Finding joy in evaluation
Evaluation. It’s a scary word. The concept sometimes comes off as judgmental or harsh, but under the right circumstances it can be one of the most beneficial tools movements can use. By evaluating themselves, movements can identify strengths and areas to improve their ministries. It is a way for them to be good stewards of their resources and will contribute to their planning and decision making.
Sometimes it can be hard to begin the evaluation process, so the IFES Ministry Impact Team has created an assessment tool designed to help national movements reflect on their ministries each year. It is customized to provide practical application for each movement to conduct self-evaluation, discern God’s direction, and make better ministry plans by using key ministry data and indicators.
Tatiana Kopaleishvili, former general secretary for SKSK Georgia, shared about her experience with the evaluation process as a general secretary.
“The biggest joy of implementing this process is to see how it has helped in uniting the team and having mutual ground on the goals. The evaluation process that we went through together has helped all of us to use resources (such as time and money) more meaningfully and wisely and advanced the team’s understanding on the biblical framework of evaluation. The challenge for us now is to be diligent in collecting the key data and rethinking the habits of work.”
Right now, movements around the world have the opportunity to use this tool to gain a better understanding of their ministries. This is an especially important time as the world has changed during the pandemic and movements are looking to gain more stability. The insight they gain from this tool will be very useful as they adjust to new ways of doing ministry. Please pray for them as many are embarking on this process now.
- Pray that movements will not miss this opportunity to evaluate themselves. Many times people are afraid of what they will find when they are evaluated, or they simply do not have the time to go through the process. Pray that movements will courageously make time to use this tool.
- As movements receive their results, pray that they would be encouraged by what they have already accomplished, as well as their potential for growth.
- Pray that movements will use what they learn. The idea of making changes may feel overwhelming to staff who already have many things to do. Pray that they would feel encouraged to use their findings to strengthen their ministries.
Have you used the ministry evaluation tool yet? You have until June to take advantage of this important resource. Email the Ministry Impact team at: ministry.impact@ifesworld.org to gain access to the evaluation tool today.