituents?
Adequate visitation of unchurched and newcomers? 25
Adequate visitation in hospitals, nursing homes and with 25
the homebound?
How high is the quality of sharing and shepherding? 25
Total 100
Rating Guide: Corporate, Dynamic Worship
Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
What is the degree of warmth and winsomeness both of 20
the service and of the congregation?
How dynamic and inspirational is the music? 25
Does the character and quality of the preaching come 25
from the pastor's care as a good shepherd?
Is there strong progression in the power and movement 10
of the liturgy?
How adequate is the seating in the sanctuary? 20
Total 100

Rating Guide: Significant Relational Groups

Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
Is there an adequate number of groups in relation to the 20
size of the congregation? A church with an average
worship attendance of 100 would appropriately have 7 to
10 groups for all ages.
To what extent do persons discover a strong sense of 20
community in the local church's present groups?
Is there a sufficient number of new groups in relation to 25
the present and projected size of the membership and
constituency? An appropriate ratio would be 1 new group
for each 3 present groups.
To what extent do persons discover a strong sense of 20
community in these new groups?
Is an adequate number of new groups being planned for 15
the coming several years?

Total 100
Rating Guide: Strong Leadership Resources
Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
To what extent are leaders in your church leaders, not 15
enablers?
Is there an appropriate balance of life strengths among 10
the leaders?
Is there a complementary quality to the objectives? 15
To what extent is the focus on accomplishments, not 10
activities?
Is there a strong combination of competency and 10
continuity?
Is the ratio of 1 to 15 met? 10
Is there strong pastoral and staff leadership? 15
Are proper recognition and rewards given? 15
Total 100

Rating Guide: Solid, Participatory Decision Making

Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
To what extent are wise, thoughtful decisions developed 25
in relation to important priorities?
Is there a strong sense of ownership and openness in 25
terms of the decision-making process?
Does the decision-making process facilitate helping the 25
local church resolve conflict?
Is the organizational structure streamlined in relation to 25
the local church's strategic priorities?

Total 100
Rating Guide: Several Competent Programs and Activities
Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
To what extent does the local church have comprehensive 25
and critical criteria for evaluating its programs?
Does the local church have from 1 to 3 programs that are 25
respected for their community-wide competence?
To what extent are those programs substantially 15
multidimensional in terms of the groups and age levels
they reach?
To what degree are the leaders of those programs both 15
relational and functional in their leadership?
Is there a close relationship between those programs and 20
the key missional objectives of the local church?

Total 100

Rating Guide: Open Accessibility

Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
How good is location accessibility? 40
Site accessibility? 20
People accessibility? 40
Total 100

Rating Guide: High Visibility

Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
How good is the physical visibility of your 40 40
church?
Its community visibility? 30
Its media visibility? 30
Total 100
Rating Guide: Sufficient Parking
Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
Does the available off-street church parking provide 40
enough spaces for the number of people when the
sanctuary is [select only one]:
 uncomfortably crowded [40]
 comfortably filled [35]
 comfortably empty [20]
 uncomfortably empty [5]
or Does the church depend on on-street
parking alone? [5]
Does the church own enough land for its present needs 35
and future growth?
Does the landscaping contribute to a first impression of 25
warmth, welcome, and caring?

Total 100

Rating Guide: Adequate Space and Facilities

Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
Do the major uses contribute to mission, program, and the 35
utilization of the facilities?
Are the spaces in balance with one another? 35
Are the facilities maintained in good condition, and 30
improvements planned?

Total 100
Rating Guide: Solid Financial Resources
Item Maximum Your Church’s
Points Rating
Does the per capita income, based on average worship 25
attendance, represent a reasonable level compared with
denominational
data?
Based on the current mission efforts, can your church 20
expect to benefit from an increase in giving
Has the church established interest-bearing investments 15
of its financial resources, as well as the property and
space and facilities used in its mission?
Is the financial indebtedness being managed 15
advantageously in balance with the church's mission and
outreach?
Has the church taken seriously the potential financial 25
resources available to it?

Total 100