I reread a bit of a book entitled Start This Stop That – Do The Things That Grow Your Church by Jim and Jennifer Cowart. Excellence often requires focusing your energy on the most important things. The authors contend that in the following four areas, churches cannot accept average. These four areas must be excellent:
Children’s Ministry
In our culture, people expect the best when it comes to kids. Parents want updated and safe facilities, in addition to engaging, loving, and solid programming and leadership. Parents have to be able to trust their kids will be taken care of. Furthermore, when kids enjoy something, the whole family follows them. Great children’s ministry can’t be an afterthought but must be a primary focus for the church during worship services or kids ministry times. The best leaders should be in the local church’s children’s ministry.
Random Ideas For Children’s Ministry (for any size church)
Do Not Underestimate The Transforming Power Of Children’s Ministry
Three Words For Children’s Workers
Eight Ways To Effectively Reach Church Kids
Music
Again with this area, one could argue the culture has become entertainment driven. In a sense, we are up against this mindset every Sunday. Striving for engaging and quality of music isn’t just about a certain style, but about the way we present it. We want people to be inspired, we want to invite people to experience the presence of God through the emotion of the music and we want to help break down as many barriers as possible that often only music can do. The excellence factor comes in a focus to eliminate as many distractions as possible for the sake of people connecting and staying connected.
A Solid Worship-Plus Experience (Helping Unchurched Connect)
How To Set Your Worship Ministry Team Up For Success Each Week
Worship Leader Confidence: How Do We Get It?
Preaching
It isn’t until after the website info, welcome and hospitality, kids ministry check-in, music and other first impressions, that a guest in worship, finally experiences the preaching. There is a lot of expectation on the preacher to deliver a quality, relevant message. Depending on the size of the congregation, this expectation shifts a bit. When the congregation is smaller, there is more emphasis on relationship. A preacher in a smaller church can work hard at reaching out, connecting, inviting and then have a message that’s meaningful, but maybe hasn’t been prepped like crazy. As a church grows, the expectation for excellent preaching rises beyond the personal and relational connection to the pastor and thus requires more time investing in making every message a masterpiece. Preachers have much on their plate – but one thing they must prioritize is time for prayer and preparation. They must be continual learners in the areas of presentation and communication.
Eight Tips To Maximize Connection With An Audience
12 Easily Fixable Sermon Pitfalls
Nine Ways to Begin Your Sunday Message
Welcoming Atmosphere
Great hospitality and welcome is a huge asset to any church. Though great hospitality won’t typically keep people connected for the long haul, bad or nonexistent hospitality will definitely turn folks away from a great church. Every church must be driven to provide amazing hospitality for guests and newcomers – from the website to the parking lot, to the gathering space, to worship and beyond. This must be done with excellence.
5 Little Known Guest Service Training Tips For Any Church
How Hospitality Should Change The Church
Six Mantras for Ushers and Greeters
Excellence is defined as doing the very best with what you have been given. You don’t have to be a large church to be a great church. Every church is gifted with the people needed to accomplish the mission in your part of the world. Churches need to work hard to stay in a growth mindset. Then, we trust God, seek to become better leaders, and work hard to focus on these four areas of excellence!
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excellence in church has been on my mind for some time. coming across your your information has really blessed me a lot. sitting at your feet will bless me more.
thanks for reading!