Media Watch

Notes on Tracking Engagement and Assimilation

1. Define "connected" before you build anything. Write down the milestones that mean someone is assimilated at your church (for example: first visit, next steps class, group, serving, giving). Steps in Rock work well for this.
2. Measure the time between milestones, not just the counts. Days from first contact to a first group visit, or from a connect card to membership, show where people stall.
3. Plan for the drop-off side too. Decide what "missing" means (for example, no attendance in 3 weeks) and who follows up when it happens.
4. Keep follow-up where staff already work. Making a connection board the first page staff see can drive more action than another reminder email.
5. Account for your outliers. Transfers, people who give or join a group before membership, and previously baptized members can skew your numbers. Decide up front how you will flag them.
6. Find a proxy signal for worship-only attenders. Kids' check-in, connect or prayer cards, app interactions like message notes, and tap tags can all hint at who is in the room. Pick one to try.
7. Track ratios alongside totals. A number like participation per 1,000 worship attendees shows health over time better than raw counts.
8. Look for changes in individual patterns. Knowing someone's normal attending, serving and giving rhythm lets you notice when it changes, which can prompt a pastoral check-in.
9. If you consider passive check-in (like beacons), plan the message first. Explain what is in it for the attender so it feels like care, not surveillance.
10. Watch where new profiles come from. A weekly look at new profile sources helps catch duplicates and shows which ministries bring people in.
11. Don't overbuild. Start with a simple grid or report, and move to a dashboard only once people are using the data.

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