This person was attempting to make a negative assessment of the Church. They stated, “That Church is only interested in noses and numbers.” What he meant was that he felt the leadership of that particular Church only cared about how many people were attending for pride’s sake. They also were concerned about the offering, presumably for their financial gain.

I admit I am incredibly interested in noses and numbers when it comes to my Church. The reasons are simple: They represent people whose lives have been changed by their faith in Jesus.

Every time our attendance grows, another person is attending worship. That means someone is hearing about Jesus for the first time, or if they already believe, they are learning more about their Bible.

Every time our offering goes up, it means someone new is testing their faith in God through their giving. They trust him to provide even when they give away some of their hard-earned money.

Not only that, but every dollar allows us to have a more significant impact on this world for Jesus. My pay is in no way connected to our giving, and it does not benefit me in the slightest. But it does mean we can give more to missionaries and Godly projects around the world. With the extra resources, there will be more shoeboxes sent at Christmas, more benevolence given locally, more ministry to children, and more kingdom work done.

Every number is significant because it represents something more. It shows us that lives are being changed and people are growing as believers. It means the work of the Church is fruitful. It gives hard facts to demonstrate unseen development.

It is true. The Church I lead is interested in noses and numbers but not for the reasons most people think.