For most churches, it's annual report time.

Ministers spend hours trying to be pithy, reflective and inspirational as they cobble together words that most of their community will not read. Folks want to get on to the meat of the report - the numbers and graphs. Red ink and black. This is the time when find ourselves weighed, measured, and often found wanting.

Did we make money?

Did membership go up? (There was someone I didn't know sitting in my pew last week.)

Is that welcoming and listening to people really worthwhile?

Is this emerging church thing really working? (I think that H1N1 might have put a stop to it.)

We have one particular problem that needs to be addressed. (Actually, I have many, but you probably don't have the medical credentials to deal with them.) In the past decade, 25-45 year olds have not sought out "membership" in religious institutions. This is not only true of The United Church of Canada, but all churches from evangelical through Anglican and Roman Catholic (don't ask for a footnotes, ask around). It is not limited to churches, but also true for fan clubs, consumer clubs (Costco, Sam's Club, etc.) and other identifiable groups. We don't want to be a single thing, we don't want to limit ourselves with labels and darn it, we just don't trust joining stuff!

As a result, "membership" numbers alone are not truly indicative of a healthy, successful, vital church. Attendance (rather than formal membership) may be a way to judge, but it needs to go beyond Sundays at 10:30 and include other worship services (if you don't have any start some!). It needs to include things other than worship services, like healing circles, discussion groups or movie nights. It needs to include those who offer financial support, those who come in times of need; those who consider your church to be their church without regard for the formality of a certificate of membership. In short, it is not so important how many belong to your church, but to how many your church belongs!

"Yeah, that's my church... the kids go to Sparks there."

"Yeah, that's my church, I got married there."

"Yeah, that's my church, I went to lecture there last week and they always take in food for the Food Bank."

"Yeah, we play hockey in the parking lot of our church."

"I got involved with Habitat for Humanity at my church."

"I called my church as soon as I heard that they were going to tear down that affordable housing for a new mausoleum. They'll be doing something."

It's not how many people belong to your church, but to how many your church belongs.

Tough thing to show in a graph, pie chart or annual report. Very tough to put in a minister's report (even if nobody is going to read it).

Allow me to offer some advice: If you're not sure what to write, try my method: baffle ‘em with Latin. You look smart and people assume that you know what you're talking about because you write like the Pope.

Now, as long as you're going to use Latin, use something good. Perhaps something a little more catchy than: barba tenus sapientes ("wise as far as the beard") or carpe diem ("complain to God," I think). Perhaps something "churchy":

Hoc est enim corpus meum. "This is my body."

Try using that one. As you consider the numbers, ask yourself and your church: "Are we today, will we be tomorrow, the Body of Christ?"

To me, that is the real test of our vision; our dreams and our success. Are we people who take seriously the invitation and challenge to be the Body of Christ? Are we willing to be wounded for love and strong for justice? Are we elated and humbled to be called children of God? That is what makes a church vital, worthy, and successful church - not the hymn books or what translation of the Bible you use; not the quality of the organ or the band; not the flatscreen or the flannel board; not how many belong to your church, but to how many your church belongs, and most importantly, that your church belongs to the Body of Christ.

Veni, Vici, Velcro. ("I came, I saw, I stuck around.")