Excellence in ministry is something that few leaders pursue. We often talk of pursuing excellence in our personal lives, or in our businesses, but hardly ever in our churches.

But excellence in ministry is even more important. In doing our very best for a God who deserves (and expects) our very best, a high standard in ministry becomes a mark of behavior that reflects the glory of the One whom we serve. To do any less than our absolute best is to testify with our actions that God is not worthy of it.

"When Did "Good Enough" Becoming the Standard? Sadly, in many churches today, a half-hearted effort has become the standard. "Good enough" is a phrase I hear often and am unwilling to accept as the benchmark. There is a difference between compromise and mediocrity. Restrictions on time, resources and manpower often mean the vision of "what could be" and the reality of what we have to work with are far apart. But even with limited resources, we often settle for less than what is possible. We rationalize that because we don't have the time or money to do what we really want to do, we'll just do enough to "get by." We settle for a lesser standard.

This is in contradiction to the teaching of scripture, which tells us to "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed" (2 Timothy 2:15). When we consider what Christ has done for us--literally bringing us to life--then we should naturally follow Paul's teaching to "Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead" (Romans 6:13). We've been brought to life and given eternal life. Let's do our work like we've got something to live for!

Excellence is having a high standard. We all set standards in our lives and work. A standard is a benchmark that we judge against. Whether it is grades, a curfew, sales quotas, a tithe, a neatly-trimmed yard, or a balanced checkbook, we are used to dealing with standards in all areas of our lives. Excellence in your ministry begins with setting some standards. Think about what excellence looks like for your ministry. Is it the appearance of your facility, the preparedness of your teaching team, the quality of your curriculum?

Remember that setting a high standard is different from setting goals. You can have a goal of growth in your Sunday School. You can also have a standard of excellence that says you will contact every absentee a minimum of once a month. A goal is a level to be attained. A standard is a benchmark of how you will conduct your ministry, regardless of whether or not a goal is reached.

Excellence is personal character. There is no substitute for personal character in the life of a Christian. Our standard must include certain facets--we will do what we say we will do, we will treat others honestly and with respect, we will follow and model Jesus' teachings, and we will settle differences according to a biblical model. The essence of excellence in the church is the character of its leaders. If you are not living your own life by a high standard, you cannot expect others to follow your lack of leadership. Remember that you carry the name of Christ as His new creation. We should "put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth" (Ephesians 4:24). Does your life look like your serve Jesus?

Excellence is accountability in every area. Finally, excellence must extend beyond the walls of the church to every area of our lives. We cannot be strong in our teaching, great as leaders, and set high standards in ministry, and yet allow an area of our life to be outside of Jesus' influence. Many ministries have fallen over the years because men and women of God, who were excellent in many ways, allowed sin to have a foothold in a seemingly insignificant area of their life.

It could be your temper, your finances, your balance of work and family, your personal Bible study, your health--if there is an area of your life where you are compromising to be excellent in ministry, know this: There is no more important ministry than to give every area of your life over to God. If you're having difficulty, there is no more mature thing a Christian can do than seek out a fellow believer and friend to be an accountability partner in that area of life.

Overboard? Can you go overboard with excellence to perfectionism? Sure. How do you know the difference? Ask yourself about motivation--who are you trying to please? An earnest desire to glorify God and follow Him to the very best of your ability is not perfectionism--it's our calling. Doing your best for God may result in some sweat and tears, but it won't cause continuous strife and disharmony with your team. If others around you are having difficulty pleasing you or living up to a standard, stop and look. Who set the standard? Who are they really trying to please? God wants our very best, but in giving it, we will also experience His very best. If we're missing out on that, then something is amuck.

About the Author. Eugene Mason has more than two decades of experience in ministry communications and technologies. More...