Ministry Growth Assessment

A private, honest diagnosis of your church — in 12 minutes.

Twenty-four questions across the six executive disciplines of ministry: governance, finance, operations, people, growth, and multiplication. Free. No sign-up required. Your answers never leave your browser unless you choose to send them to a mentor.

1 · Governance

How honestly does the church govern itself, on paper?

Q1. We have a written constitution or governing document that current leaders have read within the past 12 months.

Q2. The board or eldership meets on a scheduled cadence and keeps written minutes.

Q3. Roles, decision rights, and spending authority are documented — not held only in the pastor's head.

Q4. If the senior pastor were unable to serve for 90 days, the church would continue to operate cleanly.

2 · Finance

Money hygiene is a leadership discipline.

Q5. The church has a written annual budget approved by the board.

Q6. Monthly income and expenditure are reported to the board within 30 days of month-end.

Q7. Cash handling on Sundays involves at least two unrelated persons and a written record.

Q8. The church has enough reserve to cover at least 60 days of operating expense.

3 · Operations & Sunday

The rhythm of the week is a leadership artifact.

Q9. Sunday runs from a written run-sheet, not from memory.

Q10. New visitors are greeted, remembered, and followed up within 72 hours.

Q11. Safeguarding — especially for children — has a written policy, named leads, and current training records.

Q12. Facility, insurance, and duty of care are reviewed at least annually.

4 · People & Team

The team you build outlasts the sermon you preach.

Q13. Every paid staff member has a written job description, a probation review, and an annual review.

Q14. Volunteer teams have a named lead, a written rota, and a way to say no.

Q15. The senior pastor has a scheduled sabbath and takes it more weeks than not.

Q16. Conflict is addressed through a written process, not through corridor conversation.

5 · Growth & Discipleship Pathway

Growth without a pathway is a crowd, not a church.

Q17. A visitor knows within one visit how to become a member and how to serve.

Q18. There is a documented path from visitor → member → server → leader.

Q19. The church can name its five key numbers (attendance, giving, salvations, new members, leaders trained) for the past 12 months.

Q20. The church has a communications rhythm (website, sermons, social) that is up-to-date and on-brand.

6 · Multiplication & Succession

What does the church look like when you are no longer its centre?

Q21. Leaders are being raised whose names are known to the board.

Q22. There is a written succession plan for the senior pastor role.

Q23. The church has considered — even if not yet done — a second service, a plant, or a campus.

Q24. If a young pastor arrived tomorrow, they could learn "how we do it here" from written documents, not oral tradition.

Your answers stay in your browser. Nothing is sent unless you send it.

How to read your score

The Growth Assessment is a diagnostic, not a judgment.

Every dimension is scored out of 20. A single low dimension is a place to work; a consistently high pattern is a signal you may be ready for a residency or a plant. MBS uses your composite score, together with a short intake conversation, to place you on the pathway most likely to produce change inside your church within 90 days.

If you would like to talk through your result with a mentor, submit the assessment with your email and we will match you to a faculty member within two working days. Otherwise the assessment is entirely yours to keep.