4 Tips for Excellence in Ministry

If you had to have brain surgery would you seek out the doctor who is known for being the best or would you be satisfied with a surgeon who was just mediocre?  I think we would choose excellence over mediocrity every time. I may not be the smartest guy but if someone is going to be operating on what little mind I have, I want it to be the best!  When it comes to being a pastor, just like doctors, there are some who just go through the motions and there are others who are driven to excel. Part of Wesleyan theology speaks of "going onto perfection" - what I hear there is striving for excellence. So here are 4 tips for striving for excellence in ministry.

1. Focus on doing less so that you can do more well.  There are a lot of things people expect from a pastor and, quite frankly, if you look at all the stuff we're supposed to do it seems pretty overwhelming: Hospital visits, home visits, counseling, Bible studies, youth groups, meetings, worship planning, preaching, conflict management, strategic planning, custodial responsibilities, and on and on.  We can't possibly do it all and do it well.  So play to your strengths. Delegate to others what you don't do well (this is a great opportunity to invest in and train up the laity).  Great leaders don't do everything.  Rather, they surround themselves with a team of people who can do what they can't do and what they can do even better.  What can you let go of so that you can do a few things even better?  Can someone with a gift for teaching lead confirmation?  Can a team of people do hospital and home visits?  Can you eliminate some meetings that aren't necessary?  You're probably not going to be able to let go of a few things like preaching and visioning.  So if they aren't your strengths your going to have to work to get better.  That leads to number 2.

2. Be a life-long learner.  Don't be satisfied with being mediocre.  Pursue opportunities to improve. Play to your strengths again.  What is it that you do well and keep evaluating how you can do it better.  If something is in your wheelhouse that you can't let go off and it's not your strength then work at turning it into one.  You can learn to be a better preacher.  You can learn to be a better vision caster.  Read books, go to seminars, listen to podcasts, ask for advice but don't just sit there.  Keep asking the question, "How can I do this better?  How can I improve?"

3. Offer your best all the time.  Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for people."  God deserves our very best.   Here's the question I invite you to ask about every aspect of your ministry;  "What would this look like if I did this with excellence?"  How would your preaching be different if every time you preached you did it with excellence?  How would worship be different if you did it with excellence every time?   How would your web page look if it was done with excellence?  How would your ministry be different if you expected excellence from others?  God deserves our very best.  The people who come to the church on a Sunday, whether they are churched our unchurched, deserve our very best.  How can you offer your best all the time?

4. Live in God's grace.  Remember you're not perfect but that God loves you even when you mess up.  It happens.  We may want to give our best but sometimes the worst happens.  That's life.  Don't beat yourself up when you fail.  Don't let your mistakes get in the way of becoming a better you. Remind yourself that no one is perfect, that you are loved by God, you are a child of the Most High God, and then get up and keep moving forward. Your best days aren't behind you - they are in front of you!

Together in Ministry,

Kevin