Measuring by tears

How do you measure what is happening in a congregation?

I have been here for about a year now. I was reminded of this when the "check engine" went on in my elderly car, as that is what happened when I first drove into town a year ago. I spent those first three months frantically trying to fix things and become a legal resident of the state in which I was working.

But now it has been a year. On what basis do I evaluate the ministry of the congregation? The fact that my "check engine" light came back on can't be a good thing. Some people have moved away and don't come to church here. There are also some new faces. We have moved from two services to one, at least for the time being, and moved around some other aspects of the Sunday morning schedule. The one service contains elements of both of the services, which is an adjustment for everyone. It is neither contemporary nor traditional.