Why excellence isn't the goal...

When worship leaders talk shop, one word comes up again and again: excellence. Smooth transitions. Perfectly in-tune vocals. Tight arrangements. Professional polish.

We say it’s all “for God’s glory,” but if we’re honest, excellence can easily become a mask for something else: our fear of failure, our desire for control, or our need to prove ourselves.

Here’s the hard truth: the New Testament never commands us to pursue excellence in worship. It commands us to pursue love, humility, unity, and faithfulness.

Excellence can serve those things — but it can never replace them.

Think about it. If a song is executed flawlessly, but the team is full of ego and competition, have we really offered worship? On the other hand, if a service feels a little rough around the edges but people encounter God, isn’t that what we’re here for?

This doesn’t mean we stop practicing or preparing. Faithful stewardship still matters. But the real “gold standard” of worship leadership isn’t excellence — it’s formation. Are we leading in a way that forms people into deeper lovers of God and neighbors? Are we ourselves being shaped into Christlikeness as we serve?

When excellence becomes the main goal, worship leaders burn out, congregations become spectators, and worship turns into a performance. But when formation is the goal, the whole community grows into something far more beautiful than flawless music: the likeness of Christ.

Here’s the shift: Stop asking, “Was worship excellent today?”
Start asking, “Were we faithful? Were we loving? Were we honest before God?”

That’s the kind of worship leadership that truly moves the needle.