Randy knows the strategic spots to get the best views of the sanctuary to count heads. He’s been doing it for years, and I rely on his numbers to know how many people attended our weekend worship services. Barb sends me the complete attendance report on Monday afternoons, which includes more details about children, students, and groups.

Why do I care? Why does my church count everyone each week?

For decades, worship attendance has been the default metric for measuring church success. While some ...